Think About It

Have you ever done something that offended someone?   Have you either done something (or not done something) that let someone down?   If we were all true to ourselves, the answer to both of those questions is “yes”.   Because we are people we are going make mistakes and because we are people we are going to find ourselves either missing cues or just not doing what was expected of us in the complex emotional exchanges we have with each other.   Now that we have established the fact that we are going to disappoint others, that leads us to the real question, “What are we going to do when we mess up?”.   When I let someone down my first response is to feel bad about it.   I am a “people pleaser” by nature, so when I don’t measure up to the expectations, I take it personally.   Yet, is it enough to just feel bad?   Do we gain anything by merely lamenting our failures?   When we don’t get our interpersonal relationships right, there are a few constructive things we can do: 1.   Apologiz