100 PowerPhrases in Action
feel. Many people are afraid to admit they feel. Many people
are emotionally constipated.
In my seminars I ask people to tell a partner what they
think, feel, and want about a situation. They usually do well on
the thoughts and wants, but the vast majority flunk feelings.
And yet feelings are an important part of every communication.
Often, feelings are what the communication is about. When
feelings are essential to the message, feelings are where the
power is.
So admit what you feel in short, specific, targeted expres-
sions that say what you mean and mean what you say, without
being mean when you say them.
PowerPhrases to Say What You Feel
Are Short
Do not go into a lot of detail about what you feel, do not over-
explain your feelings and do not justify your feelings. Instead
of saying,
When I was growing up, my mother would make crazy state-
ments and I would try to point out why they were ridicu-
lous and she would resist and insist they were true and I felt
so helpless and felt a great need to show her how right I was
and how wrong she was. Then when I was...which is why
when you say something that doesn’t make sense to me and
won’t discuss it, it brings me back to those days and I feel
frustrated and confused and angry and...Just say,