{"id":210,"date":"2017-08-04T04:45:21","date_gmt":"2017-08-04T09:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/?p=210"},"modified":"2023-11-13T09:44:34","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T15:44:34","slug":"ten-difficult-but-really-important-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/ten-difficult-but-really-important-words\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten Difficult, But Really Important Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many words in the English language are hard to get out. In fact, there\u2019s even a Dictionary of Difficult Words<\/a>. But none are more difficult than these: \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I was wrong. Will you please forgive me?\u201d
\n<\/p>\n

Many otherwise articulate people seem to have great difficulty in spitting these words out. They hem and haw. They mumble. They stutter.<\/p>\n

They may get something close out, but they have a hard time slowly and deliberately saying these 10 simple words, none of them more than two syllables long.<\/p>\n

Yet each one of these 10 words is important. Let\u2019s break that importance down by sentence, then make time for a message from my wife.
\n<\/p>\n

1. I\u2019m Sorry<\/h3>\n

Empathy is the ability to put ourselves in another person\u2019s shoes and feel what they feel. This is something we need to develop. It takes humility.<\/p>\n

Too often, we are preoccupied with our own feelings. Empathy is the recognition that it\u2019s not all about us. Other people matter. They have feelings, too, and those feelings are important.<\/p>\n

By saying we are sorry\u2014sincerely and with authentic humility\u2014we validate them as human beings.<\/p>\n

We are essentially saying, \u201cI know you are hurt, and I understand. Your feelings are valid, and I am sorry that I am the cause of them. I\u2019m not sorry because I got caught or because you called me out.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry because of the hurt that I caused you.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. I Was Wrong<\/h3>\n

This the most difficult sentence of all. Perhaps we live with the mistaken notion that we never do anything wrong. Or perhaps we just think the other person should \u201cgive us a pass\u201d because somehow we deserve it.<\/p>\n

The truth is, we all make mistakes. If we are not guilty of sins of commission (i.e., deliberately doing something that offends others), we are guilty of sins of omission (i.e., failing to do what we ought and thereby offending others).<\/p>\n

Religion can help prime the pump here. One of the great things about being a Christian is that I have been released from the need to pretend I am perfect. I am a sinner, and I need forgiveness\u2014from God and from the people I offend.<\/p>\n

3. Will You Please Forgive Me?<\/h3>\n

This is one of the most powerful sentences we can ever utter. By phrasing this as a question, we acknowledge that forgiveness is not an entitlement. We don\u2019t deserve forgiveness. We are asking for their mercy and forbearance.<\/p>\n

This also acknowledges that it is a choice on the part of the other person. They may withhold their forgiveness. Perhaps they are not ready to make up. They may need some space.<\/p>\n

Yet in my experience, almost always the other person says, \u201cI forgive you.\u201d With this simple sentence, both of us are healed.<\/p>\n

We may be tempted to take shortcuts. We could simply say, \u201cI apologize\u201d or \u201cSorry.\u201d But nothing is quite as effective as saying all ten words. It may seem awkward or artificial at first, but with practice it gets easier.<\/p>\n\t\t