Two people bump into each other during rush hour. Not even a bump, but rather they slightly cross paths. Both individuals were pushed by the sea of people around them without any intention of harm. In fact, it was just a small collision and right away you hear the words "I'm sorry." Both individuals feel so bad for making the other person step slightly to the right or the left, when in reality it's OK. It wasn't intentional. It didn't cause harm. It was just a slight shift in steps and both individuals were just trying to go about their day. But, it comes out: "I'm sorry." After a while, we say it so much that we forget the meaning of these powerful words.
You hear it all the time, not because we have done something wrong at the time, but because it's an instinct. It's an instinct to apologize for getting in someone's way even when we don't mean to. It's an instinct to apologize for us getting to where we need to be, and that shouldn't be something to apologize for.
I'm not entirely sure why that has become an instinct. For instance, I was trying to grab for paper towels at the grocery store and so was another woman. Without a moment of hesitation, we both said "I'm sorry." We apologized for getting what we needed at the grocery store, and that didn't seem right for the both of us. We started to feel bad for not waiting our "turn." When in life, there are no such thing as turns. Slightly embarrassed for who knows what reason, we both pulled our arms back and motioned for the other to go first. It's just paper towels, but these paper towels have made us apologize while forcefully taking a step back without a second thought. It's strange and not something we should have been sorry for.
Apologizing all the time makes the word lose its meaning. It also becomes hard on you. You shouldn't apologize for already having a set plan, you should never apologize for what you aspire to do, and more importantly, you should never apologize for doing what you believe is right. The right thing is honest and it's hard. I'm guilty of it. I've apologized for doing what was best for me. I've apologized for grabbing tissues at the same time someone else was. I've apologized for focusing on me for a day. But, not anymore.
Quit apologizing for going about your daily routine. Don't get me wrong; certain situations require an apology and more. But, you shouldn't have to say those words for doing everyday tasks. It's a challenge and it's one of the few things I'm working on. Apologize when you know it's the right thing to do, but never apologize for being your best you.
