Don’t apologize to people for who you are. No apologies are needed. You may have been through some things in life that led you to make decisions that others may not entirely understand. But trying to explain yourself will only make you miserable, and feeling misunderstood can make you feel guilty.

Don’t yield to the fear and guilt that stems from someone else's disapproval. Make no apologies for how you choose to respond to life’s challenges in support of yourself. Especially, if you haven’t broken any laws. 

Feeling guilty makes you feel bad. Guilt is an emotion designed to let you know when you're wrong in order to make amends. But guilt can also be misplaced. A guilty response can be inappropriate. Especially, if you've been conditioned to think that you’re not worthy of having your needs met, or if the people around you are constantly telling you that you’re wrong for not living according to their standards. 

Affirm yourself, and stop apologizing. Stop living your life as if you’re sorry for who you are and what you do to maintain your sense of self. 

If you’re acting in support of yourself, don’t apologize. If you've decided to start a business, don’t apologize. If you've decided to let go of a business and get a job or simply change careers, don’t apologize. If you've decided to start eating healthy and exercising more, don’t apologize. If you've decided to change your attitude from being negative and self-critical, to being more positive, optimistic, peaceful and self-loving, don’t apologize. 

If others don’t think that you should be doing whatever it is that you’re doing in response to life challenges, don’t apologize. Know who you are. Know what happiness and success means to you. Respect the decisions that you’ve made to advance and improve the course of your life. Release the guilt, and refuse to apologize.

Photograph by J Lee / Baby Blue Cat