b"TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE But not all good intentions change the fact that you made a mistake. Don't point fingers or use circumstances to come up with an excuse, it only makes it seem as if you care more about getting out of trouble than actually fixing the problem you've caused, even unintentionally.c.Apologize: those three little wordsI'm sorryshould be heard by the person who bears the brunt of your mistake.Please forgive meis fine too. This demonstrates that you understand that this person has a choice whether or not to forgive the mistake. She recognizes that you need to be forgiven. And that puts the blame on the offended person, forcing them to either accept the apology, and therefore move on, or choose to ignore or deny your apology and leave you with nothing else to do.Nobody wants to be the bad guy and refuse to accept an apology. However, if you don't acknowledge your wrongdoing and ask to be forgiven directly by the person who was hurt, the person who was hurt will not have to make that choice to forgive and move on.d.Offer a convenient way to redeem the error: in some rare cases there is really nothing you can do to compensate for what has been done. Maybe you accidentally hit a neighbor's dog with your car and killed it?Offering to buy a new puppy isn't going to fix the situation, so don't get bogged down any further. However, in most cases, you can think of a way to redeem yourself.If you have broken, lostorotherwise damaged property, you must offer to pay for the damage. If you have hurt someone close in your life, you might offer to go and seek help together, such as from a medical professional. If you don't know what to give, just ask,What can I do to make it up to you? e.Give the other time to think and respond: the deeper the wound, the more difficult it is for a person to forget about it. Don'tforceanimmediateresponse.Peopleneedtimetoreflect, process, and let go of feelings of being hurt and offended. Acknowledge your responsibilities in person and apologize, then offer a way to make amends. For example, you might say something like, Germain Decelles147"