From Independence to Interdependence: A Happytalism Blueprint
Picture Painting by Katarina Baliova We’ve spent centuries celebrating independence—of
Picture Painting by Katarina Baliova
The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were introduced in 2015 as a bold roadmap to address the world’s most pressing challenges – a “universal call to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity”. These goals, ranging from ending hunger to achieving gender equality, have galvanized governments and organizations worldwide. Yet, as visionary as the SDGs are, they remain rooted in a paradigm that often emphasizes lack and shortfall. Goals like “No Poverty” and “Zero Hunger,” while crucial, frame our aspirations in terms of eradicating deficits – implying that something is missing and must be fought for. This orientation, born from what can be called a scarcity mindset, subtly reinforces a worldview of competition, fear, and zero-sum thinking. In a scarcity paradigm, progress is measured by what we eliminate or prevent, and nations and communities may feel they are competing for limited resources or “taking from each other” in order to advance.
Luis Miguel Gallardo, founder of the World Happiness Foundation and author of Happytalism, argues that we stand at the threshold of a new era – one where humanity can transcend the scarcity mindset and embrace a philosophy of abundance and well-being. Happytalism is presented as a transformative paradigm that shifts the focus from solving problems born of lack to creating conditions for shared prosperity, happiness, and Fundamental Peace. This new paradigm, grounded in abundance and interdependence, asks: what if our global goals were not just about fixing what’s wrong, but about cultivating what’s best in humanity and our planet? What if, instead of viewing development as a struggle over finite resources, we envisioned it as a collaborative journey towards collective flourishing?
In this article, we critically but constructively compare the philosophical foundations of the current SDGs with the emerging Happytalist paradigm. We explore how the scarcity mindset underlying many development efforts might be limiting true global transformation. Then, we introduce a new framework of 17 “Happytalist Goals” – an abundance-based reimagining of global goals inspired by Gallardo’s Happytalism. Each of these goals emphasizes positive outcomes, interconnected well-being, and the cultivation of happiness and freedom, aligning with principles such as positive psychology, mindfulness, collective consciousness, quantum thinking, planetary sustainability, and interspecies equality. Finally, we invite you – the reader, a conscious catalyst – to help ignite this shift. Together, we can move beyond scarcity and become “Rousers,” or conscious catalysts of well-being, co-creating a future where everyone thrives.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals emerged from noble intentions. They were designed as outcome targets – end-states that humanity should achieve (no poverty, zero hunger, etc.) to usher in a better world. This approach has undoubtedly rallied resources and attention to critical issues. However, the very framing of the SDGs reflects what psychologists might recognize as a focus on negatives: ending what we don’t want, rather than building what we do want. This subtle orientation has profound implications for how we mobilize change.
At its core, the scarcity mindset assumes that life is a finite pie: resources, opportunities, and success are limited, so if someone gains, another must lose. The language of the SDGs – ending poverty, fighting hunger, reducing inequalities – implies we are battling over scarce goods. While pragmatic, this framing can inadvertently reinforce fear and competition. When people and nations operate from the belief that “there isn’t enough for everyone,” they may cling to what they have or compete aggressively for their share. As Gallardo notes, in a culture of scarcity, “when others succeed, people feel threatened… They think, ‘What others achieve is being taken away from me’”. This fear-driven outlook breeds hurried, short-term strategies: we grasp for “quick wins” and guard against losses, rather than investing in long-term cooperative gains.
Crucially, a scarcity mindset also narrows our imagination. It “biases our minds toward the negative” – we become fixated on problems and what’s lacking. The SDGs, by enumerating global deficits to be remedied, can unintentionally keep our collective focus on the very things we hope to move beyond. Psychologically, this is akin to only ever looking at the holes we need to fill, instead of envisioning the solid ground we want to stand on. It’s no surprise that progress on many SDGs remains uneven; tackling symptoms of lack without addressing the root mindset can feel like an endless uphill battle.
None of this is to say the SDGs are misguided – far from it. The world absolutely needs to end poverty and hunger, and ensure education, equality, and sustainability. But to truly achieve these aims, how we pursue them matters. As the Happytalism book points out, the SDGs identify vital objectives but “do not strictly establish the how, the path that needs to be developed to achieve them”. What if the missing ingredient in that “how” is a fundamental shift in mindset – from scarcity to abundance?
Happytalism represents a new philosophy and development paradigm that Gallardo and colleagues have been championing as a response to the limitations of our current approach. At its heart, Happytalism is about the systematic and effective pursuit of happiness and well-being for all, both individually and collectively. Rather than starting from what is lacking in society, Happytalism starts from an appreciation of what is possible when we align human ingenuity with compassion and higher consciousness.
The philosophical foundations of Happytalism draw from both ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science. Gallardo describes Fundamental Peace as the ultimate goal – a state defined by a triad of freedom, consciousness, and happiness. In other words, peace is more than the absence of conflict or fear; it is the presence of liberty, awareness, and joy. This contrasts with the SDGs’ notion of peace which is tied largely to institutional justice and security. Happytalism posits that without inner freedom and happiness, outer peace remains fragile.
Under Happytalism, abundance mindset replaces scarcity mindset. An abundance mindset focuses on possibilities, synergies, and inherent worth, not on deficiencies. It asks us to recognize that we live in a world where technological advancement and human creativity have, in fact, made it possible to meet everyone’s needs – if we so choose. “Current technological development has brought humanity into an era that should be one of abundance… a significant increase in material resources and the maximization of all human potential,” Gallardo notes. The paradox is that despite this potential abundance, we still behave as if constrained by extreme scarcity. Happytalism challenges this contradiction head-on. It urges a shift in consciousness: to see that “the material and immaterial resources of this world don’t have to be limited; there’s no need to fight over them… instead, collaboration among all human beings would lead us to a new era of well-being for everyone”. In essence, it’s an invitation to stop seeing life as a desperate scramble up a ladder, and instead turn it into a communal rise – like a tide that lifts all boats.
This paradigm is deeply rooted in interdependence and unity. While the SDGs hint at cooperation (Goal 17 is Partnerships for the Goals), Happytalism makes it a centerpiece. It emphasizes “the interdependence of species and the interconnection with nature and the planet”. In Happytalist thinking, humans are not separate from each other or from the rest of life; our well-being is entwined with the well-being of all other people, creatures, and ecosystems. This reflects an understanding, increasingly supported by science, that everything in the universe is connected at a fundamental level. (Indeed, even quantum physics suggests that at the smallest scales, the separation between objects is an illusion – “quantum mechanics states that everything in the universe is made up of the same building blocks… a single energy field is everywhere,” revealing a profound unity that sages have long intuited.) Happytalism builds on this principle of oneness: it advocates that society and economy be structured to honor our shared humanity and our collective relationship with a living Earth.
Another key difference in philosophical foundations is the role of inner development. The SDGs mostly address external conditions (material poverty, infrastructure, policies). Happytalism, by contrast, gives equal weight to internal transformation. It proposes that fostering widespread happiness requires nurturing qualities like mindfulness, compassion, and positive mindset at the individual level, which then radiate into collective change. In fact, Happytalism is built on two pillars – individual development and collective development – as twin drivers of societal well-being. On the individual side, practices from positive psychology and contemplative traditions are emphasized to help people reframe limiting beliefs and cultivate resilience, optimism, and purpose. For example, techniques like gratitude exercises, meditation, and cognitive reframing empower individuals to shift from a fear-based outlook to a growth-oriented outlook. When one person becomes, as Gallardo puts it, more “self-aware, mindful, and able to reprogram limiting beliefs,” they not only improve their own life but also become a seed of positive influence in their community.
On the collective side, Happytalism advocates systemic changes – but these are driven by new values. It promotes “social cohesion and collective action” through strong communities, and seeks policy shifts that prioritize happiness and well-being over narrow economic growth. It’s no accident that one of the early inspirations for Happytalism was Bhutan’s idea of Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a measure of progress. Just as Bhutan replaced GDP with GNH to reorient national priorities, Happytalism calls for global development metrics and goals that value health, happiness, and harmony as much as (or more than) income and output.
In summary, if the SDGs are the “what” (the outcomes we strive for), Happytalism is about the “how” and “why” behind those outcomes. It seeks to infuse the pursuit of development with a higher purpose: the cultivation of well-being and consciousness. This leads to a very different mindset: one of abundance, trust, and generosity. And that, in turn, leads to different strategies. Instead of asking, “How do we divide scarce resources?”, Happytalism asks, “How do we unleash human creativity and compassion to make life better for everyone?” Instead of “Who is to blame for these problems?”, it asks “How can each of us be part of the solution through our daily choices and our communities?”
Operating from scarcity can achieve incremental improvements – we can, and have, pulled many people out of extreme poverty, for instance. But to truly transform our world, a mindset of abundance is needed. The scarcity mindset tends to engender certain limiting patterns:
In short, a scarcity mindset might win us battles, but it struggles to win the war for sustainable happiness. As Gallardo eloquently summarizes, “A scarcity mindset creates limitations, whereas an abundance mindset allows us to think big and set bold goals”. The next frontier of global transformation is not just new policies or funding (though we need those too), but a collective shift in consciousness – a recognition that we are already standing on an abundant earth, surrounded by potential allies, and that by awakening the best in ourselves we can fundamentally change the game.
How might global goals look if shaped by an abundance mindset and the principles of Happytalism? Below we introduce a framework of 17 “Happytalist Goals” that parallel the current SDGs but reorient them toward cultivating positive outcomes and collective thriving. Each Happytalist Goal is named to reflect an affirmative vision (what we want to create) rather than solely a problem to eliminate. They integrate concepts from Happytalism – including positive psychology, mindfulness and consciousness, holistic sustainability, and respect for all life.
The following table presents a side-by-side comparison of the UN’s SDGs and the proposed Happytalist Goals. The Happytalist Goals are not meant to replace the SDGs outright, but to complement and reframe them, showing how we can achieve the same end-results through a different lens of abundance, interconnection, and well-being.
| UN Sustainable Development Goal | Happytalist Goal (Abundance Paradigm) |
| Goal 1: No PovertyEnd poverty in all its forms everywhere. | Goal 1: Abundant Prosperity for All Ensure that everyone thrives with access to ample resources and opportunities, by fostering generosity, fair distribution, and economic systems focused on well-being rather than scarcity. |
| Goal 2: Zero HungerEnd hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. | Goal 2: Holistic Nourishment & Health Guarantee nutritious food and clean water for every person (and future generations) through sustainable agriculture and mindful consumption, so that all beings are nourished in body and spirit. |
| Goal 3: Good Health and Well-beingEnsure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. | Goal 3: Holistic Health & Happiness Promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being for everyone by integrating healthcare with positive psychology and preventive practices. Focus on happiness as a public good – measuring success in lives improved and joy spread, not just diseases cured. |
| Goal 4: Quality EducationEnsure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. | Goal 4: Mindful Education & Lifelong Learning Provide education that nurtures the whole person – including emotional intelligence, compassion, and consciousness. Schools and communities cultivate mindfulness, creativity, and critical thinking, empowering lifelong learners to contribute to a happier society. |
| Goal 5: Gender EqualityAchieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. | Goal 5: Inclusive Equality & Empowerment Uphold the equal worth and rights of every human being, regardless of gender or background. Embrace feminine and masculine qualities in balance, and empower marginalized groups to ensure all people can shine. Society thrives on diversity celebrated, not discrimination. |
| Goal 6: Clean Water and SanitationEnsure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. | Goal 6: Water & Wellness for All Treat clean water and sanitation as fundamental rights and keys to well-being. Invest in nature-based solutions and community infrastructure so that every person enjoys pure water, hygienic living conditions, and the dignity of a healthy environment. |
| Goal 7: Affordable and Clean EnergyEnsure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable energy for all. | Goal 7: Renewable Energy Abundance Harness abundant renewable energy (sun, wind, water) to power human progress. Innovate for clean energy access in every community, freeing us from fossil-fuel scarcity and enabling a thriving planet with energy equity. |
| Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic GrowthPromote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. | Goal 8: Meaningful Work & Well-Being Economy Transform economies to prioritize well-being over endless growth. Encourage meaningful, fulfilling work (purpose over profit) and business models that elevate happiness, community, and environmental balance – a new economy measured by Gross Global Happiness. |
| Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureBuild resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. | Goal 9: Conscious Innovation & Quantum Progress Develop infrastructure and technology guided by conscious intent to benefit all life. Embrace quantum thinking and exponential innovations for good – from clean tech to digital connectivity – while ensuring these advances are equitably shared and sustain the planet. |
| Goal 10: Reduced InequalitiesReduce inequality within and among countries. | Goal 10: Shared Prosperity & Social Justice Create a world where wealth and opportunities are shared more equally across all people and nations. Foster policies of redistribution and inclusion so that no one is left behind – understanding that when others prosper, it enhances our collective well-being. |
| Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and CommunitiesMake cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. | Goal 11: Happy & Harmonious Communities Design cities and communities for human happiness and ecological harmony. Urban planning focuses on green spaces, social connection, culture, and well-being services, so that neighborhoods become hubs of joy, belonging, and sustainability. |
| Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and ProductionEnsure sustainable consumption and production patterns. | Goal 12: Mindful Consumption & Regeneration Adopt mindful lifestyles that value quality of life over quantity of stuff. Shift to circular and regenerative production – reusing, recycling, and respecting planetary boundaries – so that economic activity actually heals communities and nature instead of depleting them. |
| Goal 13: Climate ActionTake urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. | Goal 13: Planetary Well-Being & Climate Balance Honor Earth as a living system and take collaborative action to restore climate harmony. Rather than a desperate “fight” against climate change, mobilize a joyful global movement to regenerate ecosystems, transition to green energy (Goal 7), and protect our collective home for future generations. |
| Goal 14: Life Below WaterConserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. | Goal 14: Flourishing Oceans & Marine Unity Treat the oceans as sacred sources of life. Ensure marine ecosystems thrive by ending pollution and overfishing, and by embracing an ethic of reverence for marine life. In an abundant world view, healthy oceans are non-negotiable – our interdependence with blue ecosystems is recognized and respected. |
| Goal 15: Life on LandProtect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems; halt biodiversity loss. | Goal 15: Interspecies Harmony & Biodiversity Promote a paradigm of interspecies equality, where human progress never comes at the expense of other living beings. Protect and restore forests, wildlife, and habitats as part of our extended family. All species have intrinsic value; by caring for them, we uphold a happier, more ethical world. |
| Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong InstitutionsPromote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable institutions. | Goal 16: Peaceful Coexistence & Conscious Governance Build a culture of peace from the inside out. Cultivate forgiveness, empathy, and conflict transformation in communities, and establish conscious institutions that serve the public good with compassion and transparency. “Fundamental Peace” – freedom, consciousness and happiness – becomes the north star for governance. |
| Goal 17: Partnerships for the GoalsStrengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. | Goal 17: Global Unity & Collective Action Foster a sense of global family and collective consciousness. Encourage collaboration across nations, cultures, and sectors in service of humanity’s shared vision. Every person is a stakeholder in this abundant future, and by uniting our efforts and wisdom, we amplify our impact as conscious catalysts of change. |
Table: The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals reframed through the lens of Happytalism. The Happytalist Goals maintain continuity with the issues addressed by the SDGs, but focus on positive, abundance-based outcomes – emphasizing what we want to create (prosperity, nourishment, happiness, harmony, etc.) rather than solely what we must eliminate.
Each Happytalist Goal is underpinned by the idea that we already have, or can create, the abundance needed to achieve it. For instance, “Abundant Prosperity for All” (Goal 1) asserts that poverty is not an intractable fate in a world overflowing with wealth – the issue is consciousness and distribution, which we can change by choice. “Holistic Health & Happiness” (Goal 3) recognizes that health is not merely the absence of illness, but the presence of well-being in mind and body – attainable through preventive care, supportive communities, and a focus on happiness as a metric. “Meaningful Work & Well-Being Economy” (Goal 8) dares to replace the mantra of “economic growth” with economic meaning – directing innovation and investment towards human flourishing (such as measuring success in terms of GNH and well-being indices). And by “Interspecies Harmony” (Goal 15), we acknowledge that humanity’s progress need not come at nature’s expense; with awakened stewardship, humans can be healers of the land and protectors of our fellow creatures.
Notably, these abundance-based goals resonate with initiatives already gaining traction. Movements for a well-being economy, for example, are emerging in countries like New Zealand, Scotland, and Bhutan – echoing the spirit of Goal 8. Education reformers globally push for social-emotional learning and mindfulness in schools, aligning with Goal 4’s vision. The concept of regenerative agriculture and production is being championed by environmental innovators, mirroring Goal 12. And calls for recognizing the rights of nature and animals reflect the ethos of Goal 15. In many ways, the seeds of Happytalism’s goals are already sprouting; what’s needed is a unifying narrative to tie them together and amplify them.
Reframing our global goals is not just an abstract exercise – it’s a call to action for each of us. If we are to move from a world governed by fear of not having enough, to one guided by trust in abundance and mutual care, then mindset shift must happen at every level, from the individual to the global. This is where you come in.
Happytalism recognizes the power of individuals as change agents – or as Gallardo calls them, “Rousers, the conscious catalysts of well-being”. Each of us can be a Rouser. This means actively embodying the principles of abundance and happiness in our daily lives and communities. It means practicing gratitude and positivity (knowing that our positive mindset can spark others), and approaching local issues with a spirit of collaboration and hope. It could be as simple as starting a happiness meetup in your city, volunteering at a community garden, or initiating a dialogue at your workplace about well-being and purpose. Small acts rooted in an abundant mindset create ripples – they inspire others and start to shift the culture around us from competition to cooperation.
On a larger scale, becoming a conscious catalyst might mean innovating new solutions that exemplify these principles. Perhaps you are an entrepreneur who can create a business that solves a social problem while nurturing employees’ happiness. Or a teacher who can bring mindfulness into the classroom to grow the next generation of empathetic leaders. Or a policy-maker who can champion a happiness index or a regenerative economic policy. Every field of endeavor has room for Happytalist thinking.
The important point is that we no longer wait for someone else to fix the world, nor do we act out of a sense of grim duty. Instead, we joyfully claim our role in co-creating the future. We operate with the faith that our contributions matter and that there is a larger movement of like-minded “conscious catalysts” rising alongside us. As the World Happiness Foundation invites, “join the community of catalysts of positive transformation” – a global network of people dedicated to building a happier world.
Humanity has always evolved through new stories and paradigms. The SDGs gave us a story of global cooperation to tackle urgent problems. Happytalism offers a complementary story – one of global co-creation to unleash our highest potential. It doesn’t ask us to abandon the SDGs’ objectives, but to achieve them in a way that also elevates our consciousness and connection. By focusing on abundance, we shift from fear to trust, from competition to collaboration, from surviving to thriving.
In conclusion, the shift from the SDGs’ scarcity mindset to a Happytalist abundance mindset could be the key that unlocks unprecedented global transformation. Imagine a world in 2030 where we not only have met many of the SDG targets, but we’ve done so in a manner that left people feeling more empowered, more connected, and more joyful. A world where freedom, consciousness, and happiness are not just ideals but lived realities – the very fabric of our communities and institutions. This is the world Happytalism invites us to create. It is both utopian and practical: utopian in vision, practical in the sense that it starts with concrete shifts in mindset and action here and now.
You, reading this, are part of this unfolding story. You are among the conscious catalysts, and your sphere of influence – however big or small – is the perfect place to start planting seeds of abundance and well-being. Let’s move forward as happytalists – co-creators of a new paradigm where everyone has enough, everyone can grow, and everyone can be happy. In the words of timeless wisdom: be the change you wish to see. By embracing Happytalism and living its principles, we become that change – and together, we can ignite a wave of transformation that makes the achievement of all our global goals not only possible, but inevitable.
Let’s choose abundance. Let’s choose interdependence. Let’s choose happiness. The future we envision is already within us, ready to be shared with the world.
With joy, Luis Miguel Gallardo Author of The Meta Pets Method | PhD Scholar| Professor of Practice Yogananda School of Spirituality and Happiness | Founder, World Happiness Foundation | Author, Unlocking the Hidden Light
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