We now have almost 50 sales reps selling our inspirational cards, journals and notepads to stores around the country. That may sound like a lot but we have a long way to go. From what we can see, small business people are still struggling as much as they were last year. It seems like whatever improvements in the economy we hear about on the news haven’t really hit Main Street yet. Thankfully, our products are reasonably priced and carry positive messages of hope and encouragement so we’re off to a good start. (People need encouragement more than ever these days.) We get requests from many of you for stores in your home town that carry our products but as we said, we still have a long way to go. One step at a time. If you know any stores that would like to carry our line, please let us know. (And if they place an order, we’ll send you an assortment of free products as a thank-you gift.) One step at a time – with the help of our friends.

Blanchards Restaurant is thriving, despite the economy. The number of tourists visiting the island is still way down from past years but we’re doing well. Our staff is as energetic as ever and truly love what they do. Last week we had a private party and it was a blast. We set up a bar on the beach and everyone watched the sunset over Meads Bay while sipping rum punch and nibbling crispy grilled shrimp drizzled with a soy-sesame sauce. It was one of those perfect nigts we’ll all remember forever.

Lots of hard work and plenty of patience pays off in the end. If there’s something you’d like to do, the first step is to believe in yourself. You really can do it! We never thought we’d be able to have two businesses at the same time but here we are, figuring things out as we go along. Take one step at a time and don’t expect everything to go smoothly. Just face each obstacle head on and make the choices that take you where you want to go.

Good luck and keep in touch!

At the same time, we remember clearly that our most successful ventures have been started in times of crisis. When we closed our children’s stores in the early 80s due to high interest rates (we were paying 21% on an SBA loan), we found temporary jobs to keep food on the table and scraped together $4,000 to start our salad dressing business. At the time, we were 3 months behind with our mortgage payments.

In fact, we have lived through many difficult times that have forced us to gain new strength, learn new skills and adjust how we look at life. Although we now find ourselves in one of the toughest economic situations we can imagine, we’re learning more about ourselves and about how we want to live each and every day.

It’s critical for all of us to be strong and hopeful. Never give up on your dreams and goals just because times are tough. We can all use this disastrous economy as an opportunity to regroup and rethink exactly how we want to live and what we want to do. Now is the perfect time to take charge of your life.

Detours provide some of life’s greatest memories 

As a toddler, you faced the challenges of learning how to talk and how to walk. Those weren’t easy skills to master, and you didn’t do them right the first time you tried. But taking those first steps gave you a sense of accomplishment, of mastery. As you’ve matured, you’ve had to face the challenges of love and confront the demands of earning a living. Again, none of this comes easy but mistakes are the way you learn what not to do next time.

Now you’re looking to create a life you can truly love and this too presents its share of challenges. You’ll certainly run into roadblocks along the way, but here’s the thing: If you let a roadblock stop you from moving forward, you’ll end up stuck in place. That’s guaranteed.

When faced with an obstacle that stops you dead in your tracks, look for the unexpected – but just right – detour. There’s more than one way to tackle any problem. The solutions may not always be obvious and you might need to modify your plans, but there’s always a way to move forward. The rewards that come when you succeed are so great that if you have a passion or a dream waiting to come to life, there’s no question that it’s worth a try.

Remember: most obstacles aren’t nearly as insurmountable as they initially appear to be.

 When did we learn to settle for the bland, rather than savor the tangy?

When we opened our first restaurant on Anguilla, we observed a strange phenomenon among the parents of young children. When ready to order, many would inform us that their children have specific food requirements. “A plain bowl of pasta,” they’d say, “with a little butter and cheese on the side. Unless you have chicken fingers and French fries. That would be even better.”

We couldn’t help wonder when this bland, monotonous menu became standard fare for the under-twelve set, and what it’s teaching them about the pleasures of life. We know from experience that children can savor the tangy flavor of lemon and the sweet smell of rosemary as much as we do. Why assume that kids can’t accept these exciting flavors? Why not encourage them to sample something new and even unexpected?

This led us to think about the bland and unchallenging life menu that we adults so often settle for. We’ve learned that living what you love means choosing the unusual over the usual. It means acknowledging your dreams, making decisions, and taking action. It means valuing your life more than merely paying the bills, meeting everyone’s expectations and buying time. If you truly live what you love, you are rebelling against common life.

Think about this: The life you love moves you. It comes with action and commitment. What do you need to do to bring more passion into your life?