Words You Regret—You can’t unsay what you said—but you can stop saying it. Begin with: ‘I’m sorry. I feel bad about it. I’ll strive to do better!’
Words You Regret: How to Swallow Pride, Say Sorry, and Actually Mean It
You Can’t Unsay It… and That Stings
Once words leave your mouth, they’re missiles without a return ticket—launched, landed, and sometimes lodged deep.
Take Buzz Malone, who blurts out at a party: “You’re too loud for your own good.” Meant as a joke. Delivered as an insult. Darla Daydream’s face says it all.
No rewind. No delete button. Just the silence of a moment that can’t be undone.
We’ve all had a Buzz moment. What matters most? What you do next.
Stop the Bleed: Don’t Make It Worse
You can’t unsay it. But you can stop repeating it.
Jim didn’t double down with, “Relax, I’m just being honest,” or worse, “You always overreact.”
He shut it down. No defense speech. Just a pause.
Sometimes silence isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom in sneakers. Choosing not to dig deeper when you’ve already hit rock bottom? That’s maturity.
Say the Hard Stuff: ‘I’m Sorry. I Feel Bad. I’ll Strive to Do Better.’
Apologies can feel like chewing glass, but nothing rebuilds trust faster.
One guy snapped at his sister Nibbles McGee for leaving dishes in the sink. Called her a slob. Her eyes went glassy. He felt awful.
So he said: “I’m sorry. I feel rotten. I’ll chill out next time.”
No, it didn’t fix the dishes. But it fixed them.
Those three little sentences— I’m sorry. I feel bad. I’ll strive to do better.
No excuses. No “but you also…” Just ownership, empathy, and a plan to grow.
That’s what real strength looks like.
✍️ Note to Self: Before dropping a zinger, picture it tattooed on your forehead. Still wanna say it?
The FUNomenal™ Finale: The Word-Regret Recovery Plan
Got a case of foot-in-mouth? Good news—you’re not alone.
But don’t camp there—course-correct.
✅ Hit pause before you pounce. ✅ If you mess up, own it out loud. ✅ Strive to be better—not perfect, just better. ✅ Words can be weapons or bridges. You choose which.
When in doubt? Chew on the thought, not on the person.
✨ What’s one moment you wish you could ‘un-say’? How did you move forward—or how could you?
AI Sidekick Alert: This post was unpacked and given a touch of FUNomenal™ sparkle with the creative assistance of my behind-the-scenes AI brainstorming buddy!
About Tony
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Tony Brigmon | Speaker—Emcee | TonyBrigmon.com
Tony Brigmon is a party animal. He’s been known to stay up well past nine o’clock drinking root beer and telling G-rated jokes. Sure, the neighbors complain, but that doesn’t stop him. Because Tony is serious about having fun. Serious fun, with serious results.
As a result of his questionable spelling skills, Tony learned at an early age that his name spelled backward is “YNOT.” As in, “YNOT take a closer look at his book?” Or “YNOT smile when you should be crying?”
Tony was a Southwest Airlines “Insider” and the former “face” of their renowned culture as their official “Ambassador of Fun”. At Southwest Airlines, “fun” was the power of “positivity” that helped catapult a small carrier into a force that changed the airline industry.
Today, Tony is a popular speaker, emcee, and author of The FUNomenal™ Workplace. (FUNomenal™ is pronounced the same as phenomenal but it’s a lot more FUN.)
Former CEO of Southwest Airlines Howard Putnam says: “Tony has a gift for blending fun and capturing ideas in a manner that sticks for audiences.” Tony’s friends say that no one should have so much fun while sober. Tony’s wife said she has had about all the cheerfulness she can stand.
“Fun” transformed this author’s work and life. YNOT discover if the serious power of fun can transform the next 30 seconds of your day or 30 years of your life?
YNOT arrange to have Tony Brigmon teach you and your team how the power of fun can help you get more done, bring out the best in everyone, and make you irresistibly attractive in your communication with others. You can do this. So, YNOT?
