I catch myself doing it several times a day. Someone bumps into me and I end up apologizing, as though it was my fault. I order a coffee and then when the order is messed up, I apologize for asking the barista to fix it. I apologize for saying no to things I do not want to do or have no obligation to do. I think use the word “sorry” more than most others in my vocabulary. I have also noticed that I rarely see the males in my life apologizing nearly as much as the females.
There is a church called the Unitarian Universalist Association that is practiced around the world. The UUA has several principles, but the one that sticks out most to me is the first. The first principle affirms the “inherent worth and dignity of every person.” I love this idea. I think it is a phrase that all women should remember in a society where we constantly doubt our own worth.
Every day we are given reasons to doubt our capabilities, or ourselves. Instead of listening to these doubts, we can choose to instead listen to all the reasons we are worthy. We can choose to listen to the people who do believe we are worthy. Most importantly, we can continue to believe in ourselves as worthy humans. Someone can tell you a million times how worthy you are, but you have to believe it yourself. We can choose to stop apologizing, because we have no reason to be sorry. We have as much worth and dignity as the next person. We just need to believe it.