On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In her book, Let It Be Easy: Simple Ways to Stop Stressing & Start Living, life coach Susie Moore shares insightful gems. Here’s one of my favorites:

Have you ever noticed the overuse of the word sorry, especially by women? We overapologize like crazy! Here are some easy replacements:

Instead of saying, “So sorry I’m a couple of minutes late,” you can say, “Thank you for waiting.”

Instead of saying, “Sorry I messed up,” you can say, “I’ll fix that right now, thanks for pointing it out.”

Instead of saying, “Sorry to bother you,” you can say, “Hey, do you have a moment?”

Saying “sorry” is often a reflex, but it doesn’t have to be. You’re meant to take up space in this world! There’s no prize for being small or unbothersome. Words have power. And so do you.

Source: Let It Be Easy, p. 268