1. “1000 songs in your pocket” – This is how Steve Jobs first publicly described the iPod in 1998.
2. “No.” – Rosa Parks said this in conjunction with her action of refusing to move to the back of the bus.
3. “I have a dream that all men shall live as equals.” Martin Luther King Jr.’s opening line draws us into his passion and connects us to his values of inclusivity and equality.
4. “I’d like my life back.” This sentence was spoken by Tony Hayward, CEO of British Petroleum during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It came across as incredibly uncaring, and eventually lead to him becoming the ex-CEO of that company.
5. “I am not a crook.” This famous line was spoken by Richard Nixon responding to the media regarding wrongdoing in Watergate. He brought up the word “crook” first, and therefore put it in people’s minds! It made him sound defensive, which is how many perceived him from that moment onward.
6. “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” – It’s a technical dodge and raises the question of what exactly is the definition of “sexual relations”? Later Bill Clinton admitted to having “an improper physical relationship.” Bill picked his words carefully and with intention each time.
What powerful and memorable words can you use for your situation?
