When you’re late—whether you’re meeting a friend for lunch or turning in a project—find a way to say thank you instead of I’m sorry. This way you show that you care without putting yourself down in the process. Thank you for waiting for me. I’ve been looking forward to our visit! Thank you for your patience as we work on this project. I’ll have the report in by Friday. When you decide to speak about yourself with respect and kindness rather than belittlement and cruelty, you are showing yourself you have a choice in how you treat yourself and that you deserve to be treated well. You are showing up for yourself as your own compassionate friend. Think about past situations where you’ve apologized. How might those I’m sorry phrases be turned into thank you phrases?