Ruthann M. Wilson

How to Truly Apologize: Steps for Authentic Repair and Growth

“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.”

—Benjamin Franklin

The best way to say “I am sorry” is to say “I am sorry” and support your words with action. Anytime we say “I am sorry, but…” we have cancelled the apology and shifted into defense mode. What typically follows the word ‘but’ is an excuse for what we said, did, or didn’t do.

“I am sorry, but you made me angry.”
“I am sorry, but it wasn’t really my fault”.
“I am sorry, but [fill in the blank].”

Extending an apology to someone we have hurt or offended is an act of humility and a way of acknowledging the other person’s feelings and the importance of the relationship.

If you are someone that typically adds ‘but’ to your apologies, ask yourself why? Use what you learn through self-reflection to grow. Be clear as to why you are apologizing and extend your apology from the heart—an excuse free zone.

Take Action

Is there a relationship in your life that could benefit from an excuse free apology? If yes, take action, extend your apology and support your words with action.

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All the best,
Ruthann

Understanding Commitment vs. Attachment in Goal Setting

“Be committed, not attached; but more importantly, know the difference.”

—Anonymous

The difference between being committed vs. being attached is trust.

Trust enables you to dream big, set goals, work toward your goals, and stay open to more than one outcome. Trust enables you to ask “what did I learn?”, “how did I grow?” when things don’t go as you planned.

Commit to taking the action needed to bring your goals to life, but don’t become attached to a specific outcome. When we are attached to a specific outcome, we try to control the process rather than trust the process. Trust will enable you to keep your mind focused and your heart open to possibilities as you pursue your goals. The true power of commitment lies in your ability to make decisions, act on your decisions, and trust the process of bringing your goals to life.

In your career, commitment means taking consistent action, while trust keeps you open to opportunities that may unfold differently than planned.

Need help staying open to guidance? I invite you to read my post Embrace Possibility: 3 Transformative Tips.

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All the best,
Ruthann

Copyright © Ruthann M. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

In-Progress, LLC
Walk your path with clarity and intention
Live in a way that is true for you

Release the Past: Reflection Practices for Healing and Moving Forward

Past Future

I can think of a time in my life when my primary focus was on past mistakes, missed opportunities, and the wrong doing of others. It was a dead end focus that kept me anchored in the past, silently suffering in the present, and not truly moving forward.

Through an ongoing process of forgiveness, I learned to release the past, resentment, and anger that I felt toward myself and others. Instead of looking back on challenging or painful situations with resentment and regret, I began to look back and ask what I learned about myself (first and foremost) and others and how the ‘lessons learned’ could help me grow. This was an ongoing process that helped me get unstuck and move forward.

The first step to release the past is to decide to release the past. There is great power in deciding to let it go. There is even more power in writing your decision down.

Once you have affirmed your decision to release the past in writing, sit with your decision in silence and allow your wise self that awaits you in silence to guide your steps forward. You have the power to release the past so that you can begin to truly moving forward.

Questions for reflection:

What in my past is keeping me from enjoying the present?
What in my past is keeping me from proactively creating my future?
What steps can I take to release the past so that I can truly move forward?

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All the best,
Ruthann

The Power of Silence: Embracing Solitude for Inner Peace

“Let silence take you to the core of your life.”

—Rumi

When I was growing up, my mom used to make me and my siblings spend time alone on a regular basis. She felt it was important for us to learn to enjoy our own company and not feel compelled to fill our time with other people or activities to be content and happy.

Spending time alone was never an issue for me. I am an introvert by nature and quiet time alone is how I recharge and reenergize. I looked forward to and enjoyed my time alone.

As I look back on my childhood, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to my mom for laying the foundation for what has proven to be a very important daily practice, time alone in silence to cultivate patience, peace of mind, and trust in the process of being internally guided.

If you don’t already have a regular practice of spending time alone in silence, I encourage you to create time in your day to be still and silent. Strive for 15-20 minutes in silence each day.

If sitting in silence is new to you, start small. Take five minutes or ten minutes out of your day. Set a timer so that you can be fully present to the moment and not watching the clock. You may want to consider using your breath as a focal point for your time in silence. When the timer goes off, bring your quiet time to a close in a spirit of gratitude for the gift of silence. Capture your experience of going within in a journal or notebook.

In the beginning, the benefits of spending time in silence may not be obvious, however, as you continue with this practice, I believe you will feel a deeper sense of peace, calm, balance, and openness to inner guidance. Give yourself the gift of silence.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You are welcome to follow the blog to receive new reflections, subscribe to the mailing list for updates in your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,
Ruthann

Create a New Chapter in Your Life

“And suddenly you just know…it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”

—Meister Eckhart

A new beginning provides us with the opportunity to create a new chapter in our lives. To get the most out of your fresh start, spend some time reflecting on what is complete and ready to be released, and what you are inspired to begin. Here are a few questions for reflection:

What did I accomplish recently?
What didn’t I accomplish that I really wanted to? Why?
Who or what was my greatest blessing? Why?
What is complete in my life and ready to be released so that I can begin a new chapter?
What am I inspired to begin now?

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You are welcome to follow the blog to receive new reflections, subscribe to the mailing list for updates in your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,
Ruthann

Create Your Own Happiness: Discover Joy by Choosing What You Love Each Day

Happiness is an inside job—it’s not something that you go out and find, it’s something that you create from the inside out. How much time have you scheduled this week for things that you truly enjoy?

In preparation for the coming week, I invite you to create a “top 10 list” of things that you enjoy. It can be as simple as reading, writing, walking, spending time with others, or spending time alone. Search your heart and make the list your own.

Take Action

Make time in your day (every day) to do at least one thing that you truly enjoy.

In full disclosure, this post was inspired by my own realization that I didn’t have enough things that are special to me on my list of things to do. I love to browse bookstores; however, I have not browsed in a long time. It’s on my list of things to do this week.

Create Your Own Happiness

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All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

From Vision to Action: A Simple Practice for Organizing Your Goals

Success begins with vision, and it’s the way you organize your thoughts and resources that helps bring that vision to life. What follows is a simple written practice to help you move from inspiration to action with clarity and confidence.

Begin by naming your desired outcome.
What does success look like for you? Envision what you desire and capture what you see on paper through words and/or images. A vision board can be helpful if you’re drawn to visual expression.

Explore the reason your desired outcome is important to you.
Why do you want what you’ve described? What is your deeper motivation? Knowing your why helps you stay connected to what matters as you move forward.

Take an honest look at what might get in the way.
Every meaningful goal has obstacles. Naming them allows you to consider how you will move through or around them.

Identify the resources you will need.
What will it take to bring your vision to life in terms of time, energy, money, and support from others? Be specific and realistic. Planning backward can help you see what is required and when.

Then choose one small action to begin.
What is one thing you can do this week that keeps you connected to your vision of success?

Moving from vision to action becomes possible when you name what you want, understand why it matters, acknowledge what may get in the way, identify what you need, and take one small step forward.

Thank you for pausing here. If something in this writing resonated with you or sparked a shift, I would love to know what spoke to you. You’re welcome to follow along for future posts, subscribe to the newsletter, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

Success begins with vision and grows through the steps you take with focus and integrity.

All the best,
Ruthann

Stand For, Not Against: Focus on what you want to grow

Take a stand for what you believe and magnify it in your life.

When we know what we stand for, we spend time and energy creating what we want instead of fighting against/resisting what we don’t want.

Resistance can feel good in the moment and give us a sense of power, however, resistance is not solution or growth oriented. When we are in resistance mode, we are focused on what we don’t want; rather than creating what we want.

Take time each day to renew your connection to your heart to help you stay focused on what you want to magnify in your life and in the world (e.g., peace, love, joy, etc.).

Global change begins with personal transformation.

In preparation for the week ahead, I invite you to reflect on the following questions.

What do I stand for?
How can I magnify it in my life?

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All the best,
Ruthann

Awaken to Possibility: Living from Within

Carl Jung once said, ‘Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.’ This video is an invitation to awaken, to stay open to possibility and to live from within. I share three practices to support your journey: asking yourself powerful questions, engaging in quiet reflection with the intention of learning (not judging), and cultivating an ongoing spiritual practice. Together, these practices help you move forward with clarity, openness, and purpose.

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All the best,
Ruthann

Time Management Strategies: How to Make the Most of Your Time

Time is one of your most valuable resources and it is inextricably linked to your life. The way you spend your time is the way you spend your life. Spend it wisely.

Here are a few strategies that can help you make the most of your time:

Know your purpose/mission and let it be your guide.
Set clear, purpose-driven goals.
Plan and prioritize tasks related to your goals.
Create a schedule (daily/weekly/monthly) and stick to it.
Focus on results/getting things done; not on being busy.
Be willing to say no to people and activities that are not aligned with your values, vision, and goals.

The key to making the most of your time is to stay laser focused on what matters most in your life.

Strong time management isn’t just about life balance; it’s also a cornerstone of career success. When you align your time with your mission and goals, you create clarity and focus that carry into your work and professional growth.

All the best,
Ruthann