There comes a time in everyone's life when they realize they were wrong about a situation that happened in the past. Most people tend to ignore the realization, while others acknowledge it, but don't do anything about it. I believe one of the most courageous acts is owning up to your mistakes and apologizing to the person you hurt.

Courage isn't always about stepping forward, it's about having the ability to step back and step in to someone else's shoes. It may take weeks, months, or even years for the person to admit, acknowledge, and apologize for their mistake, but by them doing so, it shows that they have matured as an individual who learned that keeping peace is better than holding grudges.

I recently had someone who was a big part of my life apologize to me after over a year of radio silence. Although the content of the conversation was shocking, I was happy to hear that this person respected me enough even after all this time to own up to what happened between us.

In a world where hate is encouraged, offering peace and being civil becomes harder and harder every day. I applaud my now friend with the bravery that it took him to be the bigger person. Since our conversation, I have felt a sense of relief flood over me. This act of kindness has encouraged me to reach out to the ghosts of my past to attempt to fix my wrongdoings.

After reading this pithy article, I hope that you will walk away with a new sense of self and come to acknowledge that it is better to be civil than to pretend to be strangers with someone. Some friendships and relationships can never be what they were once before, but you don't know what they would be like if you tried to start over again.

How do you apologize? Just do it!