Out-neutral / Advice url
Opportunity
- It’s a once in a lifetime chance.
- You won’t regret it.
- It’s a golden opportunity.
- Don’t let the opportunity slip through your fingers.
- When opportunity knocks, be ready to open the door.
- Try it, you’ll like it.
- Make the most of it.
- You can’t afford to miss it.
- It’s right up your alley.
- You don’t know what you’re missing.
- It’s a veritable goldmine.
Opportunity
Out-positive / Concern url
After a friend just found out he’s been fired from his job
- My heart goes out to you.
- Tomorrow is another day.
- There’s always hope.
- Things are tough all over.
- I’m sorry to hear that.
- That’s a crying shame.
- I know what this means to you.
- I’m sure you’ll recover from this, slowly but surely.
- Who knows, perhaps in the long run this could be the best thing that ever happened to you.
- You look down in the dumps.
- I don’t envy you.
After a friend just found out he’s been fired from his job
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
You are wrong
- That’s where you’re wrong.
- I should think not.
- That’s out of the question.
- That’s not so.
- If you think I’m going to go along with you on that, you have another guess coming.
- You had your chance.
- You just wait and see.
- I wouldn’t be so sure of that.
- That doesn’t even come close.
- You’re sadly mistaken.
- You couldn’t fool me for a minute.
- You are way off base.
- Nothing could be further from the truth.
- That option is just not in the realm of possibility.
- That choice is just out of the question.
You are wrong
Out-neutral / Advice url
Move on
- Let it slide, let it go, don’t pay it any mind.
- Don’t give it another thought.
- I’d just not think about it if I were you.
- Make the best of it.
- Make the best of the situation.
- Don’t get bogged down.
- A change of scenery will do you a world of good.
- Don’t cry over spilled milk.
- Don’t pay it any mind.
- Don’t focus on the negative, look at the bright side.
Move on
In-negative / Explaining url
Trying to fix work-mate’s computer
- I found the problem, but I just need time to fix it.
- I’m a little rusty.
- I’m working on it.
- I've hit a brick wall.
- I tried my best, but I guess that just wasn’t good enough.
- It doesn’t look like I’m making much headway.
- Oh well, it was worth a try.
- It may look simple, but it's really complicated.
- You can’t blame a fellow for trying.
- I’m sorry that it just didn’t work out.
- Back to the drawing board.
- I got more than I bargained for.
- That’s easier said than done.
- It was a shot in the dark.
- That’s what I could do.
- I’m sure you were expecting more from me.
- I’m trying my best.
- That’s the only thing I can think of.
Trying to fix work-mate’s computer
In-positive / Determination url
Lost in the woods
- I’m not giving up so easily.
- That’s a risk I’m just going to have to take.
- I better get out of here soon.
- I’ve got to get a handle on the situation.
- OK, let’s get the heck out of here.
- I’ll keep my eyes and ears open.
- Time is of the essence.
- Let’s get the hell out of here.
Lost in the woods
In-positive / Surprise url
Reading the surprise ending of detective mystery
- You’ll never believe it.
- It was totally unexpected.
- I don’t believe it!
- I would have never guessed.
- It came out of the blue.
- Ahah!
- It took me by surprise.
- I didn’t see it coming.
Reading the surprise ending of detective mystery
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Starting the marathon race
- I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
- You know anything’s possible.
- Times they are a changing.
- I’ll just deal with it the best I can.
- A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Starting the marathon race
In-positive / Confidence url
Preparing for a test
- I can do it with my eyes shut.
- I know it like the back of my hand.
- I’ve got it under control.
- I think I’ll be able to muddle through for a while.
- I made a lot of progress.
- I can cope with it.
- It will be a breeze.
- I'm holding my own.
- My head is still above water.
- So far so good.
- Every few hours I just run out of steam and need to rest awhile until I get my energy back.
- I’m holding my own.
Preparing for a test
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Not catching a fish
- Kiss this one goodbye.
- It’s not like I have much of a choice.
- I’ll be darned if I can help it.
- That’s the way it is.
- It’s not that bad.
- There’s not much I can do about it now.
- I’m going to let bygones be bygones.
Not catching a fish
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Hearing the stock market went down
- I don’t know if it’s of comfort to any of us, but we’re all in the same boat.
- I have no gripe and no regrets, because I went into the situation with my eyes wide open.
- You win some you loose some.
- I can live with that.
- That’s show biz.
- What goes up has to come down.
- Oh, well.
- I saw the handwriting on the wall.
Hearing the stock market went down
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