Think about how many times a day you apologize or how many times you just hear the word sorry floating around. Are you apologizing for mistakes that you really are sorry for or are you apologizing just because you have come to feel like you have to? Does saying sorry make you feel like you are taking responsibility for something, even when you didn't do it? How do you feel after you say those words?

There are always a million reasons to say sorry. But that being said, there are always a million and one reasons to go day by day only using this word a handful of times. So, go back and think again how many times you've said sorry just today, were all of them necessary? Did you continue to feel badly even after you thought you apologized to fix whatever the situation was?

Apologizing for stepping on someone's toes: fine.

Apologizing for missing a phone call: fine.

Apologizing for having an argument and saying mean things to someone: fine.

The list is endless for necessary reasons to apologize.

Apologizing for simply existing: not fine.

If you think about it, why would you apologize for things that don't affect you or anyone else? Why would you apologize for doing something as simple as just asking for extra toppings on your burrito bowl?

To be honest, I find myself being one of the those people that says sorry for just about anything I do. This could be really anything that could have an effect on another person-- bad intentions or not. Then though, I feel that in order to "save" myself and be nice, I apologize, hoping no one will become upset with me.

I've even gone as far as to apologize to other people for a personal mistake. One time, I ran into my door by accident and despite the piercing pain of my stupidity from messing around, I yelled immediately apologized to my roommates for acting up and making noise. Why would I say sorry for this? I am the one that hurt myself, it affected them in no way, I was just having a good time and ended up hurting myself in the process.

Apologizing for silly things like this is kind of like apologizing just for being who you want to be. You shouldn't have to let yourself say sorry for things that don't matter just in hopes of not looking bad. You should carry yourself with confidence and realize that what you do doesn't impact anyone other than yourself. This doesn't mean anyone should carelessly walking around not thinking about anyone around them, but apologizing for trivial things can seem like accepting defeat in yourself and that's not what any person should want.

Saying sorry surely serves a purpose when necessary. With this in mind though, it is very important to remember when it is overused. It is important to know the actual meaning of sorry. According to Merriam-Webster, sorry means to feel "sorrow, regret or penitence". If this phrase becomes used too much, it seems as though it could lose its actual meaning.

After recognizing my overusing of the phrase "I'm sorry" in my daily life, I have minimized the amount of reasons I apologize and try to stick to only the necessities. Even though it is kind of tough to have to catch myself every time, I have realized only the important things to apologize for. I've come to know that I do not have to apologize just to be nice, I can just try to be a nice person!

In dropping the sorry's and embracing my actions, I hope the days become filled with kindness and confidence in myself without feeling the need to apologize so often.