I heard a resounding "YES!" on that one.
So, what's harder? Apologizing? or Accepting an apology?
I think we can all agree that apologizing is more difficult than accepting an apology. For that reason, I believe that many people don't apologize to those that they have hurt.
Personally, I believe that apologies (sincere ones) have a great impact on relationships - how they function and how they grow (or not). I don't believe that anyone is exempt from apologizing because no one is perfect. We will do things to hurt people or upset people. It is then our responsibility to rectify the situation by (sincerely) apologizing and restoring that relationship to its original state. Of course there may be situations where both people in the situation must apologize because they both behaved inappropriately.
Why give an apology?
• To acknowledge that you know the other person was hurt
• To confirm that you accept responsibility
• To make sure it won’t happen again
• To reconcile the relationship
• To restore your reputation
Let me share something with you that I came across online:
"An apology can often be the first step to better understanding in a damaged relationship. It says that you share values regarding appropriate behavior towards each other, that you have regrets when you don’t behave according to those values (intentionally or unintentionally), and that you will make greater efforts to live up to your shared standards of behavior. Timing can be crucial. An apology delayed may be an opportunity lost".
Now I know that we've all heard the apologies that start off like this: "I'm sorry, but..." Yeah well, I'M sorry, a sincere apology goes NOTHING like that! Take responsibility for your actions people!
I challenge you to apologize to each person that you hurt or offend this week. Heck, you can even keep it going for a lifetime!
"Apology is a lovely perfume; it can transform the clumsiest moment into a gracious gift". -Margaret Lee Runbeck
