08/04/2026
Virginia Satir defined self-esteem in a very different way than we usually do.
Not confidence.
Not achievement.
Not approval.
Self-esteem is the capacity to value yourself, even when you fail, are rejected, or feel imperfect.
And when self-value is restored, something important happens:
You no longer have to choose between being real and being accepted.
This is where congruence begins and where real growth becomes possible.