A Declaration of Self-Esteem

I am me and I am okay.

Who are you?

What brings you joy or sadness?

What makes you feel alive?

I realize now that I never looked within myself to answer these questions and didn’t think this was something people did.

My identity, self-esteem, and self-worth were tied to things outside of me. I was not confident in who I was, which showed up in my thoughts, behaviors, interactions with others, and my approach to life, which caused a lot of inner struggle and pain.

Old Rizwan was stuck outside, unaware of himself but new Rizwan knows there is a way out and is on a journey of self-awareness.

I believe we are all on a similar journey. Deep inside, we all want to understand ourselves better to be who we truly are and reach our full creative potential.

I recently came across the poem called “I Am Me” by Virginia Satir, a psychotherapist. Here words are a good reminder for all of us to reconnect with ourselves and appreciate all parts. All the good, bad, and ugly parts within us, not just the image we share of ourselves with the world.

The poem calls us to return to who we have always been and will always be. To know ourselves deeper and become more real.

The poem calls deep within us all.

On to the poem!

—

I Am Me

by Viriginia Satir

In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me.

There are persons who have some parts like me, but no one adds up exactly like me. Therefore, everything that comes out of me is authentically mine because I alone chose it.

I own everything about me – my body, including everything it does; my mind, including all its thoughts and ideas; my eyes, including the images of all they behold; my feelings, whatever they may be – anger, joy, frustration, love, disappointment, excitement; my mouth, and all the words that come out of it, polite, sweet or rough, correct or incorrect; my voice, loud of soft; and all my actions, whether they be to others or to myself.

I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears.

I own all my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes.

Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By doing so I can love me and be friendly with me in all my parts. I can then make it possible for all of me to work in my best interests.

I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know. But as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for the solutions to the puzzles and for ways to find out more about me.

However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is me. This is authentic and represents where I am at that moment in time.

When I review later how I looked and sounded, what I said and did, and how I thought and felt, some parts may turn out to be unfitting. I can discard that which is unfitting, and keep that which proved fitting, and invent something new for that which I discarded.

I can see, hear, feel, think, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me.

I own me, and therefore I can engineer me.

I am me and I am okay.

—

It’s time we became okay with ourselves. With all the depth and amazing beauty we contain.

I’m always up for a chat. I would love to hear how the poem resonates with you. So hit reply, and let’s talk.

Stay strong! 🧠