Alex Cann's Blog - Thursday 8th May 2025

A new book is out today, called 50 Sentences That Make Life Easier by Karin Kuschik, and it contains some excellent pearls of wisdom.

I thought I'd share a selection with you, as serialised recently in The Times. It's a handbook dedicated to building self-worth, and I'm looking forward to reading the whole thing soon. Let's cherry-pick seven of the best.

I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that you could talk to me like that.

How many times would this one have come in handy?! In the words of the author, it starts like an apology, and ends with a boundary. One thing I can't stand, and struggle to stand by idly and watch happen, is folk being rude to serving staff in shops, restaurants, and other hospitality settings. This sentence would be a good way of taking a puffed-up prat down a peg or two. It might also come in useful in the office, or anywhere where someone takes an unacceptable tone with you. Whilst we're talking about shops, I spotted a great sign in our local Post Office the other day, advising that customers who are chatting on their mobile phone won't be served. Quite right too, and while we're at it, I agree with the recent Liberal Democrat proposal to fine people who play loud music on public transport, and don't seem to think headphones are a necessary item. The Government claims there are already rules in place to address anti-social behaviour like this, but when did you last see them being enforced?

I just realised, this topic doesn't really interest me.

Next time someone is trying to engage me in a conversation about Leeds United being promoted back to the Premier League, or waxes lyrical about their love of Donald Trump, or how Nigel Farage is the only man speaking the truth, I might give this one a whirl. It's better to be honest upfront, firmly but politely, than fake interest and regret it for a long time. It's a get out of jail free card.

I'd rather not promise you that.

This sentence could have saved me a lot of strife on a number of occasions. It's very easy to overpromise stuff in life, but managing expectations is a more sage approach. I shouldn't have promised myself I'd make the most of the gym membership I bought last August upfront for a year, although hopefully I'll have been for the first time this year by the time you read this. I'm still avoiding the scales for a while, mind. It's quite bleak getting memories on my social media from 2022, when I'd lost well over two stone in weight thanks to Gail and Jane from Slimming World. Those were the days.

I'd rather be with myself right now.

Sometimes, you'd just rather be at home curled up with a good book in your onesie than suffering the witterings of someone dull. I love time with myself, and I trace the beginnings of that journey back to a city break I took alone to Prague in 2008. A lot of people think it's peculiar that I go to the cinema on my own, but I love it! Same with sitting in a cafe reading the newspaper with a pot of tea, whilst people watching.

Giving my best only makes sense if you give your best.

This one is pretty profound, as it's a wake-up call and reinforces that it's not our job to shield others from the consequences of their actions.

'I'm not sure' always means 'no'.

This sentence will save a whole lot of time when it comes to making difficult life decisions. I've become a lot better at saying 'no' to stuff I don't want to do as I get older, but it's a work in progress.

I decide who pushes my buttons.

I love this quote - "if you could feed the energy that people on earth expend on getting upset into the electricity grid, you could probably generate enough power to illuminate entire cities - forever". It's best not to spend too much time with folk who make us feel negative. Life is short, and whilst we all have our ups and downs to deal with, some people seem to revel in pushing others' buttons.

We've all been in situations where these sentences would have come in handy. I look forward to checking out all 50 featured in the book, which is on shelves from today, and also available as an audiobook.