http://brightside.me/article/stop-saying-sorry-if-you-want-to-say-thank-you-a-seriously-insightful-cartoon-57255/

I came across this on another subreddit. I think it's very easy to fall on the "sorry" path when you've taken the pill and you're actively working on changing bad behaviors, but you're not exactly there yet.

The comic illustrates some ways you can change the tone of the message, from being negative and about you, to positive and taking into account the other person. Sometimes, depending on the circumstances, if I say sorry I even get rewarded with a compliment-- It's still all about me. I found this comment made a good point:

I think the point is not to focus on our feelings, but on the other person's. If I feel badly for what I did, I'm focusing on myself rather than taking the other person's feelings into consideration. I can acknowledge them putting up with me best by saying thank you. Otherwise I'm just inviting pity, and hoping they'll dismiss my behavior or make an excuse for me: "That's OK," or, "No, you're not late! I just got here myself!" What about saying something like, " I am sorry I'm late. Thank you for being so patient!" That way, I'm not excusing my behavior; I'm apologizing for it. But I'm also not keeping the spotlight on myself.

Maybe others (especially the overly apologetic) will find this helpful :)