A few years ago, I noticed a tendency in myself to overuse the phrase “I’m sorry” in everyday situations, as a way of trying to excuse shortcomings I perceived within me. For instance, if I over-spiced a meal, I’d tell my husband I was sorry it didn’t taste better. If I didn’t get around to doing a chore and he jumped on it first, I’d apologize for that. Saying “I’m sorry” was such a habit that I decided to try an experiment. I called it the “I’m not sorry” experiment.
For one week, I wanted to go without apologizing for anything. Now, let me be clear that if I did something hurtful to another person that demanded a genuine “I’m sorry,” I’d give myself a pass for that. But what I’m really talking about is the subtle energy that’s contained in a phrase like “I’m sorry” when it’s overused – when some part of me feels inferior, and then feels badly about that inferiority, causing me to apologize for not feeling good enough.
With my belief in manifesting, and my knowing that I create every situation of my life through my beliefs, I had a sense that my compulsion to apologize was negatively affecting me. Hence the experiment.
What I found was that I could go four or five days – but not a whole week – without once saying “I’m sorry.”
Interestingly, by Day 2, I noticed I was feeling stronger and more confident in various situations. By leaning away from the energy of feeling “not enough,” (which was the energy triggered every time I said “I’m sorry”), I uncovered a new and wonderful space. A more powerful space!
And I have to say, the days following that experiment brought some wonderful experiences to me that have continued, months later.
Give it a try and/or just let me know what you think. Are you ever needlessly (self-)sorry?
As always, thanks for reading! 
