The root of our self-esteem is not our achievements…
Page 171. The root of our self-esteem is not our achievements per se but those internally generated practices that make it possible for us to achieve.
— from Who Is Flying (Self, Nature & Nurture)
In the book
Real self-esteem is simply the earned experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges of life. It is, at bottom, your own deepest and quietest verdict on your own worth — and its root is never your trophies or your applause, but something generated inside you, from how you actually live. I have come to believe it is among the greatest gifts a parent can give a child, because without it a person flies a whole life braced for a crash. — Who Is Flying (Self, Nature & Nurture)