Stop apologizing for existing

Stop apologizing for existing. Seriously. Some of us have turned “sorry” into punctuation, dropping it in texts, whispering it in conversations, even saying it when someone else bumps into us. We apologize for asking questions, for speaking too loud, for eating the last slice of pizza, for taking up space in a room like we’re background characters who accidentally walked onto the wrong set.

 But here’s the thing: but you are not an accident nor a glitch in the matrix. You are the main event, the full feature, the playlist– not the ad that interrupts it. And yet, somewhere along the way, society taught us that shrinking ourselves was polite, that silencing ourselves was kindness, that dimming our shine was necessary so others wouldn’t feel insecure. We were trained to say “sorry” when we really meant “thank you for waiting,” “I have a right to be here,” or simply, “move over, Shruti.”

Apologizing for existing is basically free emotional labor. It’s like offering your Wi-Fi password to strangers in a café, you’re draining yourself while everyone else streams Netflix off your energy. When you say “sorry” every time you breathe too loud, you’re telling yourself that your presence is a problem, and that lie slowly eats at your confidence until you forget what it feels like to stand tall. We already live in a world heavy with expectations. we should be grinding, glowing, side-hustling, healing trauma, saving the planet, and looking hot while doing it. No wonder we feel guilty for just being. But here’s a radical thought: you don’t owe anyone an apology for existing. Not your boss, not your friends, not even your family. Your space in this world isn’t borrowed, it’s yours. Own it.

Think of it like this: you never see the sun apologizing for rising. Imagine the moon texting Earth like, “Hey, so sorry for showing up tonight, hope I’m not being too bright!” Absolutely not. The universe doesn’t apologize for doing its thing, so why should you? You deserve to take up space, to laugh too loud, to make mistakes, to want things, to chase things, to demand better. That’s not arrogance, it’s being alive. And let’s be honest, the people who make you feel like you need to apologize for existing are usually the ones intimidated by your shine. That’s not your problem, that’s their sunscreen failing.

But here’s where it gets deeper, many of us say sorry as a survival mechanism. Especially if you grew up in environments where being “too much” got you in trouble, or where love felt conditional, or where every choice was criticized. Saying sorry became a shield, a way to soften yourself before someone else could cut you down. That habit sticks, even when you’re free, even when no one’s holding a knife anymore. And it’s heartbreaking, because it means some of us haven’t truly felt what it’s like to exist without fear. To just…be.

So here’s your reminder: you don’t need permission to exist. You don’t need to shrink, bend, or twist yourself into palatable shapes so people stay comfortable. Comfort is overrated anyway. Growth is uncomfortable. Confidence is uncomfortable. And you being fully, unapologetically you might make some people squirm, and that’s okay. The ones who matter will celebrate it. The rest can adjust or step aside. Stop apologizing for existing. Start thanking yourself for surviving. For trying. For showing up when the world told you to disappear. You are not an inconvenience. You are not “too much.” You are enough, loudly, boldly, unapologetically enough. The next time you feel a “sorry” slipping out when you’re not actually at fault, catch it. Swap it with power. Replace “sorry I’m late” with “thank you for waiting.” Replace “sorry to bother” with “do you have a minute?” Replace “sorry I exist” with silence…..and let your presence speak for itself.

Because your existence is not a crime. It’s a miracle. And miracles don’t apologize.