I just celebrated my 40th birthday. Actually I celebrated the entire week before and I'm still celebrating! 😀 LOL
Forty is quite the milestone for me. This is a birthday I've been looking forward to for well over a decade now - for a number of reasons.
I spent my twenties raising my children and starting my business(es). I spent my thirties really pulling things together to create the life that I wanted (mission accomplished!).
I've always looked at my forties as being the decade to enjoy the rewards of all I've invested. And of course it'll be a whole new phase of life for me with my children raised and off on their own, my career running smooth, and more time to do things I've always wanted to do...
February of this year marked 16 full years in business.
When I quit my last "real job" and started my first business, I was married with four young children - and only in my early 20's. It's shocking how fast years can go by, kids can grow up, and life can change!
Many people have commented that I am "lucky." But the truth is, I worked hard to create the life I have today, and will continue to work hard for the future that I want.
The word "lucky" implies that I've had it easy, which is simply not the case. It takes a lot of dedication and self-discipline to buck the norm and to work through the challenges life throws your way.
It was all worth it. Long hours, self doubt, frustration, pushing myself, all of it.
It was SO worth it. 😉
So in a way I suppose I am lucky. I count myself lucky for the extreme challenges that forced me to have to work harder. For the drive to push through and never give in. For living in a generation that offered me so many options.
I've had the opportunity to experience so many different variables along the way. I was married with a big family in my twenties. A single mother to young children in my thirties. And now, a single woman with my children practically grown. I ran a service based business, had local offices & clients, struggled through the start-up years, and now enjoy a successful online business and a fluid lifestyle.
I've been flat broke, had more money than I knew how to spend, suffered major health challenges, home schooled my children while my son was ill, felt completely alone in the world, had amazing friends that offered support and inspiration, was a full-time caretaker for my elderly grandmother, achieved success and lost it all then started over again - and so much more.
All of which puts me in a unique position to relate to most of my readers (you) on a more personal level, and all of the things you're going through or dealing with as you work on your own lifestyle goals.
I've struggled plenty along the way, and I still do sometimes. We all have our own unique set of circumstances, and no one is immune to the crazy curve balls life can throw in your path.
I'm grateful for all of it, the good and the bad, the lessons learned along the way too. And I'm grateful for you - and for the close friendships my career has allowed me to make all over this beautiful planet, even during the phases I could hardly leave home.
Thank you for being a part of my life, and for letting me be a part of yours - no matter how small. It's been an amazing experience so far, and it's only going to get better from here!
In closing I would like to say Thank You! for all the kind birthday wishes this past week. And I just want to remind you... whatever your dreams or goals, go for it, full on. Embrace the hardships and challenges - they will only make you stronger, and more grateful, when you push through and refuse to give in on your journey toward your ideal life. Said from personal experience 😉
I'm really excited about the decade ahead of me. I want to help even more people achieve life-changing success, write my books, continue doing what I LOVE online, make even more friends around the world, travel to cool new places... and ENJOY life. That's my goal. I would love to hear yours...
“When your desires are strong enough, you will appear to possess superhuman powers to achieve.” -Napoleon Hill
Best,
p.s. If you need real hands-on help from someone that has "been there, done that" I would love to work with you personally to achieve your business & lifestyle goals.
See: Ready To Get Serious About Making Money Online? for details.
My Private Brainstorming Group is my absolute favorite spot on the web, and I would love for you to join us! 😀
About Lynn Terry
You guys are young compared to me.. 52 😉 LOL!
Again congrats to you Lynn on what you've achieved, and hope you have many more years of success. =)
And Eric, I wish much success for you too!
For me, the last Google Penguin update has really thrown me for a loop, and just can't get back the MOTIVATION AND FOCUS THAT I HAD!!! I would really like to get back (at least half) of my success point -- last year. lol
I also hope to pull in some more writing opportunities. 🙂
Thanks for the post Lynn, as always, exquisite!
Thank you Tammy. 😀 I know what a hit it can be to your motivation when you get tanked like that. But it's really a great opportunity (in disguise, lol) to expand your marketing strategy and find new ways to bring in high quality traffic and increase your reach. It's easy to get complacent when you have a consistent source of targeted traffic, but diversifying can really take your online business to a whole new level!
Here's wishing you much success in the coming year, and ENJOYING it again! 😉
Thanks so much Lynn! 🙂 It means a lot to have valuable feedback from you.
*cheers* 😀
Happy 40th Lynn!
That is definitely a milestone worth celebrating!
I'm turning 29 this Sunday and will be celebrating with my annual golf outing on saturday, and then doing some gambling and fine dining on sunday. I'm pretty freaked that I will be 30 soon, never thought I would be this old. I think of myself as a 22 year old just out of college...turns out I've been out of college for over 7 years. Yikes!
I started my business when I was 25 years old and If I have half the success and life you do, I would consider that a very good outcome.
Congrats again, cheers to your 40's!
Thank you, Eric - and an early "Happy Birthday" to you too! 😀
Lynn, it only goes UP after 40. I'm hitting 50 in a couple of months and I must say, I wish I was hitting my 40's again to have a "do over." But you don't get any do overs in life...just do agains.Now that you're 40, you know who you are, what you want, what you're capable of and how to make it happen. So I hope this next decade is better than the last!
That's exactly how I see it, David. It's the perfect decade (for me) in SO many ways! I can only imagine that 50's will be awesome too, given every decade so far has been better than the last. 😀 *cheers*
Congrats on being 40! This made my whole perspective of getting older better. I can't wait till I am 40 now. Great attitude and great job on all you have accomplished! You deserve to celebrate.
Thank you, Tanya! I'm loving this phase of life. I have been looking forward to it for years now, and plan to totally live it up! 😉
I am 36 so 40 is right around the corner for me.:) It is very inspiring to read your story. May you always be blessed with continual success! It's said that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger sometimes it is hard to believe it when you are going through it but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Many people will read your story and it will encourage them to keep going ahead no matter how hard they might want to quit. I can tell you really love what you do and you are very good at it. I have learned so much from reading your blog. It's one of the few that I read on a daily basis. I always look forward to reading your blog posts. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Maketta - I take that as a very high compliment considering how much time I pour into my blog here at ClickNewz. Very much appreciated!! 😀
Happy Birthday Lynn, and thanks for the inspiring story. Yes its work, but I love my life online as well. Unfortunately I don't have the background you have, as I put it off too many times before finally committing full time. I only have a few credible years under my self-employed belt, but better late than never, and like you I hope one day I'll be able to look back on 16 successful years too (though that milestone won't happen for me until I'm 50, lol.) Wish me luck!
Good luck, Christopher!! 😀
Hi,
I think this is my first comment I wanted to make even I read a lot of posts from you. I am 37 years old now and I wish when I turned to 40, I could have a life like yours.
I think I need to learn a lot from you about online marketing. Thank a lot for this so honest post about yourself, I think you wrote it from your heart.
Have you more successes in your 40s.
Thank you Santel. 😀 I knew back in my late 20's what kind of life I wanted for myself, and for my children, and I worked *hard* to make that happen. It was amazing to see that vision turn into a reality, and it made working toward it (hard as that was at times) enjoyable, and SO worth it!
Happy Belated, Lynn. Really exciting to see all you've accomplished. I hope to follow in your fortunate footsteps. Hope your forties are fab.
Thank you, Catherine! 😀
Happy birthday, Lynn! I hope that your 40s are all you dreamed of! Thanks for being a great inspiration to those of us who are beginning our internet marketing journey.
Thank you so much, Sherry! 😉
Happy 40th Lynn! I hope your 40's are great for you! It's encouraging to hear about all that you've accomplished and how you continue to go even through those tough times! Inspiring actually! I will continue to read your stuff and learn from you!
Thank you, Steve. 😀 Life can really throw some crazy curveballs - or it has for me over the years! 😛 I'm looking forward to a MUCH smoother decade, lol.
Happy Birthday Lynn! What a wonderful milestone - you deserve to celebrate big this year! I hope when I turn 40 in a few years I will be where I want to be after quitting my full-time job almost 10 years ago!
I have no doubt you'll make it happen, Vicki - you have an excellent start and you're in a great position to take it to the top!! 😉
Happy Birthday Lynn
You are and always will be my inspiration. Ha, I am older than you are. The 40's are the best times. Enjoy!
Keep rockin on girl..
Thank you, Vickie! 😀
Happy 40th Lynn. And congratulations on the lifestyle you've achieved! You've worked hard at it, and deserve what you have. When I came online a few years ago, you were one of the first marketers I came across who seemed "real." I admire your ethical marketing and have enjoyed being a member of your Elite forum. All the best to your continued success in the next decade. As Vicki said, "the forties are the best."
Thank you so much, Rhonda! 😀
Happy, Happy Birthday Lynn! I love the way you celebrate ...and then celebrate ....and then celebrate some more! Just my style. I call the whole month of May "mine". 😉 Awesome to see you feeling so good about life and as usual, you are such an inspiration!
Thank you, Lisa! The last couple of weeks have been a crazy whirlwind of FUN! 😀 I am really excited about settling in to this "year of forty" and figuring out exactly what I want to achieve... and making that happen! *cheers*
Lynn,
I love how you celebrate life, receiving the good and not so good with equal relish, believing that both shape you into who you're supposed to become. This post comes alive with your personality--the same one I saw when I met you all those years ago at Blissdom. Your message has been consistent and encouraging though all these years. 🙂
I think it's time to knock on your door and try my hand at affiliate marketing; I'm not afraid of the work it will require :).
xo
Thank you, Robin. I really had to grow into that mindset, after a tough time of it in my twenties wrestling with all the crazy challenges in my life. In hindsight, it was all a real blessing, and totally changed the way I view life - and goals - and gave me a serious appreciation for it all.
I look forward to talking to you more about affiliate marketing! It's one of my favorite topics, as you know. 😉
Congratulations Lynn. Welcome to the wonderful world of us women over 40. You are now officially qualified to be part of my site 40PlusStyle! And I can assure you that most women over 40 are much happier than they were in their 20s. The happiness factor only goes up from there....
Thank you Sylvia! I just followed you on Twitter. I look forward to your updates. 😀
Welcome to the 40s! I've been enjoying them for over seven years now, but it seems like yesterday that I turned 40. My goal for the rest of the decade... Simplify.
Wishing you all the best in this new decade!
Thank you, Val! 😀 I like that: "simplify" - a great goal! It's something I am working on right now too, especially after a crazy fast-paced decade full of challenge and change in my 30's. I put in a lot of work to get here, and I'm ready to slow down and ENJOY life more! *cheers*
Happy birthday and wish you all the best,
My goals are to give much more useful tips to anyone land on my blog and earn the right way from doing what I like. Loving life is really,really important and it's a bless if we can have it.
Out of the box, you look younger than 40 to me 😉
Great post Lynn!
Thank you for that, Okto - I feel younger than I ever have! lol 😀
Lynn,Congrats on turning 40! This really made me smile today. I turn 34 in a few days and part of me was actually dreading my age for the first time in my life.
Not so much because I am getting older, but because it made me think about a time when my dad was blowing out a 3 and a 4 candle on his birthday cake when I was a kid and how quickly time has shot by...My initial thought was ...that was a long time ago! haha
Your perspective gave me a sigh of relief, that, getting older isn't a bad thing, it's good.Keep up the great work on the blog and all that you do.
It's interesting how those milestones can bring on a wave of nostalgia and make you realize you have "switched places" or you're on the other side of a perspective. I experience that more and more lately!
I am loving my age. Like I said, it's a whole new phase of life to enjoy, and I intend to live it to the fullest! 😉 *cheers*
I'm about to hit the third year of my 40's decade and I can't agree more. Although my kids are still far from raised, I feel like I've got my business running smooth and nothing but, good things to look forward to at this "middle-stage" of life!
It truly is a great decade. I don't miss anything about being a kid. Being an adult, past my 30's, seems like the perfect place to be to ENJOY life full-on! 😀
Happy Birthday!
I turned 40 in February and my oldest just graduated from high school last Friday. The baby will be driving in just 6 short months. lol I've looked forward to this time in life as well. Each decade has gotten better and better 🙂
I feel the same way, Val. Every decade has been better than the last! Congrats to you - I really celebrated when my oldest turned 18, lol. I remember saying "whew, I made it!" 😀
I appreciate your strength and will power Lynn, I can very well understand the journey wouldn't have been easy. Lets not talk about it now, as it is time to reap the fruits of your hard work. Heartfelt congratulations on your birthday and best of luck for your life ahead.
Thank you, James! 😀
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ya
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ya
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!...I was singing that to you Lynn 🙂
The big 40, I've still got a few years to go so I hope I'm exactly where I want to be by then too. Hope you've had/will have a smashing week 🙂
That made me smile BIG, Jedha! 😀 Thank you!!
Here's to moving forward and reaching goals, for both of us... *cheers* 😉
Happy Birthday Lynn,
I had one this week also. You make me feel old. I turned 55. Absolutely can't believe I am that old. I still do most of the things I did 30 years ago.
The 40s were the best years of my life even though I spent 2 of those years in Iraq. I have been awful lucky. No real physical problems other than some back pain which the chiropractor works on every Friday.. Two beautiful daughters and two beautiful super intelligent granddaughters. Have no clue where they got that from (lol)
Leave you with one thing... Have a good time.... That's been my motto no matter where I was at in the world or what I was doing. We only live once. Happy Birthday!
What a great motto, Mike - FUN is what it's all about! 😀
Happy birthday to you as well. 55 is not at all "old" 😉 At 40, I'm feeling younger than I ever have in my life! 😉 *cheers*
Hey Lynn, we have a particular share of everything in our life. I feel like you have finished your share of bad days and hard work, now its time for you to take a back seat and see what have you done all these years. All the best for the forties of your life.
Thank you Harry! I don't ever intend to take a back seat in my life, though - I'm still running full speed, and plan to take the lead and make awesome stuff happen! 😉
Belated happy birtdau lynn..stay blessed and i tell you,trust me you dont look like 40 😉 you are amazingly pretty 🙂 keep this smile on your face always 🙂
Thank you Rahul!
Belated happy birthday to you! Wish I could achieve and be successful like you when I turn that age.
Thanks, Dylann! You can definitely achieve anything you want in life - anything you put your mind to, I should say. I worked *hard* to get where I am today, and really look forward to achieving even more success this decade. 😉
Happy 40th Lynn! You deserve to celebrate for as long as you want - you've worked hard to get where you are and aside from celebrating your birthday, you deserve to celebrate all your hard work!
I will be 40 in February 2015 and I'm already planning for it! I am going to spend a week in either Myrtle Beach or Florida - haven't decided which place yet. I was talking to someone about it this weekend and they actually told me "it's so far away why would you be spending time planning something now, when you won't do it anyway." Uhm, that just irritated me and gives me even more motivation to do it now. Yeah, granted it is a little ways away, but I'm having fun looking at hotels and airfare and this and that - I don't see anything wrong with planning in advance and for once I'm actually EXCITED about a birthday! So many people keep telling me their 40s were/have been the best years of their life 🙂
I've heard the same, and so far I can say that 40 feels FABULOUS! Plan away my friend, do whatever you please. I accomplished so much proving I *could* do what people told me I could not. 😛 *cheers*
Happy Birthday fellow Gemini! May it be a healthy prosperous year for you! When I was your age, my twin and I celebrated all month long. Enjoy your month!
Thank you, June - I'm STILL celebrating, and figure I'll carry on through the summer, if not the year. 😉 Happy Birthday to you as well! *cheers*
If you're this inspirational at 40, Lynn, I can't wait to see what happens when you hit my age (if I'm still alive 😉 ).
I'm not sure what your age is Marya, but I hope to be! It'll mean things are going great, or I'm at least making it through whatever's going on, lol. 😉
Happy birthday! I need to take a leaf out of your book and aim for a week of celebrating my next birthday.
I highly recommend it! 😉
I just found your site and want to dive in and read everything! Happy Birthday and I love your attitude. Looking forward to learning from you!
Thank you Sheila, and welcome to ClickNewz! 😀
Happy (belated) Birthday Lynn! I just had my 38th birthday a few days ago. I didn't take it nearly as well as you on your 40th. I still have a lot to accomplish before I can see an age as milestone of opportunity instead of a reminder that the sun is setting and I still have such a long bucket list. But thank you for the positive perspective - hopefully by 40 I can 'catch up' and have that great outlook as well.
Hi Bob
I still have a long bucket list too! I see that as a positive rather than a negative, and I'm highly motivated to achieve it all the more time that goes by. 😉 Here's to an awesome decade ahead, for both of us, full of accomplishments and fun life experiences! *cheers*
Happy 40th Lynn! That is some milestone..
Thanks so much for sharing this with us. You have been a great inspiration since I started my business last year. And I continue to be amazed by all the value you offer, and how much of yourself you put into this site.
I have learned so much from you. Wish you the best in the years to come..
Cheers!
Thank you Pragati! 😀