As we enter month nine of a global pandemic, a presidential election cycle, the nomination of a supreme court justice, racial strife, NTI (that’s non-traditional instruction for those of you fortunate enough to not have school age-children during this nightmare), let it be said that nerves are frayed, tensions are high and apologies may be in order. Many of us are not living our “best lives” right now; and with that said, it’s possible that perhaps we’ve done or said some things that we wish we could take back. None of us is perfect. It is inevitable we will mess up.
Enter the apology.
Webster’s defines it as “an admission of error or discourtesy accompanied by an expression of regret.” Yikes. Apologizing can be difficult for several reasons. First, many of us were never taught how to give an effective apology, and it may have never been modeled for us. When we apologize, we are admitting we have done something wrong. For some of us, admitting we are wrong can bring up feelings of shame, fear of being seen in an unflattering light or fear our admission will be used against us.
