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Shared by Maxim Behar

Maxim Behar, 28 years old with 30 years of experience, I live in Sofia, in Prague, in airports, I sleep in planes, I watch all my movies there lately... I love to dream and make dreams come true - mine and the dreams of the people around me. When they are honest and loyal with me, their dreams really come true. I always say that if your dreams don't scare you, then they aren't big enough. And so it has been for many years. I've spent 20 years in journalism and as many in the wonderful creative business called PR. What will the next 20 be like? I can only dream and - I'm sure - this topic will be the subject of another interview in 5 years’ time. Believe me - it will be interesting. So - what am I dreaming about? Like being honest and respectful with each other. Not to grumble from morning till night, but to focus on the useful things in life. Or to see - every time - the glass is half full and not half empty... To say "thank you" at least once a day and to always remember where we started... Everyone has to work hard, because only in this way Bulgaria will progress even faster. I know that we are dissatisfied with the state of Bulgaria in 2014, and this is good - it means that there is more to do... And we need to do it as quickly and as well as possible. That's what I dream about every day.

What have been the best moments or periods in your life so far?

They are thousands. My first job - a carpenter at the Serdika factory, under the age of 14, with permission from the Labour Inspectorate. Then the five years as a sheet metal worker in a machine-building plant, still seeing the boys from Bate Mite Brikov's brigade, then the university, the years in Prague, journalism, my two wonderful children - Misho and Ralica, Poland, the fall of communism, my next "child" - the newspaper "Standard", the first days in the PR business... The birth and every moment at M3 Communications Group, Inc. - priceless! And each of these moments holds joys and disappointments, victories and failures, great successes, and the irreplaceable satisfaction of having climbed another peak... And when I climb it, I never look down, but when I look up, I see the next one... And I start again.

And what's the hardest thing you've done or experienced?

I haven't done any difficult things. I've just done my job. I've had dozens of sleepless nights, disappointments, heartaches, and bitterness, but I've always looked at them as normal on the road ahead. Otherwise, it would have been a huge bore... Maybe skydiving from 4200 meters high just a year ago... No, hardly. More like making tough business decisions that have been painful for both me and my colleagues but have ultimately led to success. In short, I don't want to remember the difficulties. They often say: people should learn from their mistakes. I like to learn from successes, mine and especially those of others. And that's why I don't remember the difficulties.

What do you believe in?

In people's desire to succeed and get better, despite the millions of temptations in front of them that would prevent them from getting better. There is nothing greater than a positive person, a smile, a kind word in the right place. I believe in the power of transparency. When a business, a person, a relationship, a transaction, a relationship is transparent, then it is ethical. There is simply no other option.

Do you believe in people?

Very much, absolutely, and forever. I often say that there are a lot of people who, if they dislike me or say unkind things about me, I will be very worried. I accept that those who don't want to like me should do so, and I insist on being accurate, honest, and respectful with my friends. Nothing more. If that happens, then everything falls into place.

And in yourself?

I believe in yourself. Always. Especially in the most difficult moments.

Do you believe in Life After Death?

I believe that there is something left after everyone, and if it is significant to others, then the person lives among them after death. How do we know what is significant? Very simple - the more people you have changed for the better, the more people you have taught profession, integrity, precision and high standards, the thing that many people have remembered from you... that is in fact life after death.

What do you dream of? What do you hope for?

Good relationships between people and their desire to achieve new and interesting things in an honest way. Every day.

Is there anything important that you don't have time for?

If I list the things I don't have time for, I'd have to write for hours answering that question. But for one very important thing I don’t have enough time - to work more on myself and improve and educate myself even better. Sometimes I also don't have enough time to say "thank you" to someone at least once every day, and by the end of that day I always feel heavy.

Is the past, present, or future most important to you now?

Only the future and nothing more.

Is there anything unforgivable for you?

Yes, duplicity, betrayal, and ingratitude. Someone not saying to you what they think but saying it to someone else behind your back. To do good to someone and they don't understand... That's unforgivable.

Do you like our time? What another era would you live in?

I really like our time - dynamic, changing, the time of social media and technology. I am in love with them. I'm also in love with the times we live in. I wouldn't live in anything else for the world.

What is the most important journey for you?

Every single journey is important. Whether it's to the smallest city, the biggest capital, or meeting one person or 10 thousand at once.

Do you love Life?

A lot. I enjoy every minute and everything I do. Not of my mistakes, of course, and I'm always making mistakes.

What is it for you now? Describe it to me in three words.

Positivity, work, ideas.

What are the most beautiful sights in the world for you?

Two unique ones - the view of Mount Musala from the last station of the Borovets cable car and the Bo Valon Bay in the northern part of the island of Mahe in the Seychelles.

Where do you feel the best? What gives you the feeling of being "home"?

I feel good everywhere, without exception.

What gives you the strength to keep going in difficult times?

The desire to do things that will stay after me. A lot of them I come up with on my own, invent on my own, and I'm pretty sure they're being done for the first time.

What makes you tired? And what energizes you?

I get tired of the ingratitude of the people around me when I sense it. I'm energized by positivity and inventing new things.

What person or people have been the biggest support or influence in your life?

My dad, Terrence Billing - VP of Hill+Knowlton Strategies and my mentor in the PR business, and the great Bulgarian Dimi Panitza. All three of them are not among the living, but every day they watch me from somewhere and that is very motivating and inspiring.

Is there something you want to change about yourself that you haven't managed yet?

Yes, every day something. I want to get better with the people around me. I work hard at it, really every day.

What kind of world do you want to live in?

The one I live in now.

Are you looking for meaning in Life?

Oh, yes. To leave something behind.

And what makes you feel alive?

Creativity, new ideas and competition.

Are you afraid of Death?

I don't know.

And loneliness?

Yes, a lot.

What gives you a sense of eternity?

First coffee in the morning and the last glass of wine before I fall asleep.

Which emotions play the biggest role in your life, and do you experience most often?

The love of life, of people, of my work and the tension before any business project begins.

What is happiness for you? Describe to me a perfect day...

A day of a successful project and meeting interesting new people.

What advice would you give, in your life experience, to a child or to other people in general?

To follow their own path and not walk on beaten paths. To make their own paths and let others follow.

What can make you cry?

Only the death of a loved one.

And what can make you smile?

Any positive word or a nice Jewish joke.

If you think of your life as a jigsaw puzzle, how neat is it?  Are there more pieces missing to make it whole and complete?

It's messy. That's the way I like it, or rather that's the way I liked it until now. But in the coming years I'll get around to tidying it up.

What do you consider your greatest personal achievement in life so far?

That I'm doing the job I have. I've always done it just right - precisely, responsibly, and creatively. Nothing more.

What do you want to leave behind?

Only interesting stories, instructive for the people who will remember them.

What do you value most in your life? What do you feel most grateful for?

For the fact that - at least so far - luck has always gone with me.

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