Laura tagged me (and a few others) and she would like to know the little secrets that have helped me to succeed. It’s not an easy question, because if you read the entry that originated the meme you’ll see that I need to list things that I do at least 4-5 times a week. Well, Aaron, I don’t like lists. Not when it comes to something so personal. I have nothing against sharing my “secrets”. I have something against “listing” them. Therefore I am simply going to write about the personal traits and habits that lead me on the path to success.

I am going to start with a metaphor: I am a dreamcatcher. The Native Americans believe that the dreamcatcher catches the dreams: captures the nightmares and lets through the good dreams.

I believe that a dreamcatcher is more than this. For me it’s a symbol of truth, morality, light, kindness and honesty. It’s the power that refrains the negative feelings within from reaching out and harming other people. It’s the strength I need in times of despair and the force that guides my life: the power to believe in the good in people.

The sight of a dreamcatcher inspires my writing, my painting and even my online creations.

When a client comes to me to ask for public relations advice I need the power of the dreamcatcher to understand his/her dreams and ideals and I need the power of the dreamcatcher to identify the wishes of the customers. While I do use statistics and market analysis to identify trends and various commercial aspects, I also try to “touch the heart”.

I say I am a dreamcatcher. This doesn’t make me a dreamer. The implications are deeper and stronger. A simple attribute would be “believer”. Believing in what I do and believing in my coworkers is one of the most important aspects that lead me to success. This is not something I do 4-5 times a week: it is a continuous “state of mind”.

This leads us to another important trait: perseverance. Success cannot come if you give up your dreams (again dreams!), ideals, ideas and beliefs. Success cannot come as a result of inconsistent behavior.

I listen to and I “read” my interlocutor because if I don’t give my undivided attention to my dialog partner I might “miss out a dream”.

Last, but not least, I try to give. I give my heart, my trust and I gladly offer my help to those in need.

Aaron, I hope you understand why I cannot make a list. It is hard to place a 1,2, 3… an a,b,c or even bullets in front of these things. I also hope you, and my readers, will find them more useful than a list of I write articles, I blog, I contact clients… In my opinion success has a lot to do with someone’s ideals plus a certain routine, as you’ve already described on your site. This routine is something we learn, but it is not what really defines our success. But what am I saying here? You already know it: “Success is something you attract by the person you become”.

As this theme is special, I am going to tag some special people: Dio, The Truthdancer, Alina, Phil, Steli, Dariana, Jim and Nyamo.