Atlanta Unitarian

Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgment difficult. -Hippocrates ... or in modern terms... Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. -John Lennon

Self esteem cannot be created through praise. It cannot be created through achievement, awards, and success. Self esteem can only be grown from within. Like a seed that grows into a flower, self esteem cannot be forced into bloom. The right conditions can be cultivated, but a flower must grow and bloom of its own accord. What are some of the conditions that can help to grow self esteem? Acknowledging and meeting the needs of a person, facilitating their development and capacity, and reflecting back to them their own unique identity and personality. Everyone has the light within them, and when we reflect back their light, we help them see it more clearly. This is the greatest challenge in helping another - not to make them into your idea of good or shape them into your ideal, but rather to help them to cultivate their own voice and come into their own understanding of the true and the good. And ultimately, you must give them the space to bloom of their own accord. The growth and f