To My Fellow Women: It’s Time We Stopped Apologizing For Everything

I’m one of those people who feels the need to say sorry for everything. It could be for laughing out loud at exactly the wrong time. It could be after someone tells me about an issue he or she is going through. My immediate reaction to it all is, “I’m sorry.”

We all feel that we need to apologize for doing things that seem out of the ordinary for society. We feel the need to say sorry when we belch after a really good meal. We feel like saying sorry after crying out our feelings about that boy or girl who really hurt us. We act as if saying sorry is the norm for being our natural selves, and it isn’t.

So what should we do? We need to stop apologizng.

Yes, you read that right. We need to halt our brains from uttering an apology for things that make each of us unique. We need to stop apologizing for speaking our minds. We need to stop apologizing for being passionate about the things that give us life. We need to stop apologizing for having an opinion that differs from the person dominating the conversation. We need to stop apologizing for not taking any shit from a significant other that makes you feel inferior (really, it’s alright to stand up for yourself).

One of my favorite comediennes, Amy Schumer, makes it clear that she will “not strive for some other version of myself.” Why can’t we listen to what she says? It’s time for us to challenge ourselves and become women who can look someone in the eye and not feel like we must say sorry for something that we inherently feel is right. Our thoughts are beautiful and our thoughts are valid! We need to believe that within ourselves.

Here’s what we should do: ensure that the people who you call friends truly know who you are and accept who you are. Learn to love yourself and find people who love you just as much, if not more. Find people who respect your opinions and won’t feel offended by it.

Most of all, never apologize for being you!