“The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up.”- John Maxwell, author and public speaker

Conflict resolution can be difficult. Sometimes two people are stubborn and not willing to apologize to each other for their own actions.  They might feel that what the other person did to them was far worse than what they did.  This was an issue that came up recently during a coaching call and I thought it might be helpful to share some thoughts on it.  If you find yourself in a conflict and both sides are angry for what the other did, take a moment to think about what you might have done or said that you might be sorry for.  You can always take responsibility and apologize for your part in the conflict without taking responsibility for the way the other person behaved.  You can also say what the other person did or said to hurt your feelings.  This will help the other person see it from your perspective.  This could create an understanding that may result in reconciliation.  At the very least you know you have a clear conscience since you did apologize for your part and you took some action to make the situation better.  So this week think about a conflict you have or had and think about the situation and what you might be sorry for in the exchange.  Then take responsibility for that and apologize!  You might find the other person very willing to reconcile.