The true dialogue is not a chatter, but a meeting of viewpoints

Introduce yourself in a few sentences..

My name is Lyubomira Danova. In my world, it is quite colorful in terms of profession, education, and activities. Numbers, symbols, ancient languages, and Middle Eastern cultures intertwine. By profession, I am a financier and work in an international consulting company, and by education - an economist; Egyptologist; and Orientalist with Arabic language. I have a blog "Ogledaloto na Mira", where I write about experiences and travels. These things may seem incompatible with each other, but for me, they are in harmony, and each has its place and meaning.

I constantly learn something - not for diplomas and certificates, but out of curiosity and interest.

I am a mother of an 18-year-old son.

 What did you dream of becoming in your childhood?

As a child, I dreamed of being different things - a writer, criminologist, teacher, archaeologist, but my most enduring desire was to be a zoologist in Africa. Africa is a great love of mine to this day. I still keep notebooks with glued and labeled postcards of African animals and plants and clippings from newspapers and magazines with stories about Africa. The books of Bernhard Grzimek and Joy Adamson shaped in me not only a love for wildlife but also admiration for the people who dedicate their lives to it.

At what age did you earn your first money? Tell us some curious incident?

I earned my first money at 15 - on a brigade, as we were taken from school. At the end of the brigade, we were given work books with recorded three-week work experience and remuneration. That same year, I alsoearned money from selling books at a stall by the bus stop in front of "Military Hospital" in Sofia.

What are the main factors and examples that shape us as individuals at an early age and form our interests? What is your recipe for curiosity, sources, and wells of information and inspiration in this stage of our human development?

I believe we are born with certain talents, but it is a huge luck and happiness if they are noticed and supported in time by parents, teachers, mentors. The environment also plays a significant role. For example, I lived as a child in Beirut - I was 11 when we left with my parents, and that was my first trip outside Bulgaria. There I discovered a world that captivated me with its history and culture, a result of millennia of interactions between different civilizations. My exposure to Baalbek, Byblos, Tyre, Sidon, Batroun, Anjar has certainly influenced the development of a lasting attraction to ancient history, which later grew into an academic interest in antiquity and the Orient.

I don't know if there is a recipe for curiosity and inspiration. Maybe just not to stop learning and to be curious. To keep the ability to be amazed, to ask questions, to seek answers, to read, to listen. For me, inspiration often comes "on the go" - among books, mountains, music, or in conversations with interesting people who ignite a spark.

Has there been any significant change in your perceptions in more mature age regarding what motivates you to do or not do something?

It is hard for me to assess because a person does not realize the transition between different stages and ages. In my own eyes, I am still that girl who dreams of being an archaeologist or zoologist and is excited and inspired by the same things as decades ago.

If there is something that has changed, it is probably the source of motivation. If in younger age motivation often comes from outside - from external recognition, approval, grades, then in more mature age the leading factor is mainly the internal sense of meaning.

Whose decision was it where to pursue higher education and what to study? Was this decision correct, viewed from today's perspective?

The decision was mine. My current path is a combination of choices I made at an earlier age and interests I developed in depth later. I wouldn't change anything - I believe that every divergence has meaning and importance, even if we realize it with a delay.

Share more about your interests, knowledge, skills, and hobbies?

As an Egyptologist and Arabist, I participate in seminars, translate and edit texts, write and travel. These are areas I have a long-standing interest in, and I approach them with respect and a lot of inspiration and love.

I take every opportunity to travel, regardless of whether it is to some village to explore old houses and monasteries, or to a more distant place or mountain. This equally excites and inspires me. 

I love the mountains. I have climbed peaks in Europe, Africa, Asia, among them the five-thousanders Elbrus in the Caucasus, Damavand in Iran, Uhuru in the Kilimanjaro mountain range in Tanzania; peaks in Morocco, Ethiopia, Egypt, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, in the Alps.

For many years, I have danced in a folk dance ensemble, with which we regularly participate in events in Bulgaria and abroad.

I enjoy writing and sharing experiences in the blog I maintain. This allows me to relive them and keep memories to which I can return.

I am a member of MENSA and last but not least - I am a regular blood donor and encourage anyone aged between 18 and 65 who is physically healthy and meets the necessary conditions to do so when they have the opportunity.

Would you change your profession today and which fields of activity capture your interest?

If the question is whether I would change my profession, if I could go back - I wouldn't. I prefer to think about the future rather than wonder what would have happened if I had (or hadn't) done something in the past. Every step has led to the next. If I hadn't started working in a bank more than 30 years ago, probably none of what is happening to me now would be the same.

They say that personal branding is everything that people say about you when you are not in the same room with them. What would you like to hear today?

Overall, I am not sure I would like them to talk behind my back. 😊 Joking aside, it would be nice if they thought that I am a good and interesting person.

Emotional intelligence, adaptability, and flexibility, as well as our soft skills are key conditions for success in the last few years. How do you cope with the daily challenges of life to stay in good shape and mood?

I cope in different ways - sometimes with ease, sometimes with effort. I try to meet challenges with flexibility, patience, and a sense of measure. I believe that not success at any cost, but resilience is what matters.

In the mountains, you cannot control what the weather will be, but you can control your pace. Sometimes you walk quickly, sometimes you take breaks to catch your breath. It is not important how fast you walk, but to move at a pace that brings you strength, not exhaustion. The same goes for life outside the mountains. Recently, I strive not to live with the feeling that the world will collapse if I slow down. To maintain the balance between commitments and rest. To listen to the silence when everything else is too noisy. The world will not collapse if we stop for a moment. And sometimes it is precisely then that everything falls into place best.

What are the most important conclusions you have drawn so far about maintaining proper communication considering the different characters of the people you meet daily  – colleagues, friends, relatives?

I think the most important thing in communication is to approach people with respect, without prejudice and without the intention of imposing one's opinion at all costs. Everyone has a character, a perception of the world, and a way of expression. Therefore, it is important to listen to each other with understanding and to speak honestly to one another. True dialogue is not a chatter, but a meeting of viewpoints. Honesty and authenticity are important, but they should not exclude tact and empathy.

What do you think about money? What is their influence on your life? What is your advice to people who often ask themselves questions, related to money and how sufficient they are?

Money provides independence, opportunities, comforts. They give a person the freedom to choose, to develop, to learn, to travel, to help others. They can make life easier, but not always more meaningful. They can buy a bed, but not sleep. They do not solve internal crises, do not heal loneliness, anxiety, or lack of direction, and are certainly not a measure of human worth. If a person allows them to become the center of their universe, they lose the sense of value outside the numbers. Once achieved, financial success is not guaranteed forever. Money is hard to earn, but can disappear in an instant. There is an Arabic proverb - "Wealth comes like a tortoise and runs away like a gazelle".

What is the most valuable career advice you would give to people?

I do not consider myself a person who gives career advice. But I would wish for everyone to find that place where they feel good, develop, get inspired, and can unleash their full potential.