10 Empowering Quotes by Virginia Satir

Enjoy these empowering quotes by Virginia Satir, an American author, and psychotherapist, known especially for her work with family reconstruction.

1) “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” ~ Virginia Satir

2) “Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible – the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.” ~ Virginia Satir

3) “Adolescents are not monsters. They are just people trying to learn how to make it among the adults in the world, who are probably not so sure themselves.” ~ Virginia Satir

4) “Problems are not the problem; coping is the problem.” ~ Virginia Satir

5) “We can learn something new anytime we believe we can.” ~ Virginia Satir

6) “Every word, facial expression, gesture, or action on the part of a parent gives the child some message about self-worth. It is sad that so many parents don’t realize what messages they are sending.” ~ Virginia Satir

7) “We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.” ~ Virginia Satir

8) “Life is not what it’s supposed to be. It’s what it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.” ~ Virginia Satir

9) “So much is asked of parents, and so little is given.” ~ Virginia Satir

10)  “I Am Me,” was written by Virginia Satir in response to a question posed by an angry teenage girl.

 In all the world,

there is no one else exactly like me –

everything that comes out of me is authentically mine,

because I alone choose it – I own everything about me – my body,

my feelings, my mouth, my voice, 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 so doing I can love me and be friendly with me in all my parts –

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 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 authentically

me – If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought and felt

turned out to be unfitting, I can discard that which I feel is unfitting,

keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded –

I can see, hear, feel, think, say, 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 &

I AM OKAY