Tuesday's Change Week 42 - Stop Saying Sorry

So this week's change is probably the most difficult one I have set so far, well for me anyway! Typically I set you a weekly challenge which I have already, to some degree, mastered. So you can imagine it's easy for me to sit here smugly telling you what to do. However, I wanted to challenge myself this week as well and so I chose the thing I find most difficult! Not saying sorry!

I was raised to always consider other people's feelings, to be polite, courteous and kind (check out my most read article to date about this here). This inevitably leads to me saying sorry a lot! I do it without thinking, just like saying please and thank you and I often don't even notice I'm doing it. My wonderful sister Kate is the same and we often point out to each other when we do it, yet it's harder to recognise in ourselves. Sometimes we almost apologise for just being in a room or being in the way or just existing!

I read this wonderful article recently and it inspired me to make it this week's change. You can read it here - 5 Thing you should never apologies for

So it is perfectly OK to say sorry when you mean it. When you genuinely did something wrong and want to make ammends. But try and be so honest and truthful with your words that you don't just say it with no meaning for any old mishap. Take the girl in that story's lead and ackoweldge when something is amiss but only apologiese for it if it's needed.

Living in Germany at the moment I have never been so aware of my politeness. I think Irish peolpe as a nation are so over polite. It's not a bad thing and it's the reason we are well liked all over the world. But there is a certain amount of respect I have to give the German people for being so absolutely honest and true to themselves all the time. It really is fascinating to observe. You have to witness it first hand to understand it.

Typically I would say here 'Sorry for rambling on' but I shall refrain! Step one - think before you speak!

Best of luck my Jeanies and know that this week I will be struggling just as much as you guys to try and stick to my change!