Tag: Daniel Molgan

Personal Development

Beyond Gross Domestic Product

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When I was a child I was filled with wonder regarding how people could come from so many different backgrounds yet be able to find joy and happiness nevertheless. Some of us were born in poor families, some lamented missing one of our parents, some wondered how would life be like if the color of our skin was different, and some ended up growing up in quite affluent families yet felt that they could never outperform their parents in a life time. In other words, it dawned on me that we could come from any possible origin and still fail to enjoy life or fill fulfilled. Later as I became an adolescent and realized that economic difficulties are often described by many as the cause for most of one’s angst and money was the instant gratifier. In neighborhoods, cities, or countries with stronger economies people were happier and more fulfilled or so I was told.

The claims regarding the impact of economic prosperity on happiness are not always founded on truth as known by the science

While financial stability is without a shadow of doubt necessary my time spent with my friends at school who came from different backgrounds proved that there was no direct link between being born in a wealthy family and being happy or fulfilled and realized that while more money made life easier it by no means made it more fulfilling. But if more money won’t necessarily mean more happiness then why was lack of it blamed for most of our emotional problems? I struggled with this question for years long after graduating from high school and entering college when one day I stumbled upon a quote by Robert F. Kennedy that said“ The gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.”

Robert F. Kennedy famously criticized considering Gross Domestic Product as the sole scale by which the well-being of a nation is measured

That was when it hit me! Blaming “not enough money” and its relentless pursuit at the expense of everything else was what had turned the lives of two groups of people into a living nightmare: the very needy and the very greedy for both of whom there was never enough money to go around! Right then and there I realized that while money cannot make one happy, poverty can make one unhappy and materialistic greed could make one unhappier still! That was when I realized that there is no nobility in poverty and that there was nothing wrong with bettering one’s financial situation, however, pursuit of one’s material well-being should never occupy one’s mind to the point where there is no space left for what makes life truly worth living. That is why I have always believed nations should aspire to go beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to measure the happiness of their citizens and instead set new benchmarks for what truly increase the quality of the lives of their citizens.

Gross National Happiness index is precisely the answer to this issue which has already been implemented by many nations around the world. GNH measures the following among other things:

  • Psychological wellbeing
  • Health
  • Education
  • Time use
  • Cultural diversity and resilience
  • Good governance
  • Community vitality
  • Ecological diversity and resilience
  • Living standards
GNH needs to be taken into consideration to determine key national policies

The world today is in one of its worse economic shapes since the Second World War but as we take measures to tackle our economic issues to boost the GDP we should not forget the words of Robert F. Kennedy and promote the idea that fulfillment is as much about our way of thinking as it is about our way of spending, remind ourselves that management of our investment portfolio should be accompanied by taking stocks of our values, emotional well-being, and true calling in life, and emphasize on the importance of our most intimate relationships and their impact on our life satisfaction. Now more than ever we need to go beyond GDP and include all other things that contribute to a life well lived!

Daniel Molgan
Written by Daniel Molgan


#happiness #leadership #personaldevelopment #economy #wellbeing #nations #recovery#Danmolgan #Danielmolgan

Personal Development

Sustainable Present on the Path to a Promising Future

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The Clock of the Long Now with its prototype at the science museum in London and its full scale $42 million version funded by Jeff Bezos and under construction in Texas is a clock that is meant to keep time for the next 10,000 years and while the full scale project drew quite a bit of controversy it was meant to clearly point out the following: it is only when we expand our horizons and take a glance at the distant future when we finally become capable of truly making good decisions.

The Clock of the Long Now is a symbol of long term thinking to be passed along to future generations

The founder of Amazon himself talked extensively about why he poured so much money in such a seemingly irrelevant project to which he responded by saying that for him this project was a metaphor that he intended to share with the rest of the world and the generations to come. This metaphor is predominantly about promoting future thinking and a long-term perspective among all citizens of the world given that Jeff Bezos himself attributes his success to the ability to go beyond the noise of the present and focus on the aspirations of the future which then allowed him to do things that at his time seemed unnecessary. “Why buy a book online and wait for it to be delivered when you can just walk into a bookstore, smell the coffee, enjoy the scenery, touch the books, and select the one that you want?” Or so said many who could not understand why a website with the bizarre name of Amazon would ever turn such an idea into a online store. Fast forward to decades and now Amazon is the fourth highest valued corporation in the world and it not only sells books more than any other bookstore, it sells just about anything available in the market.

The success of Amazon is more than anything attributed to Jeff Bezos’s patience on letting small things grow into large ones over a long time

Long-term thinking and taking into consideration the abstract concept of the future which is by no means real and then taking action in the present moment based upon that ideal is not something that comes to us naturally. After all, humans have evolved as hunters and gatherers who spent most of their time looking for food and due to our inability to store food we had to keep repeating this process perpetually without much concern for the future. Even at the dawn of the agricultural age our future perspective was limited to the next two seasons and almost nobody planned their lives beyond that. Yet when we take a look at the majority of successes in the modern world we realize that almost all of them were the result of long-term thinking that went far beyond the next two seasons and took into consideration all the possible events that could occur in decades to come.

Merely expanding one’s vision allows one to be able to make better decisions in the long run

That is why today I would like to encourage you the reader to take into consideration all the decisions you have made so far and make an honest assessment of how many of those decisions were made with your ideal future in mind. Alas, in most cases we realize that we ended up making our decisions in the heat of the moment and often to our detriment which is why having such symbols as the Clock of the Long Now can be a wake up call and a reminder that if we are to look back at our lives a decade from now and be proud of all the decisions that we have made by then we need to start shifting our perspective towards the long term and make decisions in a way that will benefit us in the future. It is worth mentioning that having a future perspective does not imply abandoning the present, quite the contrary, by abandoning our pursuit of making the present happy and enjoyable we will also sabotage our future given that neglecting the present for the sake of the future can only be maintained for so long before we realize that we have no motivation left to continue on this path.

On the path to building a promising future taking care of the present should not be neglected

In this regard the keyword here is “sustainability” and if we are to win we need to make sure our present is sustainable and we cannot sustain the present if we are to fully neglect it. Hence, it is best to maintain a balance between the present and the future. Only attempting to enjoy the moment is as unsustainable as an incessant obsession with the future at the cost of the present, however, by dividing our attention equally between making the present as pleasant as possible while planning logically and working ambitiously for a bright future we are sure to have the best of both worlds which ironically is one of the key elements of sustainable success and happiness. Let us enjoy the present moment but also remember that The Clock of the Long Now is ticking!

#success #motivation #inspiration #planning #management #selfdevelopment #Danmolgan #Danielmolgan

Daniel Molgan
Written by Daniel Molgan
Personal Development

Success is Goals and All Else is Commentary

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Wherever you glance and spot the manifestations of happiness, fulfillment, and success you will almost invariably trace it all the way back to a life devoted to the pursuit of goals that are considered to be important and meaningful for the individual who pursues them. On the contrary, the origin of all forms of negativity, passivity, jealousy, and underachievement is rooted in one’s inability or unwillingness to set clear goals along with a plan and a commitment to accomplish them. That is precisely why it is said that success is goals and all else is commentary!

Any form of success in any field comes down to setting and achieving specific goals

The truth of the matter is that all humans are goal seeking organisms and in fact whenever we are laying the foundation for a Fortune 500 company, browsing through social media, sunbathing on the beach, or worrying about an upcoming exam or anything else we are indeed trying to achieve a specific goal but the difference is in whether we are consciously aware of this process and thus choose our goals with a great deal of care and consideration or simply drift in life and react to what occurs and in the process pursue random goals that are the byproducts of the environment.

Just like a beautiful garden is rarely formed through natural causes a fulfilling life is in most cases not a result of following random goals fueled by impulse but rather it is an output of a more conscious approach to life marked by planning, deliberate practice, and committed pursuit of a worthy ideal. Alas, this manner of thinking is rarely if ever taught to us as we go through the educational system and in most cases goal setting and goal attainment are not developed among children by parents since often the parents themselves have no clue as how to live a goal oriented life.

Just like a beautiful garden cannot come about without the constant care of a gardener a fulfilling life needs one to sow the seeds of goals and reap the rewards following their fruition

This immense desire for meaning and purpose has always been at the core of what makes us humans and until recently religions and traditions used to satisfy this need, in most cases a trade off that gave individuals a clear set of objectives in exchange for financially and politically benefiting the church or the overall well-being of the society. Yet, given that in the 21st century religion gradually loses influence worldwide and individualism takes precedence over collectivism the pull of religion and traditions will be less and less capable of supplying a sense of meaning and identity for individuals and in a world where all affairs can be done at the speed of light we need to take a more serious look at the education of goal setting and goal achievement or else we have to risk becoming the victims of consumerism and unending entertainment which tend to afflict those with lack of clear goals much more than the ones who are actively pursuing their objectives and thus cannot afford such distractions.

Clear goals set and articulated to every member of a team is the key to the success of that group

While goal setting is the true art of life, knowing yourself is the true art of goal setting; after all not all goals are made equal and choosing our path in life in a way that makes use of our strengths and reduces the dependence on our weaknesses will certainly lead to a happier and more harmonious existence. Many argue that working on getting rid of our weaknesses can improve the quality of our lives and while that is without a shadow of doubt true, the fact of the matter is, that our focus in life should not be merely on correcting what is wrong with us but rather to tap into our strengths and use them as a means of achieving excellence. Hence, best goals are the ones that make use of your inherent strengths and are less hindered by your weaknesses which in turn allows you to do easily accomplish what many find hard to do. Just imagine a world where most are indeed doing that, such a world will be filled with more excellent individuals doing what they like and do best which in turn serves not only themselves but also those around them. Such a society is engineered for success, tailored for happiness, and paves the way for a both individualistic and collectivist sense of fulfillment.

Choosing the right goal plays a crucial role in determining how competitive you are and how much of your strength is used in the pursuit of your goals

In conclusion it ought to be mentioned yet again that success is goals and all else is commentary and the moment we internalize this concept, and simultaneously help those around us to grasp it, we are becoming the masters of our destiny instead of victims of our circumstances!

Daniel Molgan
Written by Daniel Molgan

#success #mindset #personaldevelopment #motivation #inspiration #entrepreneur #happiness #goals #goalsetting #achievement #Danmolgan #Danielmolgan

Personal Development

Shifting Mindset From a Victim Worrier to a Knight Warrior

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As humans we possess the desire to avoid problems and simultaneously have the tendency to experience boredom and low spirit when finding ourselves in a situation where everything is predictable, problems are routine and crises rarely if ever occur. We lament having to deal with unwanted obstacles in life and wish for a problem free existence and as soon as we find the opportunity to take it easy for a few months or retire early that is when the truth hits us: not having any problem is the worst problem indeed and it can rob us of happiness as much as, if not more than, most crises!  

Your attitude at home and at work can transform you from a victim worrier to a knight warrior!

The human mind through our long evolution has become wired to feel its best when it actively pursues a goal that is important to the individual and it is through the process of learning and growing so as to achieve those desired goals that we experience the highest rewards at least as far as neuroscience is concerned. Another way to stimulate the brain and reap the rewards that come with it is to solve novel problems yet our desire to conserve energy and remain in our comfort zones ultimately deprive us of tapping into the benefits of solving novel problems most of which we tend to call crises. 

The human mind craves idleness and lack of problems to conserve energy but once we find ourselves without much to do for too long that’s when we realize boredom aches us even more!

That is precisely why today I would like to help you redefine words such as trouble, crisis, and losses and look at them as opportunities to grow, escape monotony and boredom, independently improve the quality of your life, and experience the dopamine boost of handling a difficult situation instead of escaping it.

Mental fitness is defined as a particular outlook on life that allows one to perceive the world in a way that empowers and motivates him or her in the face of dealing with obstacles, rejections, and setbacks instead of rendering him or her disempowered and disheartened. That is precisely what we all need today more than ever as we go through the global crisis that we are in these days.

Your mental attitude in face of dealing with any obstacle or challenge will affect how you feel far more than the actual severity of the crisis

Your ability to embrace and eventually solve unwanted problems and crises will be the hallmark of positivity and achievement and differentiate you from most of us who do whatever it takes to avoid problems and wallow in sorrow the moment we are stuck in cumbersome situations. Thus, any problem is not only a chance to break out of the monotony of a life inside the comfort zone but can also be a launchpad towards higher degrees of personal development and confidence.

The famous saying by Nietzsche “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” can be aptly applied here since having a warrior outlook on life will always prove more beneficial than that of a victim and the moment you embrace the problems and crises in life as a chance to become a better you and ideally benefit from it in some way that is precisely when you drop the attire of a victim and don the shining armor of a knight!

Daniel Molgan
Written by Daniel Molgan

#success #mindset #personaldevelopment #motivation #inspiration #entrepreneur #happiness #Danmolgan #Danielmolgan

Personal Development

Progress Check After One Year of Pandemic

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Today marks the day when the absolute majority of countries around the world implemented restrictions on the lives of their citizens as well as those of other nations who wished to cross their borders. Many of us lamented the fact that life had lost its normalcy that subsequently made us stuck in our homes and compelled to work and study remotely. That was when many of us abandoned our goals and succumbed to a new routine that was marked by aimlessness and time wasted on social media or behind TV screens randomly scrolling and switching.

The world was essentially shutdown for one year but some of us kept the lights up in the furnace of achievement

On this day last year I told all of my friends that one man’s nightmare is another man’s fortune and encouraged them to take advantage of all the opportunities available during this tough time. Above all, I emphasized on making sure their time was not wasted since any given pandemic usually lasts for a year or two and any habit picked up during this period will be incredibly hard to dispose of later on.

Well, a year has passed and now it is time for an honest assessment of your progress, or lack there of, during the past 12 months. When you look back at the time that went by do you feel proud of how you spent your time and sense that the pandemic was a blessing in disguise that allowed you to develop clarity, pursue your goals with less distraction, dedicate more time to study and reflection, set your priorities straight, save more money due to the inevitable lower need for consumption so as to build a financial security bucket or use it as investment capital, and above all build mental toughness? Or do you instead feel hurt, lament all the boring days that went by, suffer from lack of confidence after having seen that you can easily lose sight of your goals upon facing with a crisis, and above all found yourself repeatedly blaming the local authorities for having turned your life into a personal hell?

The past 12 months certainly did require adjusting to a new way of working, studying, and living but it by no means was meant to stop you from making progress, quite the opposite, it was a stepping stone for career and personal success

The bad news is that the 12 months that went by won’t ever come back, it is gone along with all the opportunities that it presented! The good news is that all the experts in the field of public health believe we will soon get out of this critical situation thanks to the increasing pace of vaccination that will lead to herd immunity but until then there are still quite a few months left which means you can decide to make the most of your time until World Health Organization (WHO) officially declares this pandemic as over, and believe me that day will come!

Today as we look back at the progress made during the last 12 months we keep our eyes on the prize of the future and commit to making the most of our time in the coming months!

Daniel Molgan
Written by Daniel Molgan

#success #pandemic #happiness #motivation #inspiration #goals #entrepreneurship