Stop Apologizing!

I just remembered another item for my previous post... Learn to stop apologizing! How could I forget? :) I remembered because it's also an item on a different list I just read in a women's magazine -- something like "Subtle Ways to Battle Discrimination in the Workplace."

Chronically apologizing is something that could be hard to unlearn. I'm always apologizing. Why? Possibly because I'm a Cancerian, therefore sensitive and always wanting to please people. Then again, I do know a lot of people born under the same sign as me whose every other word isn't "sorry." I guess I just hate conflict and believe that you catch more flies with sugar than vinegar. Humility, the ability to recognize that you were wrong and publicly acknowledge that, is a virtue.

But now, I realize that you have to draw the line somewhere. There comes a point when people will actually respect you less for always apologizing. (Shit, that was a no-brainer. Why didn't I realize it sooner?) It's one thing to apologize when you know without a trace of doubt that what you did is absolutely wrong, but it's quite another when you do even though at some level, you believe you were right. In the latter case, your apology communicates a lack of conviction. And when you have to interact with people who like to kick when you're already down, you do not want to give them that kind of ammunition.

Honestly, these days, people have been disappointing me a lot. The silver lining here though is it's been a pretty good learning experience and this exercise in character building will only make me better. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?

Anyway, I'm veering off. No apologies though. Haha. Basta, stop apologizing.