3 min read
I used to think power came from control
From having the right answers
From never being wrong
It felt like strength meant holding ground
Defending every position
Winning every conversation
But over time
Something didn’t feel right
Because the more I tried to appear strong
The more rigid I became
The more disconnected I felt
Then I noticed something simple
Two words I was avoiding
Sorry
And
Thank you
Strange, right
Two of the most basic words
Yet the hardest to say when it matters
Saying sorry felt like losing
Like admitting weakness
Like giving someone else the upper hand
So I avoided it
Or delayed it
Or justified my way around it
But the truth was
I wasn’t protecting my strength
I was protecting my ego
And that came at a cost
Relationships became transactional
Conversations became defensive
Growth became limited
Because when you can’t say sorry
You can’t learn
You stay stuck
Repeating the same patterns
Just with better excuses
Then there is thank you
Even that felt uncomfortable at times
Not because it’s difficult to say
But because it requires recognition
Recognition that you didn’t do everything alone
Recognition that someone else contributed
Recognition that you are not the centre of everything
And ego doesn’t like that
It prefers independence
Control
Self-credit
But reality is different
Every step forward
Has invisible support
People who helped
Guided
Tolerated
Believed
And when you don’t acknowledge that
You disconnect from reality
You start believing your own illusion
That’s dangerous
Because real power is not isolation
It is connection
The ability to learn
Adapt
Grow with others
And these two words
Sorry and thank you
Unlock that
Saying sorry is not weakness
It is awareness
Awareness that you are human
That you can make mistakes
That you are willing to correct them
It builds trust
Because people don’t expect perfection
They expect honesty
And when you say sorry genuinely
You create space
For repair
For understanding
For growth
It softens resistance
It removes unnecessary friction
And most importantly
It keeps you evolving
Now thank you
That’s not just politeness
That’s perspective
It shifts your focus
From what you lack
To what you have
From what you control
To what you receive
It builds humility
And humility sharpens perception
You start seeing more clearly
Opportunities
People
Support systems
And when you acknowledge them
You strengthen them
People feel valued
Connections deepen
Collaboration improves
That’s real leverage
Not force
Not control
But alignment
Over time
I realised something
The people who say sorry easily
And thank you often
Are not weaker
They are more secure
Because they don’t need to prove anything constantly
They are comfortable
With being imperfect
And that gives them freedom
Freedom to learn faster
Freedom to connect deeper
Freedom to move forward
Without carrying unnecessary weight
And that’s power
Not loud
Not aggressive
But stable
Consistent
Real
So now I pay attention
Not to how often I win
But to how honestly I respond
Did I acknowledge my mistake
Or defend it
Did I recognise support
Or ignore it
These small moments matter
Because they compound
Just like everything else
And over time
They shape who you become
Not through big declarations
But through small, repeated choices
To stay aware
To stay grounded
To stay human
So maybe becoming powerful
Is not about adding more
But removing what blocks you
Ego
Defensiveness
Illusion of control
And replacing it
With two simple words
Sorry
And thank you
Not easy
But transformative
And quietly
Powerful
