This week, I sent an email to my subscriber list, talking about gratitude and reasons I feel so very grateful for Life Balance After 50.   Number one, by far, are the amazing women who are in this supportive, positive community.

When I started out, I did a blog post interview series on women who redefined after 50 in big ways.   The first person that I had the pleasure of interviewing has since become someone who I consider to be a close friend, Pamela Lamp.   At the time of her interview, Pam had a blog called "Who I Met Today," where she interviews people who have interesting stories to share.   She has gone on to start a podcast, as well.  

I ended the interview by asking Pam what was next.   She said that she always wanted to write a book, but that fear was holding her back.  Those pesky little voices in our head that keep us from taking the action steps to do something different.

But.......SHE DID IT!    SHE PUSHED THOSE VOICES ASIDE AND WROTE THE BOOK!

It's called "Do The Next New Thing:  Embrace Uncertainty and Discover Purpose, Happiness, and Friendship."    And I am not exaggerating when I tell you that everyone should read this book.  

But, I believe it will especially resonate with the women in the Life Balance After 50 community.

The Premise

In the book, Pam describes feelings and emotions around being faced with an empty nest along with a move across country - away from everything and everyone that she knew.   

She found herself treading water and wasn't sure what she wanted to do in this new phase of her life.  

She was, for all intents and purposes, starting over.   Learning a new area, trying to meet people, and figuring out what she wanted to do at this stage now that her boys were grown and gone.

While we all may not be managing a move after 50, so many of us are facing similar life changes:

• empty nests;
• retirement;
• relationship changes brought about by death or divorce.

And I would venture to say that most of us in this community are trying to figure out our next steps.   How we would like to spend our days moving forward.

Often, taking the actual action steps to do something different that might bring us joy requires us to step outside our comfort zone.  What if we don't do it right?   What if it's not perfect?   Any deviation from our status quo can cause anxiety.

What Pam discovered on her journey was that doing something new or different each day and "embracing uncertainty" expanded her world in more ways than she could have imagined.   

In her book, she shares her journey with us and gives us some ideas and easy ways that we can expand our own worlds, as well.

The Format

The chapters in the book are short, quick reads broken into different subject/interest areas.    Pam tells stories or talks about steps she took that led her to try new things in that area.   At the end of each chapter, there is a "your turn" section where you can brainstorm and jot down ideas that you have for yourself prompted by that chapter.

I am a huge believer in the power of journaling.   The act of writing things down with pen and paper make it harder for us to forget.  It becomes more cemented in our brain.

I LOVE this component of the book.

I also love that each chapter begins with a quote from a novel.

General Thoughts

Pam has written this book from the heart.   It reads like she speaks.   Her wit shines throughout.   

She has also opened herself up and become vulnerable.   She talks poignantly about her feelings around the move, striking up friendships that did or didn't happen, and her relationship with her husband.  I think, perhaps, this is what endeared me most to the book.   She perfectly described feelings that I (and all of us, I think) have felt.   

As I read, I laughed out loud at times, smiled often, and teared up a few times as well.    Because feelings were sparked within me.

Pam and this book were completely relatable.

In short, this book is an excellent read for any demographic, but really spoke to me as a 50+ year old woman.  It's never too soon to do the next new thing and reading about Pam's adventures on this journey made it real and transferable into my own life.

I highly highly recommend it.   Especially for the women in our Life Balance After 50 community.

Click here to check it out!