In-negative / Doubt url
Someone offers you original painting for 1/10th the price
- I suspect that you have something up in your sleeve.
- Give me a break!
- You must be kidding me.
- What’s the catch?
- I’ve heard that song and dance story before.
- Do you mean to tell me that you’re up to your old tricks again?
- Are you trying to pull a fast one?
- That sounds too good to be true.
- What do you take me for?
Someone offers you original painting for 1/10th the price
In-negative / Desperation url
Running away from the Cossacks
- I’m knee deep in alligators.
- I’ve got to get a handle on the situation before it’s too late.
- The people around me are dropping like flies.
- I’m going out of my mind.
- It’s a matter of life and death.
- I’m overcome with fear.
- I just can’t deal with it anymore.
- What going on here?
- I just can’t put up with it any longer.
- It’s every man for himself.
- What else have I got?
Running away from the Cossacks
Out-negative / Annoyed url
You are hurting me
- You used me.
- You’re treating me like I’m low man on the totem pole.
- You’re causing me great pain.
- I don’t like to be played for a sucker.
- You make my life miserable.
- You’re a thorn in my side.
- Don’t give me the cold shoulder.
- This is beginning to wear on me.
- You make me feel like two cents.
- Don’t brush me off.
- Don’t patronize me.
- Don’t push your luck.
- You’re such a pain in the neck.
- That hit me below the belt.
- What am I, chopped liver?
- Stop nickel and diming me.
- That’s what really burns me up.
You are hurting me
In-negative / Desperation url
Breaking up a long term relationship
- I feel torn apart inside.
- That’s really depressing.
- Things seemed to be going well when all of a sudden our plans fell through.
- It’s tearing me apart at the seams.
- I’m down in the dumps.
- I don’t want to think about it.
- I never thought it would ever come to this.
- Sometimes I think, Why bother?
- Out of the frying pan into the fire.
- I feel shattered.
- I’m afraid I made it worse.
- I made the same mistake again.
Breaking up a long term relationship
Out-negative / Anger url
I see that you are bad
- What do you take me for?
- Do you take me for a fool?
- Don’t play me for a fool.
- You’re as spoiled as a rotten egg.
- Have you got something up your sleeve?
- I don’t like what’s going down.
- The whole situation makes me sick to my stomach.
- You’re an accident looking for a place to happen.
- You rub me the wrong way.
- You’re a disgrace to humanity.
- You should be ashamed of yourself!
- You are down right pathetic.
- I had the feeling you’re up to something.
- You’re lying through your teeth.
- That’s a bald faced lie.
- I bet your plan is the stab me in the back when I’m not expecting it.
- How can anyone in his right mind do something like what you just did.
I see that you are bad
Out-neutral / Advice url
Action-2
- Make each moment count.
- A watched pot never boils.
- Put the squeeze on him.
- Just make an appearance.
- Look straight ahead, don’t look back.
- You only live once.
- Take the money and run.
- When you get a chance, take another stab at it, maybe it will be more successful than when you tried the last time.
- Get in on the action.
- Please make up your mind already.
- It’s your best bet.
- The solution is being served to you on a silver platter.
- A word to the wise is sufficient.
- You’ve got to rise to the occasion.
Action-2
In-negative / Explaining url
After getting too angry at the kids
- I lost control.
- This is what I have to deal with all the time.
- Things got the better of me.
- I’m a bit overwhelmed.
- I wasn’t myself.
- I was caught off-guard.
- It goes with the territory.
- I’ve been a little on edge.
- I meant well.
- I hope you understand.
- That’s easy for you to say, but put yourself in my shoes.
- I just got carried away.
After getting too angry at the kids
Out-positive / Friendship url
Offering help-2
- Perhaps I can be of assistance.
- I wish I could do something for you.
- I’ve gone to bat for you.
- Take what you want to your heart’s desire.
- I wish you all the luck in the world.
- I’m doing what’s best for you.
- I thought you’d never ask.
- Don’t ever say I never did anything for you.
- I'm so glad you came over.
- Be sure to let me know if I can help.
- For you, I would do anything.
- I wish you the best of luck.
- I’d be more than happy to help.
Offering help-2
Out-positive / Agreement url
Can you write a letter of recommendation for me?
- Just say the word.
- I’ll do whatever I can do to be helpful.
- I’ll try to put in a good word for you.
- If you want it, you’ve got it.
- Anything you say.
- Sounds good.
- Yes, by all means.
Can you write a letter of recommendation for me?
Out-positive / Agreement url
There’s nothing like a good, brisk walk.
- That very well may be true.
- I won’t argue with you.
- You hit it on the head.
- It really hits the spot.
- You’ve got a good point.
- I’ll grant you that.
- I can verify what you’re saying from personal experience.
- It make’s good sense.
- That’s understandable.
There’s nothing like a good, brisk walk.
Out-positive / Encouragement url
For a friend who is depressed
- I never promised you a rose garden.
- You’re putting up a brave front.
- It can’t be as bad as all that.
- You have to look at the bright side.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself.
- Alright, get it out of your system.
- I know how you feel.
- It’s a step in the right direction.
- I think you can figure this out for yourself.
- With a bit of luck and hard work it will all work out fine in the end.
- You have to look yourself in the eye and ask yourself plain and simple, with all your abilities, what’s holding you back from fulfilling more of your potential?
- It looks worse than it really is.
- Don’t you worry, you will be fine.
- Do the best you can.
- What’s eating you?
- You have your whole life ahead of you.
For a friend who is depressed
In-positive / Determination url
Therapist with patient
- Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
- This is an opportunity of a lifetime.
- I’m going to tell it to you straight, even if it means bursting your balloon.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day.
- There’s nothing that we can’t do if we put our minds to it.
- Let’s not give up before we start.
- There are so many false starts, but it’s important that we don’t give up hope.
- There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
- It doesn’t have to be that way.
- Unfortunately we often have to learn the hard way.
- Let’s start tying up loose ends.
- All beginnings are hard.
- Often just when we think it will be clear sailing from here on in, POW – something unexpected comes from out of the blue to blow our well laid plans to smithereens, and suddenly it’s back to the drawing board, forcing us to rethink the whole thing through from start to finish, from soup to nuts.
Therapist with patient