Apologies and Appreciation

With the holiday season right around the corner, I’ve decided to share how to properly show gratitude towards someone and how to apologize like you mean it.

Many of us are too prideful so we assume “I’m sorry” or “thank you” is sufficient enough. That is not the case, so I am here to show you how to be sincere & make people feel appreciated. 

Let’s start off with the most difficult one – “I’m sorry”

First, the phrase “I’m sorry” HAS to come out of your mouth, it’s non-negotiable. With that being said, the phrase “but” or “if” should NEVER be in your apology.

Nothing is worse than hearing “I’m sorry if you feel that way” or “I’m sorry I offended you but it is kinda true”. That shows you are not sorry and in fact, you still don’t think you did anything wrong. Own up to your actions and for once, just put someone else’s feelings above your own. 

Next, you should be extremely clear of what you are apologizing for and why you are. This step also shows ownership of actions and makes the person on the receiving end know you actually understand why they’re mad at you. 

Lastly, you should express empathy for the person you are apologizing to. You should also not expect them to forgive you the right way. To end the apology, ask for forgiveness if you want to mend/ continue the relationship with the person. 

Now let’s put all the steps together for example, “Suzy, I am truly sorry that my actions have affected you negatively. I made a bad decision by telling Jane the thing you told me in secret. I broke your trust and I hope you can eventually forgive me.”

SEE!! IT’S NOT THAT HARD TO BE GENUINE!!

Ok so now that we have put our pride aside for apologies, let’s show gratitude.

We don’t realize how often we throw around the phrase “thank you” in a day. There are circumstances where just the phrase alone is sufficient like when someone holds open the door for you, but when someone is going out of their way to make you feel special, a real thank you needs to happen. 

Similar to “I’m sorry”, “thank you’s” need to have sincerity, and structure. 

First is obvious, you need to actually thank someone for what they are doing for you. Next, you should explain why you are thankful and how they helped you. Finally, acknowledge you appreciate them!

Here’s an example, “Thank you for bringing me a smoothie when I was at work, it made me feel special and it was nice seeing you during my busy workday. I really appreciate your effort, you never fail to put a smile on my face!”

And there you have it, folks. Hopefully, you all took away some tips and tricks, so go out there and sincerely apologize to the people you need to (you’ll feel better). Also, don’t forget to spread your gratefulness to the loved ones around you! Happy Holidays!

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