I'm done apologizing for my existence.

As a woman, I feel as though I say "sorry" upwards of thirty times a day, and for things I need not apologize for.

"Sorry I got in your way" (Really, he got in my way, but god forbid I make him realize his mistake and harm his fragile male ego).

"Sorry I didn't dress up today" (apologizing for my appearance even though, in reality, there is nothing wrong with it).

And my favorite, "Sorry," with the underlying meaning being "Sorry I asserted myself. I must be a bitch for having a strong opinion and making it known, so now I have to apologize just in case I made anyone uncomfortable" (for the record, men have been asserting themselves for years and have been praised for it, yet women are slapped with terrible labels for doing the same thing).

Ladies of the world: we have nothing to be sorry about! Unless you have actually fucked up, there is no reason to apologize. That might be a radical idea, especially since it has been ingrained in us to apologize for basically anything (for a great, comedic example, watch Amy Schumer's take on the matter), but it's only holding us back. Do men say sorry for things that they shouldn't? A majority don't--so why should we behave any differently?

This is not about manners. This is about fully owning oneself and not feeling bad about doing so. This is about not giving a fuck, about truly realizing one's worth. And besides, sorry loses its meaning if you use it for everything.

So next time you're about to say sorry, stop and think. Did you actually do something wrong and hurt someone, or is it simply out of habit? Do you feel guilty for an incorrect action, or do you just feel bad for being an imperfect person (and how dare you not be the "perfect woman")? You get to decide, but I promise that the latter doesn't warrant anything to be sorry for.

So yea, I'm a woman. And no, I'm not sorry for how I look, the way I feel, or anything for that matter, really.