Is there anyone you owe an apology to? Have you been neglectful in saying thank you to someone? Have you let some one know how much you appreciate them? I think it would be safe to say that almost all of us have failed to give an apology, forgotten to say thank you, and not told somebody how much we appreciated them. It happens with our families, coworkers, friends, and people we don’t know but interact with on a daily basis.

It often hurts and/or disappoints us when others fail to express their appreciation for a sacrifice we have made or service we have given. Guess what? We often hurt and/or disappoint others for the same reasons.

Most of us are very good at expressing our disapproval verbally and physically, but for some reason we often fail to share words of encouragement and appreciation. We have plenty of excuses for why we didn’t – there was not enough time, we forgot, we just did know what to say.

I have learned a couple if things about giving an apology, saying thank you, and expressing appreciation:

1.  It only takes 30 seconds.

2.  As long as you mean what you say, it does not matter how pretty it sounds.

Some examples:

Thank you. I know this was a sacrifice of your time, your emotion, and your finances.

I appreciate you. You have really gone out of your way to support me.

I apologize. Sometimes I get too busy and caught up in my own stuff that I am inconsiderate of others. I’m sorry.

Life is short. We have a very limited amount of time to say the important things. The words we let go unsaid, are often the ones that hurt is the most.