There’s no doubt that we’re all born with different personality types. Some people are naturally outgoing, while others are more self-contained. But regardless of these qualities, you need passion, commitment and personal integrity in order to live what you love. These are qualities that Mia has in abundance and she can draw upon them to find her own place in the art world. Compromises and adjustments may be necessary but a rich and rewarding life is open to both introverts and extroverts. So start with the 5-point D.R.E.A.M. plan and see where you end up!

You know those moments of serendipity that you never want to forget? Well, that’s what we experienced in this tiny “restaurant.” We had fried egg sandwiches for $1.65 that will go down as the best we’ve ever tasted. Raving about egg sandwiches may seem a bit crazy, but it’s really more than that. Being restaurateurs, we treasure all types of dining experiences as long as there’s some kind of passion and commitment evident in the food, the service, the ambiance. The Hidden Kitchen scores on all fronts. Nick and Maria Koufos, the Greek couple who run the place, make everything from scratch and welcome customers to their closet of a restaurant with open arms. It felt like we had found another home. And once again we bumped into the truth that’s hidden in plain sight: when you keep your eyes open, life offers unexpected pleasures in funny places.

9. You know you aren’t performing to the best of your ability.

8. Your values don’t match those of your company.

7. You wake up Monday morning and dread going to work.

6. You’re fed up with office politics.

5. You don’t enjoy your co-workers.

4. You’re always complaining about your job to family and friends.

3. You don’t feel enthusiastic about even the fun parts of your work.

2. You have a gut feeling that your company is heading for trouble.

1. You really don’t like your boss.

We’d love to hear about your job-related issues, so please feel free to send us your concerns, stories and questions by adding a comment to our blog.

Maybe to compensate for our late start, we decided this year that our three little raised beds just weren’t enough. So Bob got on his tractor and cleared almost half an acre of land last weekend. I followed behind and picked up what felt like a million stones from the cleared area. Now we have all this cleared land and we’re trying to figure out what to do with it. There’s a big outcropping of ledge that would make a perfect rock garden and a flat shady area under a trio of maple trees that’s just begging for a picnic table. We’ll move the vegetables and herbs next year and add some flowers too. And then we envision paths winding through the various plantings.

Neither of us knows much about gardening but we love learning as we go. The trick, always, is to find plants that the deer won’t eat. And frankly, our garden can’t require a lot of maintenance, since we still have two restaurants to run, books to write and an on-line store to manage. Any suggestions for easy-care, deer-deterring, Vermont-friendly plants?

Here’s an example. We’ve always loved being retailers but we’ve never had an online store before where photography plays such an important role in conveying the charm and usefulness of the products we sell. When we were first planning our Live What You Love store (http://shop.livewhatyoulove.com/), we wanted the site to have both the right product mix and a lively, colorful feel to it with lots of great images. Originally, we thought we could scan photos sent to us by the artisans or companies we buy from.

Well, it turned out that most of those photos were just awful but we quickly discovered that professional photographers were way out of our price range.  Bob had given me a good quality digital camera a few years ago but frankly, neither of us took the time to figure out how to use it. Faced with the challenge of our new online store, Bob took the camera out of the closet and started snapping pictures like crazy. At this point, he’s studied the manual and gone to dozens of websites to learn about apertures, exposure and depth of field. And guess what? He’s having a blast!

In a matter of two months, he’s gone from having absolutely no interest in photography to having a new passion so strong that he bounds out of bed every morning to check the natural light situation for the day. Too bright and sunny? Too overcast? Just right?  He loads his pictures into the computer at the end of each shot and asks me to take a look. Do you like this one… or that one, he asks. How about this angle? Maybe a tighter shot? Maybe a little darker? A little lighter?

To save time, some of the photos on our site still come from manufacturers or artisans, but Bob is adding more of his own work every day. Our lack of money ended up making this business more fun for both of us than we could ever have predicted. And as a result, our lives are so much richer.

We just heard from a reader who’s wanted to be a writer ever since she was a little girl. Or at least, that’s what she thought. She wrote, “I’m no longer sure if writing is my dream. It seems more like drudgery but the thought of dropping my dream causes me incredible pain. So I’m stuck.” Then she asked asked, “When is it time to quit?”

Well, we can’t tell you how much time has to elapse before it’s time for a change. But we can say this: Life is precious. Don’t waste it doing something that no longer excites you!

How much passion do you have in your day-to-day life? Can you say “Yes” to these statements?

1. I wake up happy in the morning.
2. I’m hardly ever bored.
3. I’m often excited about a new project at work.
4. My overall outlook on life is positive.
5. I rarely wish I was doing something else.

Share your thoughts about changing your course here on our blog, and then check out our 5-step D.R.E.A.M. guide to getting the life you want.

Never in a million years did we dream that we’d once again be launching a new retail store—and online, to boot! After all, our focus over the past few years has been on our restaurants, our books, and on communicating our Live What You Love message. But here we are, starting a brand-new business and we’re thrilled (a bit nervous, as well) to be doing so. Welcome to our Live What You Love shop!

It turns out, in fact, that our new online store has everything to do with living what we love–which has always been a great way to embark on new adventures. It all started when we were redesigning this website. As we were working with our wonderful team of designers and developers, the sheer magic of the e-world became more and more apparent. We’ve always loved the retail experience and we’ve had five brick-and-mortar stores, in addition to one mail order company. We’ve sold cookware and toys and ski racing equipment and we’ve relished every aspect of selecting and buying, displaying and describing and above all, interacting with our customers. But the limitations of an actual store—its sheer brick-and-mortarness—would always end up frustrating us. If we had a crazy, creative notion to add a whole new sideline or department, we run up against brick walls—literally! Here online, however, the limits to what we can do are only set by our imaginations and your interest.

So one thing led to another as we thought of all the products we truly enjoy. We’re lucky to live in places that seem to nurture great craftspeople and artists. Vermont is full of people who are working with natural materials—whether that’s ceramics or wood or goat’s milk—and Anguilla, of course, inspires the artist in us all. We came up with different ways to organize our favorites–we have categories like Beach, Vermont, Travel and Home–but really it all comes down to this: does each item truly add quality and pleasure to our lives? If it does, then we want to share it with you.

Please browse around our store and come back often—we’re adding new stuff every day We’ve tried to explain our own connection to many of these products, whether it’s something made by an old friend or something we’ve enjoyed using in our home for years. And then we’d love to get comments from you, here on our blog. Because, after all, the best thing about a shop is the people it brings in.

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.

Sharing music and s’mores with some of our closest friends

In our commitment to living a life we love, we’ve found that it’s important – no, it’s essential – that we continually question what is and what isn’t working. And that’s our challenge to you. Right now, ask yourself:

1. Am I still passionate about what I’m doing?
2. Do I enjoy the people I spend time with?
3. Do I love where I live?

If the answer to each of these questions isn’t an enthusiastic “yes,” then you need to make an adjustment.

Time and again, we’ve been offered opportunities that seem to offer overwhelming advantages but often enough, we’ve turned those opportunities down. Why? Because they didn’t feel right. We’ve learned to trust our instincts and we take our feelings seriously enough to use them as our guides.

Of course we all need to take practical considerations into account but sometimes, the more logical choices just don’t feel right. And we’ve found that those feelings are what make the difference between a life that’s good enough and a life that’s vital, passionate, meaningful.

Whether you call it instinct or intuition, whether it comes from your heart or your gut, you need to trust your feelings and use them to determine your choices. That’s how you create a life you can love.