Day 302 (Three-Hundred & Two) of 365 days
An apology leads to forgiveness, can recover a spoiled relationship, and may heal indignity. Saying “sorry” denotes that you have chosen your relationship over your ego. Yet so many of us can’t find the strength within us to admit our fault. Apologizing is vital since it helps to smooth any conflict and re-establish a spiritual connection with the partner. If you master the art of apologizing, it will help you reduce relationship stress and to move on from conflicts and tensions.
When I was growing up, every time I took my sister’s toy or called my brother names, my mother would grab me by the wrist and demand that I offer an apology. What’s more, if the apology didn’t sound meaningful enough to her, I had to repeat it until my tone was genuine. An apology was the basic reaction to any mistake. Now that I’m older, I see apologizing as more than just a household rule. My younger self didn’t understand the complexities of human pride and self-righteousness, but my older self does.
Now, I see family members and friends refusing to talk to each other for years after an argument just because neither side wants to be the first to let go of their pride and “break down and apologize.” But who decided apologizing was a sign of weakness? I think we’ve reached a day and age where showing emotional vulnerability can be viewed as a positive rather than a negative quality. People are becoming more aware of ideas like empathy and sensitivity, and everywhere we are being encouraged to talk about our feelings, to seek help, and to connect with others. Gone are the days of keeping everything bottled up inside to suffer alone.
“I’m sorry”. Possibly two of the most powerful words in the English language. Yet, these words are often avoided and easily choked on! Why do we struggle to say these two simple words? “I’m sorry”. Words so powerful they restore relationships. “I’m sorry” swings open the way to forgiveness and grace. “I’m sorry” releases the power of our mistake and grants freedom. We avoid these two powerful words because we don’t look to the result. Instead, we look to the immediate future and tremble with fear. We grasp on to pride and point to the other person. Stubbornly, we cross our arms refusing to take responsibility. We say no to making a change and transforming.
Saying nothing leads to increased hurt and hardened hearts. The lack of resolution builds like a losing game of Tetris. Remember that? The shapes just keep building until they climb so high there’s no way out. It’s never too late to say I’m sorry. It’s also never too soon.
An ant can lift an object to fifty times its weight. That fact helps us acknowledge that there is immense power in small things. The two words we say when we’ve done something wrong demonstrate that small but mighty power too. “I’m sorry.” Two—technically three—words that can spell the end or beginning of something.
