It's not "I'm sorry", it's "Thank you"!
The other day I was listening to one of my favorite business podcasts, this one happened to be Marketing Secrets with Russell Brunson and he was talking about language hacks...you know, simple tweaks you can make when you talk to someone that yield huge changes.
When it comes to quick self improvement hacks, I really try to pay attention.
In his podcast he said, "next time instead of saying "I'm sorry", say "Thank You" instead.
Hmmm... 🤔
For example, next time you're running late and you're running out to the car, instead of saying "I'm sorry", you say something like, "thanks so much for waiting for me, I really appreciate it".
It's just a little shift that changes the rest of the entire conversation. Because when we say we are sorry, we immediately are putting guilt out there, both on ourselves and also on the person we are interacting with.
So instead of throwing remorse on a situation, you throw gratitude. And now, that person immediately feels better about themselves and you can go on with the rest of your day not feeling bad about something, or that you have upset someone.
Think about the last time you said you were sorry for something. For me, it's almost daily, and not because I am doing "bad" things that I should be saying sorry for, but because maybe I have inconvenienced someone in some way and feel like I need to apologize for my lack of not being at the top of my game.
So yes, you could say, I am 100% driven by guilt in many of the interactions I have and because I am a nice person feel like I am constantly apologizing.
You know...
- Sorry for calling so late.
- Sorry that I have be gone and you get to take care of that.
- Sorry for not being able to sign-up for something.
- Sorry to make you wait for me.
on and on...you get the picture.
But now, imagine if instead of being sorry, you were to express your gratitude...
- Thank you for answering your phone, I know it is so late...
- Thank you for covering for me when I'm gone next week...
- Thank you for understanding how busy Thursdays are for me...
- Thank you for your patience and waiting for me...
- Thank you for watching the kids...
Try it out this week! See what it does to your mood, your attitude and your actions.
No one wants you to feel sorry for them, they just want a little acknowledgement of how much they do for you and how much you mean to them.
I'm going to give it a try this week, why don't you join me and let me know how it goes!
Thank you for hanging out with me on this email!
I will post the link to that podcast episode if you want to hear it from Russell Brunson, (only about 6 minutes long).
Here's to a great Thursday!
- Michelle
PS...Click here to check out the podcast episode #396 - "A Simple Language Hack That'll Change Your Life Forever".
PSS...If you hear of any great tips, drop them in the comments below!