Make Amends Promptly: Own your action, recognize impact, offer reparation. Do it for integrity.

“I am sorry” is a little sentence that can make a big difference. We hesitate to say it because our ego wants us to be perfect and doesn’t want to give other people reasons to judge and dislike us. Making a quality amend is an act of truth. We do it because deep down we know we harmed ourselves and/or others and we feel called to restore balance. Beware of hiding behind “I am sorry.” These can’t just be words. A true amend includes a real change in behavior and, in many cases, offering some kind of reparation to the other person. Remember that the person you probably first need to make amends to is yourself. Offer reparations to yourself by being kind and compassionate.