This week I am so honored to bring you a very interesting and knowledgeable guest and my new friend, Tish Macwebber.
Tish and I met through a Facebook group called 100 Coffees. This group is a women’s networking group. Although I haven’t met every member yet; Tish and I enjoyed a virtual coffee and got to know one another via Zoom, a new virtual tool I am learning about. Each member has different goals depending on the amount of time they have to work their business. My goal is to meet at least two new members each week over coffee, either virtual or in person. Over the past ten, years I’ve learned that to build a successful network marketing business we must “network” with many different people. For me, meeting and getting to know women over 50, or close means broadening my knowledge of the industry and people in general. Everyone, even you have a story just waiting to be told.
Tish’s story is so interesting that we decided to swap blogs this week as we have weight loss struggles in common. We did our best to keep our posts short; however, after reading Tish’s whole story, I couldn’t even begin to request she shorten it. If you enjoyed her thoughts, hopes and dreams hop over to Facebook and follow her story, then share with your friends and network, too. You can also read more about other’s weight loss stories on her blog, Trust Your Gut.
Without further ado, Tish Macwebber 
“What Are You Doing With Your Towel”
Any science fiction fan will be familiar with the novel and movies based on Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. One of the key points is when this question is answered,
“Alright,” said Deep Thought. “The Answer to the Great Question…”
“Yes…!”
“Of Life, the Universe and Everything…” said Deep Thought.
“Yes…!”
“Is…” said Deep Thought, and paused.
“Yes…!”
“Is…”
“Yes…!!!…?”
“Forty-two,” said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.
This is copied from Chapter 27 of the famous book mentioned above. For me, it has a profound meaning, which I will try to explain here. I was born in 1974. The month doesn’t matter because if you were born in 1974, like me, you had entered your 42nd year on this earth between 2016 and 2017. When I turned 42, this became significant to me. It has been, in retrospect, a year of immense personal growth.
I have been working on my own health, especially since I had suffered from an unexplained infection in my knee in 2015 and 2016. I was restricted to staying as still as I possibly could, had intravenous medication for the infection, and was really scared and miserable for those couple of months. I am better now and have been back to work for more than a year since I got the OK from my doctor to go back to work. But it got me thinking about what was going wrong in my life.
I have type 2 Diabetes, thyroid disease, and have been struggling with my weight for most of my life. If I lose the weight, there is a chance that it will “reverse” diabetes. It won’t ever go away, but I may be able to manage my blood sugars with diet and exercise if I lose a significant amount of weight. So I decided during my time off with the knee infection that what I was doing was NOT getting me the results I wanted in my life. I had to try something different.
I am a facebook addict. Social media is a platform that I am using to help me grow my author profiles online. I also discovered that writing is what I am supposed to do, it is a passion. I will get into that in more detail a bit later. For now, I want to write about how a facebook advertisement changed my health for the better. I saw an ad one day for Trim Healthy Mama. I clicked on it. I thought to myself that it certainly couldn’t hurt to look into it, and I am not committing to anything that is going to cost me any money.
Well, it was so interesting, I decided to give it a try. It is a different way of combining the foods that you eat, and the way you eat those foods helps you lose weight. I am not advertising for them, it just seemed like something different to try. I have made several recipes, and I really like all of them. I have noticed changes in my body and weight since I am following the plan sometimes, and when I am ready to commit, I will see bigger changes.
Following this plan has also encouraged me to try new foods. I like avocado. I never tried it before I was following this plan. It is good with eggs, and on chicken sandwiches, and on nachos. I still eat regular food as I am not 100% on plan, but making healthier choices is something that I am working on, and seeing that it works encourages me to try harder, and commit more. I don’t know if I will ever be 100% on plan, but I am thinking more about that all the time.
This was also the year I finally learned to stand up for myself. I have been a victim of bullying for most of my life. When I get mad, I cry, and my throat does this thing where I can’t get my words out. It closes off. If I am really frustrated, this also happens. I have experienced this since I was a child, and I am working this year to find another way to deal with my frustrations. I am speaking up when things bother me at work, now. I am tackling confrontations head on, instead of turning tail to run and cry in a corner. I am smart, I have a degree on my wall to prove that. I do need time to process things in my mind to express myself properly. I can’t just blurt out the first thing that comes to my mind, not without thinking about it, first. Sometimes, the first thing I think of is the right response. But not always. I am still learning how to do this, and I will not always be right, but it is a big step for me. It only took me decades to learn this life lesson.
I alluded to becoming a writer earlier. In November of 2017, I was surfing through facebook, when I saw a video a friend had shared. It was one of those things that I decided to click on. It was an inspirational video, and it spoke to me, with words I needed to hear. I do not know why this particular video found its way onto my feed online except for me to watch it, and get inspired by it. When something resonates with you so strongly that it stirs your soul into action, it cannot be ignored. I was searching for the message in this video, and a stranger told me in plain English the words I needed to hear.
The message was straightforward. It was about death, and dying with regrets because people do not take action. I was one of those people, a dreamer. I would dream of things I wanted to do but never do them. The video I watched made me want to do something to make my dreams turn into a reality.
I thought about it, and I decided I would like to find a way to share my lyrics with the world. As I have mentioned, I am a writer. I am not a gifted singer. So I wanted to get the lyrics shared some way to find musicians to collaborate with me. I am still waiting for that connection to happen, but I believe that it will. I just have to wait for the right person to read them. My dream for my lyrics is to get them out of my head and onto the radio. I got them published on my blog. That is where it starts.
While I was researching the methods to do this, I found another facebook group. This one was for writing. Again, I just clicked on it. I started asking questions, and I decided to start a blog. My first attempt was a solo act. I have since learned so much from the people I asked in that writing group for advice about how to do this. I have continued to work in this direction, and have a growing blog that makes me very happy when I am writing for it, thinking about it, talking about it, or checking the stats. For someone who does not like math, that is a big deal.
When I started the blog, I really just wanted to put my lyrics out into the online world, and wait for the magic to happen. Something else happened. I started writing. I started without knowing what to write about, how to write on a blog, or without really knowing why I wanted to write. Very quickly, it became apparent that writing was something that I enjoy doing. I decided that I would stick with it, and see how long I was going to keep writing regularly.
That was in November. It is 10 months later, and I am writing consistently, twice a week, in two regular categories. I have nicknamed my blog, “The Little Blog That Could” and written a story with that title. I am writing to hold myself accountable, to share information, to make people laugh, and to practice writing. The next big thing for me is to write books. I will be writing a fantasy trilogy, as they are my favorite kinds of books to read. It is a dream i had a very long time ago, and I mean to turn it into a reality before I die so that I will not be one of those people that die with regrets in their heart and mind. I have started writing book 1.
In summary, I wanted to share this story with you because it shows that if you try new things, you can change the direction your life is going in. I did not like the person my day job was turning me into. I did not like the direction that my health was headed for. So I tried different things. I made new friends and asked a lot of questions. I dug deep and found out that my passion besides the hobbies I am currently using for a creative outlet is writing. I know I am supposed to be a writer. And if I didn’t watch that video, I would never have found the inspiration to push myself in the direction I am going in at full speed, with the emergency brakes turned off. I am all in, and it is an amazing feeling.
So when you think back to the start if this story, a fan will know that The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy often mentions a towel and that you should not travel the Universe without one. So I leave you with this final thought, are you going to take it with you, or throw in the towel and give up? I know what I did, and I am going to ride this lifetime to the last stop, waving my towel in the air the whole time.
Thank you for accepting my invitation to team up together for our first Guest Blogging adventure. You can find the introduction to this story (in which I write my first ever top 5 list) on my blog, tishmacwebber and you will also find Carla’s story that she shared for my Trust Your Gut category there too. Thanks for reading, and if you liked this story, there are over 100 stories on my blog in different categories to read. I keep it real and try to sprinkle in a giggle here and there.
Tish, thanks so much for accepting to be a guest blogger here. If Tish’s story resonates with you, or if you would just like to connect with her to learn more, you can check out her Facebook page and just pop over to say hi when you are having your coffee some day. I have had the opportunity to meet her, get to know her in the process of setting this guest post up, and she is a bubbly, wonderful person, who is easy to chat with. I wish her success in her journey and am happy to share her story with you here. I am certain if you take the time to learn more about her, she will be happy to share more of her story with you and join you on your own journey. Two heads are always better than one.
Carla Gardiner is a mom of 2, the fiery grandma of 7 and has been married to her husband for 38 years. She is focused, and driven; a business owner who made a big move in her late 50’s which rocked her world. Transitioning from her native hometown to her new home 3 states away took guts, work, and dedication to get the job done. Now, she is focused on helping other women handle life’s changes after 50 while making the transition to their retirement lifestyle; one they’ve been dreaming of instead of the nightmare it could become.
"Very well put. I've been with a health and nutrition company for over 26 years and I understand exactly what you are going through. I shiver to think what my health might be today at age 68 had I not stuck to my guns as far as practicing what I preach. Yes, I fall off the wagon regularly but my daily routine life reflects taking care of my health. That way I can keep up (somewhat) with my 7 grandchildren. You keep it up, Carla". 
"For most people the thought of venturing out there in pursuit of your dreams, in a place outside of your comfort zones is just what stops them. But I could sense your excitement not resentment in going against the competition. In planting your stake and truly making a difference in the clients experience. That's ultimately what matters, the rest just falls so easily into place. Thanks for that reminder"! 
Carla, I’ve got to say that I LOVE your focus on the joys and challenges facing women over 50. I’m definitely in that camp! I’ve been inspired by your candor, practical ideas, and refreshing determination to joyfully tackle life. The hours we’ve spent on the phone, in person, and through social media have enriched my life immeasurably. YOU are one Fiery Grandma, and I love your style! 
I have known Carla Gardiner for 6+ years. We met at a business training for bring business online. She is a business women at heart and willing to do the hard things to make the results show up. I have watched her run a business, work a job and take care of her family. She is a go getter when it comes to putting in the work to build her business to the level of being able to enjoy her grand kids.
She is the example that age is not a limit it is a tool for sharing knowledge to those she empowers to use their own skills and talents. Excuses are fuel to push her to learn and apply. I have seen her scared to death about implementing new technology and rock it out despite the learning curve.
I love watching you grow into your greatness Carla! Don’t slow down. 
"Carla, you are a model for me to follow. I love your site. And, I like what you have to say - very kind, very gracious. I have to say though that nothing in my life has ever been crystal clear". 
"I've known Carla for 5+ years and can tell you that she has lived every bit of this and more. We shared tears and laughs and hard work....you will enjoy getting to know Carla."
