100 Goals In 100 Days | One

This is rather personal for me to write about.  Suffice it to say, many years ago, I was in a difficult situation, and I didn't take the high road.

Since then, I've felt like I've carried around something that was unresolved. I had the capacity to make it right, but I lacked the courage to sit down face-to-face with whom I felt I had wronged and apologize for doing so.  

I would imagine that in our reflective moments, occasionally everyone thinks about things you'd rather have done differently.  Many of them carry no potential for resolution in the present, and must be accepted as blemishes in the past—inspiration perhaps for future redemptive behavior.  Sometimes, however, when you're being honest with yourself, you realize there is something you can still do about it.  This is where I found myself.

So, I decided that if I was going to undertake something as ambitious as 100 Goals In 100 Days, I didn't want this to cast a shadow on the effort or linger under the surface. 

Having decided to put the matter to rest, I set out for an unexpected and unscheduled meeting.  Along the way, I noticed several opportunites to abandon the idea, and carry around the weight a bit longer.  Fortunately, I pressed on each time, sat down, and said what was long overdue:

"I'm sorry, and I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course I can forgive you," was the reply.

And just like that, years of self-reproach were brought to an end, wrong was made right, and my personal integrity was reclaimed—not bad for Goal #1.

It's a tough thing to deliver a heartfelt apology and sincerely ask for another's forgiveness.  I'd imagine that most apologies these days are delivered in the form of "Hey, sorry 'bout that."  But, it was important for me to do this the right way—honestly, fully, and in person. 

You know, it's difficult to imagine feeling good about oneself in such a setting, but that's exactly what happened.  You see, what stuck with me the most is what was said to me as I was getting ready to leave:

"This sort of thing has happened many times, but you're the only person who's ever apologized."

DRL