The sad but motivating life story of Dr. Dragan Jovanov and his road to success

Dr. Dragan Jovanov was born in Macedonia. He is an organizer and participant in many prestigious seminars, international conferences, forums, and public events, agronomics, academies, pieces of training, conferences, sports activities, and projects. He has acquired great academic achievements, experience, and is the epithet of innovation in that direction. Dr. Jovanov has won many diplomas, certificates, certificates, medals, and social recognitions for his national and international achievements. Dr. Dragan Jovanov has received 8 international awards for the best young scientist and four national awards. Dr. Jovanov was a supervisor at Edith Cowan University Western Australia. He has taught at Arizona State University, the Polytechnic School of Environmental Engineering. Dr. Dragan Jovanov is a specialized phytonutritionist and herbalist. He is the Winner of a plaque for contribution to the 60-year existence of the House of Culture Kocho Racin – Skopje, Macedonia. It has over 30 research patents for almost all health diseases. He is the author of over sixty published international papers, and as a media recognizable person in his specialized field, he has written articles for many domestic and foreign magazines and portals. He is the author of over 30 books. In addition to these specific works, Dr. Dragan Jovanov is an expert, competent and renowned person for his specific topic writes scientific articles for Macedonian daily newspapers, magazines, and magazines. As a person who has the knowledge and who knows how to convey it properly, Jovanov was and still is an honorary guest on almost all Macedonian shows and national televisions. Dr. Dragan Jovanov cooperates with international institutes in the field of phytomedicine, phytotherapy, nutrition, ecology, agroecology, and healthy living. He is thus known and recognized as one of the best young experts in Southeast Europe for phytology, phytotherapy, phytomedicine, agroecology, and agricultural sciences and food. Dr. Dragan Jovanov teaches at both domestic and international forums and is often invited as an honorary guest with his presentation at internationally renowned conferences on healthy living as something fundamental and basic to human existence. Dr. Jovanov actively participates in international papers and congresses in the field of phytology, phytotherapy, ecology, agribusiness, soil and water microbiology, agriculture, food, renewable energy sources, environmental resource management, agribusiness, and most of them, in addition to actively participates, as well as submits international papers. For three years he was an assistant to the Members of the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia and a member of the Institute for Parliamentary Democracy (IPD), where he participated in many seminars with foreign EU Commissioners. He also participated in seminars organized through the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning. A person who practices it can best talk about a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Dragan Jovanov played for Macedonian basketball clubs professionally and amateurly, for the University basketball team, and later was a professional coach of youth categories in Partizan Vodno Suns, Ilinden and MZT Skopje. And as a person who fights for the application of a healthy lifestyle and finding an appropriate solution, prevention and treatment of health diseases, D. Jovanov organizes humanitarian activities that raise funds for people suffering from cancer and other serious diseases. As a humane person who possesses organizational, social, oratory skills, communication and a positive approach in direct contact and work with people, in addition to appearing in more than 220 TV shows from a scientific point of view, he was the host of his TV show “Health from nature “. As part of his professional experience, during his studies he was a demonstrator (volunteer) at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food in Skopje, Secretary of the Faculty of Environmental Resource Management and the Faculty of Tourism Management at MIT University in Skopje, assistant to Faculty of Environmental Resource Management at MIT University in Skopje, where he taught several courses. In 2017, he was elected Special Advisor for Environment and Physical Planning to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia. In 2018, Dragan Jovanov was elected a full member of the Club of Innovative Minds at the European Academy of Sciences – Bg. In 2020 he became a member of the Macedonian Scientific Society based in Bitola, Macedonia. In 2020, Dragan Jovanov was elected Academician at the European Academy of Sciences. In 2021 Dr. Dragan Jovanov became a member and President of the youth of the National Association of Inventors of Macedonia – NAIM.2021 Dr. Jovanov won 10 gold medals for his patent at the world’s most prestigious innovator fair in Russia, Archimedes. Dr. Jovanov has won 12 gold awards at the Innovators Fair in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Every life is a story worth telling. Each of us experiences and survives events that are in themselves a unique story. In the difficult times we live in, it is really easy to get lost and forget the true values of life. This life story is a true connection to the human, a reminder of what is important in life. This story, unique, has a different lesson and message that should remind us of all the things we sometimes forget. The stories are quite simple, as if listening to them from a child, and yet complex and difficult, as if told by the greatest sage. Have a handkerchief nearby when you read this story. Yes, deeply true, terribly difficult and seriously close to each of us, these stories have great power to extort tears from even the strongest. This is the story of a young Macedonian scientist who will awaken the power in you. You may be wondering – How is that possible? To these two questions you will consequently add countless more questionnaires… Maybe it will all seem unreal, strange, confusing … But be persistent and just keep reading and absorbing every word, every sentence that comes in contact with your senses. You will feel how every word touches you, every cell of your being, touches insensitively, quietly …
To your consciousness, to yourself … You will feel how every word finds its way where it should go, it finds that secret place where it should touch, quietly … imperceptibly … silently … Touch where needed, leave a mark and wake you up. To wake you up from that invisible cocoon with which you are wrapped, you and your thoughts, you and your being ..
         

There are ups and downs in life, yes, there are so many downsides that you can reach the very bottom, looking at a dead end, just waiting for that moment when the ball will explode. However, there are bright spots in life, there are spots in life that will wrap around your body, prevent you from falling and give you another chance to straighten up, stand up, remove that burden from your back. Only with a clear mind can you stand on your feet. Mind full of distrust, mind full of  doubts and suffering must not be allowed, such a mind leads to ruin. Only a head full of self-confidence, with positive energy will pass to the next step, only in this way you will see life from a different perspective and you will realize your dreams.

Dr. Dragan Jovanov shares his life story….

From the 9th year of my life I started training basketball in the basketball club MZT Skopje – Aerodrom, then I changed several clubs and ended my basketball career at the age of 24, then I was a basketball coach of youth categories in the basketball clubs MZT Skopje and Partizan Vodno Suns – Belgrade branch. At the age of 17, for the first time, I played 2 seasons in the basketball club Karpos Sokoli, who then in those years for the first time in the history of the club entered the super league, with the first six teams on the table. I played after 15 minutes, of course I scored. Despite many obstacles in the sport, I had success there as well. I finished my career with 10 medals, five as a player and five as a coach. My mother attended almost every match of mine with my father, and she often trembled when she saw me on the field and rejoiced when I scored. I came to a friend of mine on the basketball court and he asked me – Dragan, is that your mother, the one who cheers? I was ashamed that she was coming to the match and I said – I don’t know I haven’t seen her. The biggest gift my mother gave me was that she was the only one who BELIEVED IN ME. I was a man who didn’t pay much attention to school, but to going out to basketball. My mother used to say to me – Meet your friends, I will show you your future. How do I know that? Part of mine company were losers. I avoided talking to my mother because I was already in communication and friendship with some of that company. My friends and I used to walk around, having fun until the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes we would get drunk. When we got back in the car, they would take me home and tell me – Dragan! Dragan! The lights are on in your apartment. And I say, “Oh, man, my mother is awake!” You see, my mother doesn’t go to bed until I come home alive and well. And when I entered the house, she would say – Hello Dace, how was your evening? And I would answer her – It was good mom, I’m going to sleep. And she always said – Dace, can I talk to you briefly? I would say – Mom, I’m tired, I’m going to sleep. – Dace, I haven’t seen you all day and all night, I’m asking you to talk to me – and I would leave, go to bed and avoid communicating with her about walking and what kind of people I hang out with. I didn’t want to talk to the only person who BELIEVED IN ME. Over time, I played for various clubs, graduated, took her to doctors, helped her, but we never managed to talk about everything that life brings us, no matter what sphere. She was in poor health and the day came when doctors told us she had cancer. It took me a while to talk when I brought her back from radiation, and that’s what therapy was all about. She said to me – Draganche, mother, maybe I will live for a month, maybe I will live for five months, maybe I will live longer, maybe I will die – and I, so sad, and I say – Mom, and what will I do without you? She replied “you will rejoice and continue with life, to prove yourself and to prove to everyone that you will be the best expert in the world in what you do. I want you to be the best, I believe in you and I know that you will be able to be a good expert and a good parent. I was gone for hours, for days, I couldn’t see her so sick, exhausted. When the day came for the New Year (2009), we were preparing with the thought that it would be better, I was at the store and suddenly my phone rang and my father gave me the sad news that she was gone. I threw the phone away and went out on the street, I didn’t know where I was, I was broken. I knelt down and shouted, “Mamaoooo, why did you leave me?” I’m so sorry. The next day, January 1, was the funeral, I was so hurt that I could not reconcile for many years after her death. Will I run away from the problems again? Will I be hanging out with some of those losers again? All she wanted was to talk to me, to direct me in the right direction, to be an exemplary, successful person. I miss so much now that I would like to talk to her, how much I would like you to see how successful I have been in life.I was disappointed with classical medicine and started researching phytomedicine, phytotherapy and phytonutrients scientifically. In 11 years I have healed, helped and advised over 30,000 people from Macedonia, the Balkans, Europe and the World.

Dragan says: My motto was – First, put God’s energy first. Give first place to that divine energy in everything you do. Everything you think I have achieved, everything you see in me, everything you think I have, and I have a lot behind me, it’s all thanks to God’s mercy. Understand, it is simply a gift from God. That divine energy protects me, guides me, corrects me. All the time I cling to that divine energy for everything in life. That divine energy keeps me from being carried away by the storm. The BEST thing I’ve ever done in this world is to help people. It’s a good feeling because I’ve helped people stay healthy, and there’s no better feeling than that. That shows the real success. You can have everything you want in life. So look for it and try to get it. Until then, give a hand to someone who has not yet succeeded in their goals. 

One year after my mother’s death, my best friend died at the age of 21 of a heart attack. He died at college. After a few years, my grandmother Simka died and as the years went by, almost all my relatives died, some of my friends, professors, I was left alone with my sister and father. Our life had become hell, my father hada redundancy, he had 6 years until retirement, I first worked as a volunteer demonstrator (2010-2011) at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food in Skopje, at the request of Professor Jugoslav Ziberoski and he died of a heart attack. As a demonstrator at the Faculty of Minimum Income, I was rejected because I did not support the then policies of the country in which I was born. So I went without salary as faculty, I taught at the Faculty of Environmental Resource Management, at MIT University in Skopje. There he called me to be his assistant, it was my first work experience, where I will be registered and my contributions and so on will flow. Then I was an assistant and secretary of the Faculty of Management of Environmental Resources and Secretariat and assistant of the Faculty of Tourism, at MIT University in Skopje. I was overjoyed, I said finally the work started, oh how the months passed, the first 4 months they didn’t give us a salary, then they were late with a salary, we worked as assistants for the minimum income we received every other month, so you can imagine if you can really survive on such a way. Those were difficult years, too hard, but we did not give up, nor did we complain to anyone, nor did anyone call to help us, to ask how we were, except that they enjoyed our poverty and made obstacles and obstructions to our path to success.We were left alone in that survival struggle. But we never gave up, we achieved everything on our own, and together, and, of course, each of us individually. After all this, I started helping people with cancer, syndromes and other serious illnesses, going from city to city, village to village to help them.

At the beginning when I started researching medicinal plants, so to speak they didn’t believe me, that is, I was a child to do this, they said so, even “greats” and “professors”, but I never gave up , I said I would go all the way until I won and everything would be as it should be.After all this, a moment came when they asked for help from the MPs in the Assembly, a friend of mine from where I live from my neighborhood, knowing our whole life story, called me directly to work on a project that lasted 3 years, supported by the Swiss Embassy , of course for minimal income. But, at that moment, that money was really too big, they also called me to be a coach in the basketball club MZT Skopje, and somehow too many things were collected, but for everything I managed to bring home bread. And when I thought everything was sorted out with all these jobs, things started to go downhill, for political reasons I left and we were left with those minimal irregular incomes from MIT University that I took every 3 months, terribly painful again, because in our country in the Republic of Macedonia, еven in the Balkans, quality is not valued, or very rarely can anyone honestly assess that you are quality and that you want to help, unless you have an “uncle bishop”, as the old people would say, and then you can prosper in everything you can imagine. in the Republic of Macedonia and in the Balkans. After all this, in the end, despite the pain, I managed to keep going, but I learned too much, I improved too much, I worked too hard, I struggled too much and I won !!! If you change the way you look at things, things will change. (Jovanov D.)

In 2010, I appeared on television for the first time and since then people have started to learn about me, that I work with phytomedicine, phytotherapy, phytonutrients and agroecology. I was invited to give an interview to Our Baby magazine about healthy mothers’ breasts, how to protect themselves naturally. I was terrified, scared, we barely recorded those 10 minutes. interview, and I was preparing too much, but since it was my first TV interview, that is, the first time I was recording an interview, I was too nervous. When the filming is over, I, so embarrassed, with trepidation, say – I’m not going on TV anymore, I’m ashamed. When, the then director of the magazine says to me – Don’t give up, go, even though you are ashamed and you are nervous, go to the TV, express your quality and what you want to help people – But – I say – I’m ashamed! – Go to the end – he says – if you give up now you will never do what you want. I came home, I thought for a while and I said to myself, I’m going to the end. Then they called me for the first time on Alsat TV, I was a guest on a show in Macedonian, then other televisions started over the years, where I recorded over 220 shows from a scientific point of view for the areas I work in and became known to the public for what I did. I work best.

Over the years, I have invested all my earned money in myself, in science, in books, in scripts, papers, conferences, seminars, congresses, and more. I went, educated children in primary schools throughout Macedonia and in some parts of the Balkans, I wanted to have a healthy nation and healthy children, because they are our future, I educated adults, I educated foreigners, I helped people, I treated people and so on. I have written over 30 professional books (Macedonian Traditional Medicine, Macedonian Contemporary Phytomedicine, Balkan Traditional Medicine, Water as a Business Eco System in Macedonia, Macedonian Atlas, Aromatic Herbs, Spicy Herbs, Nutrition, World Atlas, Medicinal Plant Atlas in Serbia, etc.) 200 domestic and international articles, papers in newspapers, portals and magazines, I received awards, recognitions, certificates of appreciation, etc., and then with all my patents that I placed before the WORLD and with all my research in science to become the best and most famous young scientist for phytomedicine, phytotherapy, phytonutrients and agroecology internationally. I never gave up and I overcame all the obstacles, and there were too many of them, the road was too bumpy, especially for a man who comes from a small country like Macedonia! 

As a person who was very persistent and very dedicated to science, I decided to transfer my knowledge, to educate children and adults. I was on TV screens every day about how people can protect their health with the gift of nature. I wrote papers, books, wrote in magazines, newspapers, magazines in Macedonia, the Balkans, Europe and the world. But I wanted to be the best young scientist in the fields I work in. Working around the clock, reading, attending seminars, conventions, I decided to conquer the steel fortress.
In 2015, through hard work, research, training, I applied to participate in international conventions, conferences, with my own personal patents and research. Since 2015, I have received 12 awards and prizes, of which 8 are international, three at the European Multidisciplinary Congress, held in Novi Sad, Serbia, one award in Montenegro, four awards in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and four awards in the Republic of Macedonia for best young scientist. On the day (December 18, 2018), I officially became the first Macedonian full member of the Club of Innovative Minds, within the European Academy of Sciences, based in Belgrade and Brussels.

At the age of 33, I received 12 awards, including 8 international, 4 domestic and 15 research patents for various diseases, including cancer.
(1.) 2015 – Recognition for Best Young Scientist – European Congress “Nutrition Buducnost”, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia.
(2.) 2015 – Recognition and gratitude for the development and support of the Association Epilepsy Macedonia, Office of the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
(3.) 2016 – Recognition for Best Young Scientist – European Congress “Nutrition Buducnost”, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia.
4.) 2016 – Recognition and gratitude for the best young scientist educator, House of Culture ,, Kocho Racin, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
(5.) 2016 – Recognition for the best young scientist and expert for education of children, “Project” Macedonia Land of the Sun, Fruits, Vegetables and Medicinal Plants, Primary School Goce Delchev, Municipality of Centar, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.

(4.) 2016 – Recognition and gratitude for the best young scientist educator, House of Culture ,, Kocho Racin, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. (6.) 2016 – Recognition for the best young scientist, environmental educator, medicinal plant and international contribution, Czech Republic. (7.) 2017/2018 – Outstanding Scientist – European Congress “Nutrition Buducnost”, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia.
(4.) 2016 – Recognition and gratitude for the best young scientist educator, House of Culture ,, Kocho Racin, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.

(6.) 2016 – Recognition for the best young scientist, environmental educator, medicinal plant and international contribution, Czech Republic.

(8.) 2017/2018 – Recognition for the best young scientist, educator in the field of environment, medicinal plants and international contribution, Czech Republic.

(9.) 2017/2018 – Recognition for the best young scientist, educator for EcoTourism and international contribution, Slovak Republic.

(10.) 2017/2018 – Recognition for Best Young Scientist Educator, International Contribution and Development of Education and Ecology as a Science – European Ecological Festival, Podgorica, Republic of Montenegro).

(10.) 2017/2018 – Recognition for Best Young Scientist Educator, International Contribution and Development of Education and Ecology as a Science – European Ecological Festival, Podgorica, Republic of Montenegro). etc..

I did nothing by accident, nor did my inventions come by chance. Everything came with a lot of work, diligence, diligence, training and talent. After decades of rule by a bad government, our hard work has changed it..
At the age of 29, as a young professional staff for agroecology, I was invited by the new Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia, the respected Zoran Zaev to be a special environmental advisor to the Government of the Republic of Macedonia. 
         
Success does not consist in avoiding problems, it consists in perseverance, working on oneself and overcoming difficulties. If you want to learn from the most successful people, not envy their success, try to find out about their problems on the road to success and how they overcame them. You will learn much more if you read their problems, obstacles and roadblocks to success than reading their successes and how their lives are “perfect”. Perseverance requires work on yourself. Over time, all of us are discouraged. However, the more you face the problems and challenges on the road to success, the faster you will solve and overcome them. The more problems you have solved, the better you will be at solving them, and most importantly, you will not have to worry about new ones. Do you think it is difficult and hard for you? Are you demotivated by a failure, are you thinking about it and want to give up? It is your choice whether to give up or pursue your dreams. 

A few tips from me:

1. Refrain When I start working on a new project or job, I’m ready to go full capacity. I’m full of excitement and my enthusiasm knows no bounds, nor a sense of self-limitation. I think I can do anything. But as time goes on, I realize that I’m not made of steel and my enthusiasm begins to wane. When you have so much energy in the beginning and want to do your best – refrain. Don’t allow yourself to rush and do whatever you want. Start slowly, then step by step invest and you will succeed.

2. Just take the first step
There are days when you really don’t work, and you have to work. So instead of thinking about whether it’s hard or how long it will last, just take the first step. Do it and everything else will come by itself. When you sit at home and think about the problems and difficulties, it all seems really difficult. However, take the first step and you will see that nothing is difficult for you. Take the first step!

3. Be responsible
If you have committed publicly, or in any way, social media, friends, family be responsible to people. Make a commitment to let them know and stick to it. Also, stick to what you do, work responsibly and dedicatedly.

4. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones This is one of the most important motivational skills and I suggest you practice it every day. It is important to start following your thoughts and detecting negative thoughts. Then in a few days move on to the next step, and that is to replace the negative thoughts with positive ones. Say to yourself – I can do that, I am the master of my thoughts, I decide all the things in my life to be in a positive direction and with a positive thought. If someone who is a non-worker could, I can do anything to be positive. It may sound strange, but it is very powerful.


5. Think about the benefits and what made you take the path to success Think of it as difficult as it is for many people. Getting out of bed early sounds difficult, or “who’s going to work today, I feel tired!” Instead of thinking about whether you have enough strength to get up early or complete your responsibilities, think about how you will get up early and complete your responsibilities and have more free time. Think about your reasons for going on the road to success. Can you do it again? What made you pursue your goals? Why are you? have you been passionate about achieving your goals? Try rebuilding it, redirect and recharge your batteries. The answer will come to you. The simple truth is that many successful people do not succeed because they have no problems, obstacles, blockages, but because they did not allow anyone to stop them on the road to success. They are persistent when faced with problems.Expect problems to arise. The more challenges you have in realizing your dreams, the more your ambitions and self-confidence will grow. If you know something is going wrong, never give up. In the end you will win. Take the fact that you are facing difficulties in realizing your dreams as a sign of progress in life.Don’t be sad, instead smile at yourself and think “I’m starting to succeed”, because these are the key problems on the road to success. Solve the problems one by one and you will achieve the goal you want.

The good news is that there are a number of issues you can’t skip. Usually, although there is a solution for every situation or opportunity, you will skip something. You will need to think a little and put in the effort to solve the problem. After all, if what you want to achieve is easy, it would not be a great achievement. Persistence in dealing with problems is what makes success great when you achieve success.


There are many ways to solve problems in any problematic situation, each situation has its own solution. That is, everything in life has a solution, but it requires perseverance, attention, thinking and concentration to the ultimate goal. But there are certainly some simple principles for solving them. Think before you act or work. Some problems can be avoided if you simply think before you do anything. When you want to do something challenging, consider what is the most likely problem that may arise. If you look at this, you will find that you can avoid many problems at first.
Ask yourself if you do what you need to do. Are you looking for help from responsible people or friends to help you? If you need help, ask for it! If you work with other people, do they understand what you want to achieve? Only you, as the parent can know for sure what is going on in your head.Are you paranoid and over-educated about what you want to do and invent problems that don’t really exist? It is very easy to invent problems that do not exist in reality!
Focus on the problems you need to solve. And if you manage to apply the principles I have outlined, the problems will arise. When that happens, make sure you determine exactly what the problem is before you start solving it. Think about the problem, develop the problems from big to small and solve them step by step.

At some point you will experience a motivational decline in your life, you need to work on avoiding such situations at all costs. You just have to be more discriminating with the help you render toward other people. Motivation is a kind of cycle, sometimes you will be motivated, sometimes not. As you develop your skills, you need to motivate yourself, learn how to motivate yourself and stay at that level. Take a look at the steps that will help you stay motivated in the long run:

– start slowly and with small things, and over time work on bigger and more important things; 
– prefer to work with successful people and experts; 
– never stop learning, the more you learn the more confident you are; 
– try to stay positive during the most difficult things and problems;
 – don’t think too much and do something that suits you and that you love;
-understanding yourself and listening to your instincts is a great ability to motivate yourself;
– efforts are continuous to monitor your development and achievements;
– try to help your family and friends when faced with obstacles and difficulties;
– when you are surrounded by motivational and positive people, it will be easier for you to motivate yourself and to overcome and solve all the problems you have.
It takes a lot of effort to stay motivated throughout your life, so I hope they will use the advice I practice to make it easier for you to succeed. 

Don’t do it all at once, start with the first step, then step by step to the goal again. (Jovanov D.)