Pushy...Pushy

Persistence is merely another word for determination. Yes? When goal setting, one is far more likely to get where they wanna go when possessing tenacity and strength. This is when persistence pays. It is a positve. A good thing.

Then there are those times when persistence can be a pesky creature. According to that all true proverbial statement Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Being overly zealous might not always be the way to go. Too much of a "good thing" (totally relative term) can be a total pain in the butt.

Take for instance, the over-eager-never-let-you-go-so-you-are-forced-to-hang-up-on-them telemarketer. The "P" word (aka "persistence") is part of their job requirement. Meek, timid, people-pleasers need not apply. Telemarketing boss men seek the most annoying, abrasive, pushy people to employ. I've never met a soul who welcomes a telemarketer's call. Their aggressiveness is a big turn off.

Actually, the ugly side of persistence shows itself with most any sales person. At least those who are good at what they do. Door-to-door (do they still exist?) and car salesmen seem to lead the pack. They usually won't take no for an answer. They are equipped with a never ending list of reasons why you should want what they are peddling. If they really have their skills honed, a good salesman could sell hairspray to a bald man. You know the type. The ones who only listen to what you say in order to offer the perfect rebuttal. All that matters to them is making the sale.

I've recently discovered there is another breed of doggedly determined people. These guys may take the prize as the most tenacious of the bunch. Salesmen should take note as they could learn a thing or two from them. These are the men who seek companionship via the net. More specifically, I'm referring to the dudes incessantly filling my inbox in their attempts to make a "sale". And trust me, terse replies and completely ignoring their sales pitch does nothing to deter them.

Via

For instance, I just this second received my 8th message from one fella. It is the eighth email to come in since 8:00 this morning. It is currently 12:00 noon. That averages one per half hour. (Not that I think you are incapable of doing the math. Just seems more unbelievable when I put it in writing.). Never have I seen a more persistent attempt to get noticed. I know the easy answer is to tell the guy "No. Thank you." (which I just did) but I had a challenging morning at work and didn't have the time to respond. One would think the lack of response would be answer enough. But no. All I could do was simply watch as my inbox filled while I went about trying to earn my keep. 

As I mentioned, some of these headstrong gents won't take no for an answer. Much like that hairspray salesman mentioned a paragraph or two ago, the buyer's wants or wishes is of no consequence. A "no" equals a "yes" in their mind. Any...and I do mean any...form of communication is perceived as interest. These men know their product. They believe in what they have to sell to the point they feel the buyer cannot live without it.

And trust me.

Some of these "products" I can live without. Especially the I'm-in-love-with-myself-so-you-must-love-me-too dudes.

And the ones without teeth.

So here is my question and where I ask for help. How do you handle hard core salesmen? How do you shut them down?  Without being rude? I would love to find a witty way of getting them to see the err of their ways but I've yet to come up with a good comeback. I know I can simply walk away but like I said, completely ignoring these guys doesn't work. Give me your best suggestion. The funnier...more creative... the better.

P.S. Not all guys of the net are this way. Many are perfect gentlemen. Just thought I would share a laughable side of online dating.

P.P.S. I fear this sounds somewhat conceited...like I'm implying all guys want me. Trust me, that is NOT the case. Anyone who ventures into the crazy world of online dating can attest to the fact that what I described happens to everyone at some point or another. In other words, I'm nothing special. :-)

Go Google Yourself

Via

Google. The end all/be all source of information.

At least in my world.

I Google anything and everything.

With the proper search words, this online reference mega meister can solve just about any problem and answer nearly every question known to man.

You can find your long lost friends, get the scoop on the celebrity of your choosing, learn how to disassemble/reassemble any multi-part object, locate THE perfect shoes for THE perfect outfit, create the house of your dreams, gather information for your kid's research project and even diagnose what ails you.

All this and more can be found when utilizing Google.

It has even saved my butt at work several times. Certain rarely used formulas and calculations can easily be forgotten. Never fear. Google to the rescue. Within seconds, I have the answers I need, my boss is happy and I appear to be the best employee EVER.

Being the Google lover that I am,  it stands to reason I would Google myself. Anyone else ever done that? If not, you should consider it. What an eye opening experience! I never knew there were so many Lisa Howards in this world. Yeah, I know Lisa is a ridiculously common name. But Lisa Howard? Who woulda thunk it!

Of course, it should be no surprise to me. Years ago, after my divorce, I needed to create an individual email account. One that didn't include any reference to my ex-husband.

I started with "Lhoward".

Taken.

I then tried Lhoward1.

Also taken.

As was Lhoward2, Lhoward3...all the way up to Lhoward12!

So I went with something totally off the wall. Lhowards4n. Stands for Lisa Howard single 4 now. I figured it was catchy enough to help friends and family remember it. When I was engaged to "K", he wondered why I didn't change my email address. I certainly was no longer single. But I assured him all was well. I just altered one of the words making it perfectly legit. It then stood for Lisa Howard spoken 4 now. Don't you just love how it fits my ever changing love life? If only I could keep up as well. Ha!

Back to how I "found" myself.

I've mentioned how many share my name. Some of these L.H. initialed people are B-list celebrities. Far more important than I...meaning they ranked much higher in the search engine and showed on pages 1 through...ummm....25??? I was having a hard time finding Me.

I decided to narrow my search to Lisa Howard Asheville, NC. I mean...like... how many  Lisa Howards can there be in Asheville? My efforts paid off. All things related to me filled the screen.

With THIS one exception.

Looks like there is at least one other chick sporting my name in this here town.

All I can say is...

That ain't me!

One can only speculate this is exactly how rumors get started. Without clicking the link, it appears I have recently done some time for something I would never do. Crazy, huh?

So tell me, do you find anything of particular interest when you Google yourself? If so, I would love to hear about it.

A Day To Remember

Calendars are marked with days of importance. Some are annual celebrations. Some mark goals we are striving for. Some are big. Some are small. Some we remember. Some we do not.

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Two years ago, I added another Day To Remember to my list. August 12, 2010. It was a Thursday. At approximately 6:00 pm that day-never-to-be-forgotten, I was told my life would drastically change.

That was the day cancer became part of my reality.

That day was the beginning of a journey that taught me how fragile life really is.

That was the day I learned how tough I really am.

That was the day I realized I'm actually not tough at all.

That was the day I learned how to truly let go and let God.

That was the day I was forced to say goodbye to the me I had always known only to become a better me.

I wrote specifics of that night HERE. So much has changed since that post. I wish with everything in me cancer had never come calling. But had it not, I would have missed the chance to grow. To learn. To be more.

Rather than dread the 2 year anniversary that is rapidly approaching, I want to celebrate. Life is good. It isn't the same and never will be again. But it is really, really good!

Won't you join me as I raise my glass to this journey called Life. With all its ups and downs, it is still a heck of a fun ride!!!

Cheers, my friends!

Feeling Stupid...Revisited

Does anyone remember THIS post from several months back? The one where I shared how I often do things that make me feel really, really stupid? If you need a reminder, click HERE. Otherwise, please continue reading.

What I'm about to share takes feeling stupid to a whole new level.

While I can't promise you will laugh, I can guarantee you will walk away feeling you TOTALLY have your shiz together. Something about realizing the weaknesses of others gives us a much needed boost. If nothing else, it draws attention to the fact we all have our issues.

Too bad for me though.

This morning I think I hit the bottom of the I-can't-believe-I-did-that barrel. That place where no one else dares to go.

I present to you Stupid Moment #2:

I consider myself reasonably smart. Actually, if I'm completely honest, I consider myself on the strong side of intelligent. Mostly because I'm willing to work my butt off to learn most anything. I'm not afraid to give it my all and it usually pays off.

However...

I'm beginning to really wonder about myself.

Via
This morning I was doing my usual. Rushing around, trying to get out the door on time. Something that never seems to happen. Could be attributed to the fact I have a love affair going on with the snooze button. But that is all beside the point.

To give myself a little credit, I must share I am very organized. By necessity. My purse was by the door. Beside it sat my gym bag. A note was perched on top of my bag reminding me to grab my lunch from the fridge. All of this is done the night before any normal work day to ensure I get out the door with all the necessary stuff.

What was missing from last night's ritual was the selecting of my work clothes. I was simply too tired last night to care. I assumed I could throw any old thing on and go.

What a mistake.

I made it through the getting dressed part with relative ease. I did a mental recounting of what I had worn the previous days this week to make sure I didn't do a repeat. I threw my hair in a ponytail and double checked to make sure I had on matching ear rings. (Yeah buddy, I've been known to wear a mismatched set. Shoes too. But that's another story for another day.)

I downed a protein shake, guzzled a gallon (total exaggeration) of water and took my daily vitamins & cancer-ain't-coming-back pill. But something felt "off". I kept mentally retracing my steps but couldn't put my finger on the problem. All seemed to be as it should be.

It wasn't until I climbed in the car that I had that aha moment.

All it took was to feel the grit on my car mat to realize I had forgotten my shoes!!!

Feel better about yourself now?

If not, you should.

 -me

P.S. This is a two-for-one post. Last week I was doing much the same as described above. As I was racing down the highway toward my office a horrific thought came to mind. In my panicked state, I slapped my chest as a means of knocking some oxygen back into my lungs. And that was all it took to ease my mind. You see, my fear was that I had forgotten my rubber boob! Not sure how I would have gotten around that one. Thank goodness I didn't have to find out.