I Am Officially Done Apologizing for Existing

We are the generation of women who were quietly conditioned to be hyper-accommodating. We were taught to cushion our boundaries, shrink our presence, and eagerly take the blame just to keep the peace.

I recently caught myself apologizing to a grocery cart because I bumped into it. An inanimate object.

Sometime during this midlife transition, I checked my inventory and realized I am completely, utterly out of "sorries." The well has run dry. The Apology Tour is officially canceled.

From this point forward, we are no longer apologizing for our homes looking like actual human beings live in them. We are not apologizing for taking three business days to respond to a non-urgent text message. We are definitely not apologizing for declining an invitation because our social battery is flashing red and our only evening goal is to be in our pajamas by 7:30 PM.

"No" is a complete sentence. "I don't have the capacity for that right now" is a valid boundary. And neither of those statements requires an apology or a five-minute fabricated excuse to soften the blow.

When you stop reflexively apologizing for existing, for taking up space, and for protecting your peace, you realize just how much heavy armor you have been carrying around for other people. Drop it. You will be amazed at how much lighter you feel.

Keep thriving.

Tracy 💗

💭 Reflection: What perfectly reasonable boundary are you going to stop saying "I'm sorry" for this week?