I recently apologized to someone. I was rude to her. I didn’t give her the care and tenderness all humans deserve.

I was so consumed with myself that I forgot to be present and kind. So I humbly apologized. I needed to.

I apologize frequently. Mainly because I’m good at making mistakes, but also because I try to see my fault in situations.

And an apology is art. Your words are the paint. How you communicate it is your brush. And our hearts are the canvases that display the art.

A sincere, from the heart, prideless apology is worth a fortune. Mainly because it is rare, but in high demand.

I want to be a major dealer in the fine art of apology. I want to recognize my wrongs and quickly seek amends.

And here’s some things I’m learning about apologies:

1. Take out the conditions. Apologize with no addendum, retractions, contradictions and/or clauses. If you’re apology has words like “but” and “if” in it, you’re usually going in the wrong direction.

2. Have appropriate expressions. Your expressions should accurately correlate to the wrong that occurred. This is not the time for giggling and grinning. Maintain eye contact and express sincerity with your voice and body language.

3. Understand what you are apologizing for before you begin your apology. State the wrong you committed fully and succinctly. Then apologize. The worst thing is for you to start apologizing, and then you throw in, “And anything else I may have done” for good measure.

4. Fight through the awkwardness. Immediately after an apology, the awkward zone emerges. It’s the space of time after the apology has left your lips and the other party has acknowledged it. This is critical mass time because if handled incorrectly it can negate the entire apology. I’ve learned that the best way to fight through the awkward zone is to express gratitude. Say thank you for the opportunity to present an apology, even if the apology wasn’t accepted.

These are just some things I’m in the baby stages of working through. Apologies are hard and awkward, but a very necessary part of life.

Hope this helps!
Ambini

Please share your tips on the art of apology below.