Apologies mean nothing if...

Apologies don't mean anything if you continue to do what you claim to be sorry for.

Saying "sorry" rings hollow if you persist in your unsavory behavior -- whether it's cheating on your spouse, furtively stealing money from your employer, or drug/alcohol abuse.

I firmly believe that some people apologize as a quick way out; in reality, they have no intention of following through. Deep down, they're really not sorry.

And your support can only go so far when the person can't help but fall off the wagon time and time again. Eventually, you reach a point where nothing short of counseling is in order.

I only wish the word "sorry" weren't used so loosely. It's kind of like those who go around telling people they love them after dating them just a few weeks.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. As I've stressed in earlier posts, words mean nothing unless you back them up with concrete actions.

For example, if you say you're sorry for getting drunk all the time and aim to curb such behavior -- yet you continue to buy 6-packs every time you visit the supermarket -- it makes you look like a liar who isn't serious about changing his or her ways.

If you really want to change, avoid putting yourself in situations where you'll be tempted to engage in the very behavior you're trying to curtail.

Unfortunately, many people sound like a broken record when they say sorry each and every time they do something wrong -- only to go and repeat it. It's this sort of behavior that damages many a relationship/friendship.

Again, the word means absolutely nothing if a person is not willing to atone for their mistakes by taking action -- and not slipping back to their old habits.

Apologizing is simply not sufficient. If you really believe that's all it'll take to keep a relationship afloat, I'm "sorry" to say that you are gravely mistaken. And when the word is just thrown out there, remember one thing: You're not just deceiving other people, but also yourself.

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