“The most effective way to do it is to do it” – Amelia Earhart

First days are scary. Whether it’s a first day of school when you’re young, a first day at your first job out of school, or the first time you walk into a party where you know no one. Or maybe it’s the first day you post a piece to your brand-new blog when you’re embarking on a new adventure in your ‘ahem’ forties. I find I am slightly terrified to try something new, especially this!

After working in politics for almost twenty years, I found myself with the opportunity recently to take a few months off. Seriously, what a gift! But what was I going to do with it? As much as I love “Housewives” and “This is US,” (among others!) I didn’t think I could sit on the sofa and binge watch for weeks on end. And as much as there always is to do around the house, I knew I also needed some kind of personal fulfillment.

I was a creative writing major in college and over the years have written a couple of unfinished novels. Writing has always been my creative “outlet” but since college the only real writing I’ve done was first in law school and then for work – interesting for sure, but not exactly creative. A few years ago I started to dip my toes back into writing in my spare time. But I’ve always been nervous to share it with people. I don’t even think I’ve let my husband read my past work.

As I thought about what I wanted out of my time off, it occurred to me that this was a great chance for me to return to my writing roots and also to build something that could benefit people. Not that I’m curing cancer here, but I thought I might be able to help readers make the most out of their lives.

I’ve always been a connector. I love to connect friends with businesses, services and products I love, and even with other friends. So, I figured, couldn’t I create something that will let me share my experiences in the hopes of helping people build and connect with their best life?

Of course I’m still tackling the doubting whispers that lurk in the background whenever I jump into something new (surely y’all have these, too?). There are already a million blogs out there, what am I bringing to the table? There is so much noise out there with all the negativity in politics and the news. How could I possibly shout above that in a positive way? How would I balance this with a very busy family life and career? And did I want to put myself ‘out there’ online? It was all very frightening!

But back to Amelia Earhart. She did say it best: The most effective way to do it is to do it.

When I came across this quote a couple of months ago, it struck a chord. The more I felt the pull to do this and the more I thought about the potential up and down sides, it finally hit me. I needed to just do it.

Because here’s the deal. We all suffer under the weight of our own issues, whether big or small, whether known to others or not. One of the lessons I’ve learned getting married after forty is that no matter our stage or state of life, we all struggle to balance everything going on in our lives. Whether you work or stay at home, whether you have kids or not, a husband or not, we all have our own battles just trying to stay afloat every day.

Despite the crazy we each have going on at any given moment, there is also so much beauty and positivity in our daily lives. If I can help people take some focus off their crazy and put it on even a small piece of their beautiful, then just maybe I’ll be doing something right here.

All of our journeys are truly unique. Throughout our lives, we are all trying to build our own tailored experiences and create a positive and fulfilling life for ourselves and our families. That idea of our own unique journey “custom”-fit for us was how This Custom Life was born.

No two of us have the same experience. But we can all learn from one another’s successes and mistakes. My journey has been from student to corporate politico, from single career gal to getting married after forty and immediately becoming a stepmom to four, and the ensuing new (and sometimes crazed!) chapters both at home and at work. You may not identify with all of my “pockets” of experience, but I hope you might take a piece from each area that can help you assemble your own Custom Life.

So today, on my own “First Day Over Forty,” welcome to This Custom Life. Each week I will post musings relating to family, work, and home lives. I hope that you will find gems in each post that can help you build your best life.

I’m excited to start this journey, and for you to come with me. Please follow me on social media. And if you’d like to stay in touch, I hope you’ll sign up to receive emails from me. I promise not to overwhelm you.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

xo,

Cameron

And I’d love to hear from you: What was your scariest first day experience and how did you get through it? Please comment below!