The Art Of An Apology

MONDAY MORNING INSPIRATION:
 

“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.”
― Benjamin Franklin

The Art of an Apology

The saying goes that forgiveness is divine, and that’s wonderful for the one who forgives, but what about the one who is asking to be forgiven? Maybe we did or said something unkind, or made a mistake that cost someone time or money. The question isn’t about making mistakes, because we all do that. The question is how to apologize after the fact. It has become a lost art.

First and foremost, offer the apology as soon as possible. Don’t elaborate the whys–especially if the hurt was not intentional–because apologizing is not the same as justifying. A brief apology is especially important when you feel that you were right in your actions that resulted in someone else’s hurt feelings.

If the one from whom you’ve asked forgiveness wants to explain how your behavior or action hurt them, listen respectfully and only respond with, “I’m sorry and I hope you’ll forgive me.”   No, that isn’t easy, but is an important step in the process–hopefully neither of you want to start a new argument.

Be genuine, respectful, and listen–not every apology results in being forgiven, but when you’ve put your pride aside to try and make things better, you’ve done your best. Hopefully it will lead to a better and stronger relationship, which is a work of art on its own!