Thursday, December 31, 2009

NY resolutions

No, I’m not different that anyone else when it comes to NY resolutions.
To you, wish you to have fun.
Wish you to only do things that you want to do.
I hope that you understand and accept the meaning of this – what you want to do!
And you have to start from now, that is to meet the new 2010 in the way you want it to continue. If you don’t get my point – I meant that in this one day in the beginning of the year you can allow yourself to do ONLY the things that you want to do for the rest of it.

I’ll give you my NY resolutions, which is my guidance to “how to start a whole new year ahead”:
1. I’ll meet the NY sober – not without a glass of champagne but without 5 of them… I know that I can have as much fun when I drink tea as when I drink wine – and tea does not stain my teeth as red wine, and I can tell more stories after the party than anyone else ;)
2. I won’t loose time with people that I would not like to spend time with in the year ahead – you don’t have to be rude to avoid them, just keep away or say: ”I have to go and see somebody else urgently…” This way I can spend my time with people that make me feel comfortable, adorable, funny and loved – George Clooney, Mel Gibson, my true friends, people that I like, etc  I don’t want to dedicate a separate bullet to it as it might be obvious to those higher in evolution than me and many of my friends, but it seems important to mention – also, do not have the sex that you don’t like! It’s sex, it’s personal, so it is supposed to match some standards!!! If you don’t like it, don’t take it!
3. I’ll not smoke inside the house ( I wish I would not smoke at all, but that makes me eat too much, so for now – I’ll transfer the smoking grounds to the balcony) This is my quite late attempt to have my children smoke-free and (just maybe) not addicted to nicotine and cigarette smoke before and after dinner, or at day-break…
4. Set my targets for next year. Might seem cruel, but there are these one or two hours before the NY party when all of us have some time to ourselves – what is it exactly that you want 2010 to be a cornerstone in your CV for – new career, new relationship, new purchase, new address, new project… Sorry, I won’t write about my targets, but those close friends know it :) (I’ll tell you later, in April, when it’s done…) I believe that it is important to know where you are heading. If not now – when?
5. Make sure that you are comfortable with yourself. At the end of 2009 I can say that I do not regret anything that I have done in the past 12 months. I am comfortable with myself. Actually, I like myself. (If I could make sure that I would not make love with myself, I would have said that I loved myself :) - my brother’s words, worth citing here)

Anyway we know that none’s perfect. Enjoy the new beginning. Have fun. Feel really comfortable. I’m not a guru, this is just my NY wish for you and for myself.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

I can

I can fly
I can hear the music of the wind
I can fold the clouds and twine them in a wreath
I can count the rain and make it drop upwards

I can teach you how to fly… because anyone should know how to, and it’s easy, you just have to want it
I can make you sing with the wind in my hair
You can tame the clouds, if you tame me
It can stop raining, if you ask me….

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

How Many Friends Do You Have?

How many people do you call “friends”? How many people pick up the phone and call you every day to check if you’re OK when you’re in trouble? Do you know all of them?
Sometimes, when you’re in trouble you can discover how many MORE people would want to stand by you.

“Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down, “said A.A. Milne. It’s nice to know that people would break down a wall to get to you, indeed. But in many cases a wall isn’t needed. Just leave a door in your wall and people will come in, if they wish or if you invite them.
Thank you all for the support!

Being Bigger than Others - Bigger is Better

I was stuck in traffic today; everyone was going its own direction and wouldn’t let the others past first. Stuck, stuck, and stuck. And there came a tram in this jam and did not stop, just made its way through, “brushing” the cars on its way… and continued its trip…
I was “brushed” as well.
Admirations to the BIG guys who don’t need to stop in a jam. Everyone hates them, but do they care? They made their way…

Saturday, August 1, 2009

f...ed it up... again. Why again?

f...ed it up... again. Why again?
Are there other people that never learn from past mistakes and other people's life lessons (never paid attention to them...)?
My colleague collects other people's life lessons, stores them, re-reads them, remembers and cites them.
Obviously, I enjoy banging my head to the wall. Personally. Every time possible. Usually I don't mind - it makes my life exciting. But sometimes... sometimes I wish I did not have to live through this AGAIN and AGAIN. Is it the zodiak? Sagittarius is supposed to be a restless idiot, but doesn't it ever grow old and smart?

Friday, July 17, 2009

Truth or dare?

Have you played this game? And how many times you chose to dare instead of saying the truth?
There is an announcement of the start of a new show on Nova TV - The Moment of Truth, where if you answer 21 private questions truthfully (and pass a lie detector), you can win 100 000 Euro.
Not a bad sum, but what do you have to hide?
Have you asked yourself what are the questions that you don't want anyone to hear the truth?
I did. There is one question that I don't want anyone beside me to know the answer.
How many questions like this do you have?

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Thanking for the good job

Today I went to that restaurant with the Boletus Risotto and after having another great meal asked to see the chef.

He turned to be a young man who seemed to feel quite confused and maybe even embarrassed by my act. I shook his hand and thanked him for the good job, for preparing the best tarator in Sofia every day with the same great quality, for the great Risotto and for the marvelous food at all.

I felt great for doing it and he was happy, too. I believe that this will also build on his motivation to keep doing such a good job.

It is not difficult at all to stop and thank somebody for doing a great work. It is easy also to do a miserable work – to serve bad food, to service you poorly, to be incompetent. But when you enjoy somebody’s work, remember to thank for it.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Grow up or grow old?

When growing up one:
- learns new things;
- enriches;
- learns from past mistakes and corrects his/her annoying habits;
- develops to a higher level of communication.

When growing old one:
- looses flexibility;
- cannot deliver up to contemporary standards;
- gets known for accumulation of past mistakes;
- becomes tired of new developments and escapes from new communication tone and channels.

Eventually, we all grow old, as our companies do, as products do as well. But my husband’s grandma, soon to be 90, is a preferred companion and source of advise to our generation and even children. It is all up to her constant will of development and curiosity to life. She was also taught in German-style discipline:
- get up early,
- wash,
- make your bed,
- exercise,
- have a small healthy breakfast …

Friday, June 19, 2009

Owe and deserve

Does your boss owe you a higher pay? Does your client owe you commitment or respect? No, they don’t.
Do you owe your boss respect? No, you don’t.
All you owe is a chance. They have to earn the respect and you have a chance to earn a higher pay and commitment.

Thank you for the Boletus Risotto

Yesterday I went for lunch with my colleagues and besides the other things that we ordered we asked for Boletus Risotto to share all the three of us.
Actually I had fish and it was good. But the Risotto... was great! Even now, drinking my coffee, I can feel the smooth taste on my palate and smell the subtle aroma of the Boletus. It was creamy, it was delicate, it was savoury. It couldn't have been "just right", it was perfectly a fantastic risotto!
The place where we had it is just the closest place to eat to the office, with a pleasant garden, but nothing special. BUT they also serve the best tarator that I have eaten in Bulgaria and I would highly recommend their honey chicken and Diplomat salad.
Today I will go again and ask to meet the cook and thank. He or she must be one of those cooks who care about what they do. Without knowing me, he or she gave me a the great pleasure of the food prepared magnificently.
When was the last time that you had something so good that you want to move out of your way to thank for it? And tell others about it?

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Smiling to a twisted mirror



I did not grow up in Bulgaria. I came here when I was 21. There, where I grew up people used to smile to strangers when they meet them on the stairs, when faced in the store or an elevator.

Then I arrived at Sofia airport on a winter day with a soft polypropylene lizard on a wire in my hand (my pet, named Szczurek Jaszczurek), a $200 hat and 2 suitcases. It was in the early 90s and Bulgarians were going through a hard time.


Can you imagine me walking my pet propylene lizard in bright colours, my fancy coat and hat on a muddy winter street of a browny city that doesn't smile?


People thought that I was laughing at them. Some thought that I was crazy.


Today, 15 years later, I still smile at strangers but it is not much easier for them to accept my smile. Recently, at a NETWORKING reception of an HR company that I just heard of that night, I was approached by a woman asking me some specifics with the introduction: "you must be one of the organizers, since you smile all the time"... I guess that some people find my smile foolish, other - irrelevant.


The old guard of the office (he must be 70+) even thinks that I fancy him because I smile to him, so he is encouraged to approach me and ask for a kiss.


But I also believe that this is the right way to approach people, it will brighten someone's day, it will facilitate contact and it makes me feel myself.


Otherwise, after 15 years of smiling to a twisted mirror, I must adapt to local culture and stop smiling...


Are you smiling from the morning, to strangers and vague acquaintances? Is your brand smiling or adapting to local culture?

Inspiration, just like falling in love

It is SO great to be inspired! To have found someone or something that makes you climb mountains, swim oceans, stay up the whole night or work with passion. When wrapped in that passion you don't notice the small bugs, inspiration's driving force keeps your wings open and small obstacles are just a simple step to go further and higher.
There are special people, special places, special brands and products that inspire.
I've met some inspirational people in my life - Andreas, Michael - to name a few... They made me want to go through hardships with devotion and my free will follow them. It is just like falling in love but you fall in love with an idea or cause.
There are brands that inspire, that make you cross borders and drive half a day (to shop in IKEA), to buy a laptop and quit day job (to sit in Starbucks and blog).
There are places that cost you a lot but you keep going there, music that makes your day and you listen to it over and over and over and don't care if someone is laughing at your attempts to sing it.
To have such inspirations you need the ordinary, so that THEY can stand out. But wouldn't it be great if there were more of them, so that you can live a life inspired! Waking up every morning with the wings! Wouldn't it be great to always have this feeling of being in love?

Thursday, June 11, 2009

marketing and emotions

The rules of marketing change. They are the rules that we apply to people - do we want them as lovers, friends, acquaintances, or we leave them as noones.
In other words - would I let you in or won't bother.
Do I make you feel special or just take your money?