As children, we both tried to color between the lines. That’s what was expected and we always wanted to do what was right. When we were in college, working for ourselves was the last thing on our minds. It never even occurred to us that having our own business was something we should consider. But somewhere along the way, we wondered who actually wrote all of these rules? Who passed the law about coloring within the lines? And who decided that we should follow a traditional career path?

We stopped playing by the rules – or at least what we thought were the rules – when we finally realized that our life belongs to us and us alone. When other people advised us to follow a traditional career path rather than start our own business, we listened but moved on, trusting our instincts and taking a series of calculated risks. Advice is generally well intentioned but not always useful. One piece of advice we were given was that we were too young to get married. Thirty-five years later, we’re still happy with our life together and more than a few of our early advisors have been separated or divorced more than once. So much for living life the way other people think it should be lived.

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.