Paul Bear Bryant
“When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.”
How To Say Sorry When You Make The Big Mistake
I don't care how hard you try, you will make mistakes. Some will be small, but others can be a very big deal. They may involve damaging serious relationships with people you love.
When those mistakes happen, and you want to make it right, an apology is in order. You may not want to because of fear or your pride, but it could be the only thing that makes things right.
Before you make any moves, think things through. Then plan what you are going to say.
Make your apology sincere, and give the other person time to accept it.
Here are some tips to make this entire process manageable.
Let's get started
1
Let Go Of The Blame
When you are in the middle of a situation, you may feel hesitant or resentful. Sometimes you may even think what happened is not your fault.
If you feel like that, calm down and acknowledge your part in hurting another person. Blaming other people is just a waste of time.
Self blame is the only way for you to realize the weight and significance of your actions.
Rarely is the blame solely the part of one person. Even so, issue an apology for the part you played. You take responsibility for you.
2
Begin With A Sincere Expression of Remorse
The best way to begin an apology is to start by expressing a sincere level of remorse. Showing remorse is what an apology is about. Don't hesitate. Start from the beginning and talk about how sorry you are for the part you played.
Put yourself in their shoes, and just imagine how they are feeling. Then, sincerely and genuinely feel sorry for what you've done.
You can say something like, "I'm incredibly sorry for what I did and how it hurt you."
Those words will get the ball rolling.
3
Express Regret
Express regret as soon as the words I'm sorry" leave your mouth.
Regret show that you've genuinely reflected on your mistake, and understand why your actions were wrong.
Always take full responsibility for your actions, and the circumstances surrounding them. Make sure you are not making excuses for unacceptable action.
4
Acknowledge Their Feelings
Acknowledging what another person's feeling is hard to do, but it is one of the most important things you can do during an apology.
It can be painful to recall how your actions hurt someone.
Try to feed back to the person how you must have made them feel. They will let you know if you are on track. If you are wrong, just listen to what they are saying and empathize with them.
When you understand how they are feeling, you can say you're sorry for making them feel that way.
5
Ask For Forgiveness
The appropriate thing to do after you apologize is to ask for forgiveness. Doing so leaves the door open for reconciliation.
Saying something as simple as "I hope you can find a way to forgive me moving forward", carries a lot of weight.
Even though they may say they forgive you right away, realize that it could take some time for hurt feelings to heal.
Be patient and give them all the time they need.
6
Do Not Use No-Apology Language
Do not use non-apologetic language that can take away the power of an apology.
Center the apology around your actions that caused the problem. Any language that sound like you are making excuses should be avoided.
Basically, you are only apologizing for the actions that you contributed to the situation.
7
Back Up Your Apology With Action
Apologies mean nothing if you don't follow it with a plan for making things better.
What have you learned and how are you going to act differently in the future?
Think of the causes of your actions and potential things you can do to rectify those actions.
Then follow through with some concrete action.
Conclusion
Maintaining healthy relationships can be the most rewarding thing we can do. That's why it's important to make things right when you make mistakes that threaten them.
Learning to apologize the right way can turn those trying experiences into moments of learning and healing.
To get started, make up in your mind that you will hold off on blaming the other person.
Think about what was done and make a plan for what you will say moving forward.
Being remorseful is one thing, but make sure you express it in your apology. Show that you really regret what has happened.
Listen to what they are saying and acknowledge how they are feeling.
Next, ask for forgiveness. It may take some time for the person to deal with their feelings, so give it time.
Finally, back up that apology with some type of action. That demonstrates how sincere you are. Keep working until things are restored.
The value you receive from restoring your relationship is priceless.
You can do this.
After all, you are a
"Seriously Unstoppable Person Earning Respect".
Question?
What have you had to apologize for lately?
What did you learn from the situation?
(Leave a comment below)
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Albert Powell
Thank You
Hope it helps you in some way.
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