"Love is just a word until it is proven to you."

Worst things to say at work

By Anthony Balderrama

Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com.
O

ver time, you've probably learned what not to say in a relationship. "Are you losing your hair?" "Yes, you do look fat in that dress." "I should give my old boyfriend a call." "You're just like your mother." Experience has taught you just how much trouble you can get into with a few words.

Be careful of what you say to your boss and coworkers.

When it comes to the workplace, however, you might not realize there are plenty of things you can say to damage your work relationships or even your own career. An off-the-cuff remark that you think went unnoticed, for example, might be the first thing your boss remembers when he thinks about you.
"During my 23 years in management, I heard many comments from colleagues that reduced their credibility and damaged morale," says Bill Lampton, Ph.D., author of "The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication, Change Your Life!"
Remember: Just because you don't end up sleeping on the couch, it doesn't mean your mouth can't still get you in trouble. For the sake of your career, we've put together a list of things you should avoid saying at work.
"That's not my job."
If somebody comes to you with an issue, there's probably a reason. It might be your responsibility or they might just value your input. Either way, use the situation to prove you're a team player and a problem solver. Plus, it pays to earn some good office karma because you never know when you'll need help from other colleagues.
"Yeah, no problem." (If you don't mean it.)
If you take on a task with a smile but have no intention of actually completing it, you're going to earn a reputation as an unreliable person. If you know you can't or won't complete the project, be honest about it. Your colleagues are relying on you, so your decision not to follow through impacts their jobs, too.
"Don't tell anyone I said this, but ... "
If it's really a secret, keep it to yourself. Whether you know someone's about to get fired or what the boss' salary is, you're going to get credit for spreading the news. You're not exempt from being the subject of office chatter, either. Don't expect your gossip-loving co-worker to suddenly have tight lips when it comes to divulging your secrets.
"I haven't had a raise in four years."
"Most savvy supervisors don't think longevity merits a raise -- only high productivity does," Lampton states. Asking for a raise because of how long it's been since your last one will only tell your boss that you want more money, not that you deserve it. Instead, highlight the accomplishments you've made in the last four years, Lampton suggests. Prove the raise is merited.
"It's not my fault."
When your boss comes to you with a problem, the last thing you want to do is to deflect blame to someone else. Maybe it isn't your fault, but remember that you're not in a courtroom and nobody's really looking for the culprit right now. All that matters is making sure the problem is solved and doesn't happen again. You can deal with the real issue later, but you'll just make yourself look worse if you spend more time finger-pointing than problem solving.
"To be honest with you ... "
First, any time this phrase is used, you know something negative is going to follow. More important is the message it sends to others. "Does this colleague have to identify when he or she is being honest with you? When that phrase is not used, should you then doubt the integrity of the statement?" Lampton asks. Instead, without being rude, say what you need to say in a straightforward manner.
"Whom did you vote for?"
The old adage that you shouldn't discuss politics is as true today as ever before. While it's great that you're an active citizen performing your civic duty, save the politics for your personal blog. Even if the conversation doesn't result in an argument, you never know whom you're making uncomfortable or who will hold your views against you. In a sea of cubicles, there are more people listening to your conversation than you think.
"I got so trashed last night ... "
You're probably not the only person in the office to indulge in a drink (or a keg) now and then, but you're probably the only one bragging about it to your boss. Although your night of binge drinking didn't force you to call in sick this morning, it can create the image of an unreliable partier who forgot to leave the beer bong in the dorm room.
"I just didn't have enough time for that."
In case you didn't realize, everybody's pretty busy these days. When your boss asks you to do something, chances are it's not really an option. If your main concern is accomplishing the task on time, Lampton suggests you explain the situation. Mention how busy your schedule is but that you can accommodate the request if some other projects are moved around. You'll show that you take each assignment seriously and only want to turn in your best work.
". . . or else."
Giving anyone in the office an ultimatum rarely ends in success. Whether you say it to a colleague or your new intern, you'll only gain enemies and earn a reputation for being difficult. If cordial requests don't work and threats are the only way to get things done in the office, you need to re-evaluate your work environment. E-mail to a friend
Copyright CareerBuilder.com 2007. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority
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It takes less time to do a thing right, than it does to explain why you did it wrong. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

13 things not to share with co-workers

By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer


It’s happened to everyone before. The constant flow of words that just keep coming, long after you’ve made your point (if there ever was one) and even longer after people stopped caring. The kind of gibberish that just won’t stop unless someone else starts talking. The type of chatter that inevitably ends with you wishing you’d put a sock in it.
Yes, verbal diarrhea is never a good thing – but it can be worse in some places more than others.
Like the workplace.
There are certain things co-workers need not know about each other – your baby-making plans and stomach issues, for example – but some folks just can’t seem to keep their mouths shut.
Some people talk to hear the sound of their own voice; others share because they don’t really have a life and, by revealing details you’d rather not know, they create the illusion of one, says Linda Lopeke, a career advancement expert and creator of SmartStart Virtual Mentoring Programs. “Then there is the person who believes gossip, even about them, creates instant emotional intimacy. It doesn’t.”
Walk the line
Because people spend more time at the office with co-workers than anywhere (or anyone) else, some workers have trouble drawing the line between business and friendship, says Susan Solovic, co-founder and CEO of SBTV.com, and author of three books, including “Reinvent Your Career: Attain the Success You Desire and Deserve.”
“It’s a social environment as well as a work environment. However, you must remember while you can be friendly and develop a good rapport, business is business and friendship is friendship.”
Most workers don’t realize that what they say has as much impact on their professional images as what they wear, Lopeke says. People who say too much, about themselves or others, can be seen as incompetent, unproductive and unworthy of professional development.
To avoid your next case of verbal diarrhea, here are 13 things to never share or discuss with your co-workers.
1. Salary informationWhat you earn is between you and Human Resources, Solovic says. Disclosure indicates you aren’t capable of keeping a confidence.
2. Medical history“Nobody really cares about your aches and pains, your latest operation, your infertility woes or the contents of your medicine cabinet,” Lopeke says. To your employer, your constant medical issues make you seem like an expensive, high-risk employee.
3. GossipWhomever you’re gossiping with will undoubtedly tell others what you said, Solovic says. Plus, if a co-worker is gossiping with you, most likely he or she will gossip about you.
4. Work complaintsConstant complaints about your workload, stress levels or the company will quickly make you the kind of person who never gets invited to lunch, Solovic warns. If you don’t agree with company policies and procedures, address it through official channels or move on.
5. Cost of purchasesThe spirit of keeping up with the Joneses is alive and well in the workplace, Lopeke says, but you don’t want others speculating on the lifestyle you’re living –or if you’re living beyond your salary bracket.
6. Intimate detailsDon’t share intimate details about your personal life. Co-workers can and will use the information against you, Solovic says.
7. Politics or religion“People have strong, passionate views on both topics,” Solovic says. You may alienate a co-worker or be viewed negatively in a way that could impact your career.
8. Lifestyle changesBreakups, divorces and baby-making plans should be shared only if there is a need to know, Lopeke says. Otherwise, others will speak for your capabilities, desires and limitations on availability, whether there is any truth to their assumptions or not.
9. Blogs or social networking profileWhat you say in a social networking community or in your personal blog may be even more damaging than what you say in person, Solovic warns. “Comments online can be seen by multiple eyes. An outburst of anger when you are having a bad day … can blow up in your face.”
10. Negative views of colleaguesIf you don’t agree with a co-worker’s lifestyle, wardrobe or professional abilities, confront that person privately or keep it to yourself, Lopeke says. The workplace is not the venue for controversy.
11. Hangovers and wild weekendsIt’s perfectly fine to have fun during the weekend, but don’t talk about your wild adventures on Monday, Solovic advises. That information can make you look unprofessional and unreliable.
12. Personal problems and relationships – in and out of the office“Failed marriages and volatile romances spell instability to an employer,” Lopeke says. Office romances lead to gossip and broken hearts, so it’s best to steer clear. “The safest way to play is to follow the rule, ‘Never get your honey where you get your money.’”
13. Off-color or racially charged commentsYou can assume your co-worker wouldn’t be offended or would think something is funny, but you might be wrong, Solovic says. Never take that risk.

Furthermore, even if you know for certain your colleague wouldn’t mind your comment, don’t talk about it at work. Others can easily overhear.

Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.
Last Updated: Thursday, January 03, 2008 - 12:42

Copyright 2007 CareerBuilder.com All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.

Is it love, or a mutual strangulation society?

-- In a folktale that has been retold for centuries in many variations (one of which is Shakespeare's "King Lear"), an elderly king asks his three daughters how much they love him. The two older sisters deliver flowery speeches of filial adoration, but the youngest says only "I love you as meat loves salt."

Believing the fantasies described in love songs can be unhealthy.

The king, insulted by this homely simile, banishes the youngest daughter and divides his kingdom between the older two, who promptly kick him out on his royal heinie.
He seeks refuge in the very house where his third daughter is working as a scullery maid. Recognizing her father, the daughter asks the cook to prepare his meal without salt. The king eats a few tasteless mouthfuls, then bursts into tears. "All along," he cries, "it was my youngest daughter who really loved me!"
The daughter reveals herself and all ends happily (except in "King Lear," where pretty much everybody dies).
Each of the following five statements is the polar opposite of what most Americans see as loving commitment. But these are "meat loves salt" commitments, as necessary as they are unconventional. Only if you and your beloved can honestly say them to each other is your relationship likely to thrive.
Want an honest and long lasting relationship? Make sure you and your partner can recite these five statements.
I can live without you, no problem
"I can't live," wails the singer, "if living is without you." The emotion that fuels this kind of relationship isn't love; it's desperation. It can feel romantic at first, but over time it invariably fails to meet either partner's needs.
If this is how you feel, don't start dating. Start therapy. Counseling can teach you how to get your needs met by the only person responsible for them: you. "I can live without you" is an assurance that sets the stage for real love.
My love for you will definitely change
Most human beings seem innately averse to change. Once we've established some measure of comfort or stability, we want to nail it in place so that there's no possibility of loss. Unfortunately, this is another promise that is more likely to scuttle a relationship than shore it up.
The reason is that everything -- and everyone -- is constantly changing. We age, grow, learn, get sick, get well, gain weight, lose weight, find new interests and drop old ones. Many people fear that if their love is free to change, it will vanish. The opposite is true. A love that is allowed to adapt to new circumstances is virtually indestructible.
You're not everything I need
I'm a big fan of sexual monogamy, but I'm puzzled by lovers who claim that their romantic partner is the only person they need in their lives or that time together is the only activity necessary for emotional fulfillment. Humans are designed to live in groups, explore ideas, and constantly learn new skills.
Trying to get all this input from one person is like trying to get a full range of vitamins by eating only ice cream. When a couple believes "We must fulfill all of each other's needs, each becomes exhausted by the effort to be all things to the other and neither can develop fully as an individual.
Sacrificing all our individual needs doesn't strengthen a relationship. Mutually supporting each other's personal growth does.
I won't always hold you close
There's a thin line between a romantic statement like "I love you so much, I want to share my life with you until death do us part" and the lunatic-fringe anthem "I love you so much that if you try to leave me, I'll kill you."
People who say such things love others the way spiders love flies; they love to capture them, wrap them in immobilizing fetters, and drain nourishment out of them at peckish moments. This is not the kind of love you want.
The way you can tell real love from spider love is simple: Possessiveness and exploitation involve controlling the loved one, whereas true love is based on setting the beloved free to make his or her own choices.
You and I aren't one
Perhaps you are neither a spider nor a fly, but a chameleon who morphs to match the one you love. Or you may date chameleons, choosing partners who conform to your personality. Either way, you're not in a healthy relationship. In fact, you're not in a relationship at all.
If you're living by the "We are one" ideal, it's high time you found out how terrific love for two can be. Follow your heart in a direction your partner wouldn't go. Dare to explore your differences. Agree to disagree. If you're accustomed to disappearing, this will allow you to see that you can be loved as you really are. If you tend to dominate, you'll find out how interesting it is to love an actual person rather than a human mirror.


By Martha Beck from "O, The Oprah Magazine," March 2002 E-mail to a friend
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Martha Beck is the author of "Finding Your Own North Star" and "Expecting Adam."

It is not for me to say…..it is for you to find out.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Mignon McLaughlin

Dignity consists not in possessing honors, but in the consciousness that we deserve them. ~Aristotle