When was the last time you had a heart-to-heart with someone you love — someone who deeply disappointed you?
Do you remember hearing, with full sincerity, “I’m so sorry”?
Do you remember what it felt like to be heard and understood without judgment?
To have someone look you in the eye, without being the least bit patronizing, and say, “I get why that hurt you.” “I’m sorry for the pain I caused.” “I love you more than I love the comfort of avoiding accountability.”
That kind of moment stays with you.
About two years ago, I was on a family vacation when I received an unexpected email. A good friend accused me of something completely out of character.
It was wild — out of the blue and deeply untrue. I replied, confused but calm: “What? You know me. I would never do that.”
Then I tracked down proof from our earlier conversation and sent it to him.
He wrote back, embarrassed: “You’re amazing — you didn’t have to go through all that trouble. I think that was just my trauma response showing up. I’ve been learning to speak up when I feel like something’s off. Thanks for listening.”
And that was it.
I remember thinking… okay, so you’ve learned to speak up. Great.
But did you also learn that when you wrong someone — even unintentionally — you should also apologize?
Here’s the truth:
We’ve swung from one extreme to the other — from bottling everything up, performing perfection, and avoiding confrontation… to oversharing unfiltered emotions, hurling truths like weapons, and dismissing accountability in the name of “just being real.”
We tell each other it’s not our job to manage how others receive what we say — but that’s not entirely honest, is it?
In my work on the wellness side of things, I teach boundaries, emotional regulation, and self-awareness — and yet one thing I see more and more often is a missing piece:
The willingness to acknowledge when we’ve caused pain — even unintentionally — and to simply say, “I’m sorry.”
Today, what’s praised is this unyielding commitment to “living our truth no matter who it hurts.” We glorify the unapologetic. We cheer it on like it’s the highest form of freedom.
But sometimes — Sometimes the most courageous, honest, and healing thing we can do is apologize.
No buts.
No excuses.
No “You’re just sensitive, but okay, I’ll apologize.”
No passive-aggressive empathy.
Just a sincere reckoning with ourselves and the impact we’ve had.
A grounded, heart-opened “I get it. That wasn’t my intention, but I hear you. And I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry” is becoming extinct — and we need to bring it back.
Not out of fear.
Not out of guilt.
Not to people-please or fix.
But because love — real love — gives what it hopes to receive: dignity, respect, and care.
Can you imagine how much toxicity could be drained from our relationships if we simply slowed down enough to see each other clearly?
To hear each other’s pain without defensiveness.
To acknowledge how our words — our actions, our silence — have weight.
Because yes, words carry energy. They can heal, and they can wound.
It’s not just about someone’s perception.
It’s also about the imprint we leave behind.
The echoes of how we made someone feel.
And whether we chose to take responsibility for it.
In a future issue, I’ll be sharing one of the core principles I teach inside The Mood Makeover Method and in Profit Psychology.
There are three:
- Take the toxic out of the love
- Perception equals peace or pain
- Stop participating in the pain
What do you think?
Is there still a place for real, sincere apologies — the kind that actually heal, not just check a box?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I teach these principles to our seven-figure clients — leaders, visionaries, and entrepreneurs who come to me not just for strategy, but for peace.
Many are struggling with profitability — and with joy, peace, and fulfillment.
Not because they don’t know how to scale their business, but because they’ve let relationships erode under the weight of pride, miscommunication, or emotional avoidance.
When key partnerships break down, when teams no longer feel seen, when clients feel dismissed rather than valued — the cracks don’t just show up in connection; they show up on the bottom line.
Sometimes, the shift that’s needed in business is actually personal.
And it can be as simple — and as powerful — as learning how to apologize with integrity.
