In any relationship, be it with a partner or a friend, there is bound to be a time when one person hurts the other, often unintentionally. 

While we can’t always prevent the hurt from happening, we can address it with accountability. 

If something you do (or don’t do) hurts your partner, let them be seen and heard, and understood first. 

Even if you didn’t do it on purpose, take accountability rather than getting defensive, or even worse, playing the victim role of “Ugh, I can’t do anything right!” 

To make it easy to remember, if someone feels hurt, you can help them feel G.L.A.D. with 4 elements: 

G - Gratitude
L - Love
A - Apology 
D - Doing it differently next time. 

Gratitude - “Thank you for telling me.” 

Love - “I love you and never meant to hurt you.”

Apology - “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

Doing it differently - “Next time I will _______” 

What if next time someone shares a hurt, disappointment, or anger with you about the way you’ve impacted them, you try it out? And remember accountability is an act of love.
 

I’d love to hear how it goes! 

To your connection, 
Andrea