Guest post by Janet E. Leach.

Occasionally throughout the last decade I’ve wondered how I’d find myself on the cusp of turning forty.

Turning twenty was ok. Turning thirty felt good. I was wary of forty though. I’d heard bad things about it; concerning things.

Milestone birthdays can be a bit like truth serum for some, they are for me.

The everyday static of voices and busyness is silenced and they can bring black and white clarity. They can force you to pull your head up from the grindstone and look around at the big picture; how you feel, whom you’re with, and what you’re doing.

I know I used my thirtieth birthday for this purpose, analysis. Am I happy? Am I being true to myself? Is he the right one for me? The answer was no. I’ve never regretted acknowledging neither the truth nor my decision for a split second.

Forty can be a tricky one because you’re a bit further down the line. You’re middle aged all of a sudden and that hits some like a frying pan in the face for a multitude of reasons.

I’ve known people to turn forty and become depressed, realise they dislike their lives, dislike their jobs, dislike how they look, buy a red convertible, and even run off with the young secretary. Sounds like a cliché, and it is, but I’ve seen it happen.

I’ve also known people who liked what they saw when they got to forty and weren’t disappointed. They didn’t miss a beat. I wanted to be in the latter group and I have to admit… I did some preparation. I snuck in early and drank the truth serum.

I’m a ‘laid-back doer’ personality type and I knew that if I hadn’t followed my dream to open my own business by the time I was forty then I would be setting myself up for a pretty rough ride.

Everything else in my life was where I wanted it to be; happily married, children, and lots of friends. It was my ‘work’ that needed working on.

So, in between having a couple more babies, painting pictures and renovating houses I started a business plan. I’d research at night when the children were asleep and hone my ideas.

Following your dreams takes guts; it can be hard work and you can leave yourself open to criticism and failure. But what you risk if you don’t is far worse in that you’ll never know if you could.

I certainly don’t profess to have it all sewn up by ANY means but what I feel is that I’ve hit my stride at forty. I’m happy in my skin. I love what I’ve created, I love what I do, and I’ve learnt so much about myself in the process.

And you can do it too. Block out the doubting and negative voices, surround yourself with supportive people, and stop with the excuses. If you want it to happen make it happen. You CAN do it, yes you CAN, and we’ll be here to help.

P.S. ArteryStore.com has just been included in Nett Magazine’s FAB40; the forty most “inspiring, intriguing, and unique businesses to grace its pages”, all in the week I turn forty. Coincidence, much?

Janet E. Leach is an entrepreneur and owner/director of ArteryStore.com.

She has fingers in a couple of other pies and is a well travelled mother of three, with a full bodied life story and a rock ‘n’ roll approach to business.

Image credit.