3 Ways to Make Your Apology More Effective

It happens to everyone; you find yourself in a situation in which you owe someone an apology for hurting them. Chances are you didn’t mean to hurt this person, but you did. Perhaps it was a careless comment or a thoughtless piece of gossip you spread, or maybe it was a fight you had in which you said hurtful things. You can’t take back what you’ve done, but an apology will take you one step closer to forgiveness. Here are three ways you can issue an apology when it’s called for.

Admit You Were Wrong

The thing about an apology is that it’s not sincere if you don’t acknowledge that you were wrong. If you’re only issuing an apology because you feel that you have no choice, it’s insincere and it’s not making the situation any better. Realize you are wrong and then make your apology. You have to openly admit your mistake, admit that you were wrong     and then make your apology.

Say You’re Sorry

To make an apology, you have to say you’re sorry. But before you can do that, you have to know what you’re sorry for. Are you sorry for hurting someone or are you sorry that they caught you doing something or saying something hurtful? Whatever you’re sorry for, you have to acknowledge it and actually feel sorry for what you’ve done.

Try to Make it Up

Another way to say you’re sorry without actually saying it again is to try and make up for your actions. This is a simple task, though sometimes it takes longer than you might think depending on the severity of the hurt you caused. You can try to make up for your hurtful behavior or words by doing something nice for your loved one, by rebuilding your trust or by having a heart-to-heart to explain why you did what you did and why you’ll never do it again.

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