A tongue-in-cheek look at those innocent utterings. Have you ever said, "Don't worry, it could be worse" and sure enough it does get worse? A gentle reminder to be careful what you say. It just may come back to bite you in the backside.

There are dozen of phrases I have reconsidered over time. I know most of you have also. Consider the following phrases:

"What else can happen?"

"Could you please tell me exactly what it is about me that bothers you?"

"Could you tell me a little about yourself?"

"I'd be happy to help you."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I have nothing to lose."

"Could we please just talk about this first?"

"Go ahead, see if I care!"

"I don't care what happens, I'm doing it anyway."

"Don't worry, I can do it myself."

And, my very favorite -- I am caught by this time after time. "Sure, I can have that ready for you by Monday morning.", or whatever date or time.

These phrases, once spoken out loud can lead to amusing or disastrous consequences. If you have responded to a question, a plea for help, guidance, etc., before thinking, it may be time to make a promise to yourself that you will not do it again. Instead, take a deep breath after you hear the question, and think about what your answer can lead to before responding.

Saying "Don't worry, I can do it myself" in the work place can place you in a position where you are given an exorbitant amount of paperwork or time-consuming research. Your best response to “I need help” is, “What needs to be done?” It may be something where you can point the requestor in the right direction and be on your way.