Unlock Your Happy Fortune: 7 Practical Steps to Attract Lasting Joy and Abundance

You know, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it really means to unlock a happy fortune—that sense of lasting joy and abundance that feels just out of reach for so many of us. It’s funny, but I was recently playing Borderlands and it struck me how the game designers nailed something we often miss in real life. There's no way to truly know if all four Vault Hunters equally stack up until folks have had time to put a substantial amount of hours into playing as each one, but for once, I don't feel the need to dissuade first-time players from one or two of the options. Each Vault Hunter is fun because they all feel powerful and can stand on their own or make meaningful contributions to a team. It feels rewarding to learn and master each of their respective abilities. That’s the thing, right? Lasting joy isn’t about picking the one “correct” path everyone says you should take. It’s about finding your own build, your own playstyle, and feeling powerful in it. So, let me walk you through what I’ve found works, not as some guru, but as someone who’s been tinkering with this stuff for years. Think of these as seven practical steps to attract more of what you want, but remember, you’re the Vault Hunter here. You get to choose which skills to invest in first.

The very first step, and I can’t stress this enough, is to conduct a ruthless audit of your input. I’m talking about the information and energy you let into your life daily. About three years ago, I did this myself and was shocked to find I was spending nearly 2 hours and 17 minutes a day—yes, I tracked it that specifically—on social media feeds that only made me feel anxious or inadequate. That’s over 16 hours a week of mental clutter! The method is simple: for one week, write down every source of information—every news app, podcast, person, even the music you listen to—and note how it makes you feel afterward. Then, start cutting. Unfollow, unsubscribe, mute. It’s not about being ignorant; it’s about being intentional. The goal is to curate an input stream that aligns with the joy and abundance you want to feel. If you want a fortune of happiness, you can’t constantly feed your mind with stories of scarcity and fear.

Next up, you have to define what “abundance” actually means for you, and I mean get painfully specific. Vague goals yield vague results. Saying “I want to be happy” is like a Vault Hunter saying “I want to shoot stuff.” Which gun? Which enemy? What’s the mission? Instead, try this: “I want to feel a deep sense of calm three days a week,” or “I want to generate an additional $500 a month from a hobby I love by October.” My personal preference? I always start with time abundance before money. For me, abundance looked like reclaiming my Saturday mornings completely, with no chores or emails allowed. I quantified it: 4 hours of guilt-free, unstructured time every Saturday. That was my first tangible piece of the “happy fortune.” Once you have that specific target, your brain starts spotting resources and opportunities you’d otherwise miss. It’s like your mind gets a new loot filter.

Now, this is where most guides get fluffy, but we’re going practical. Step three is to build a single, tiny, daily ritual that anchors your desired feeling. Don’t try to meditate for an hour or journal ten pages. You’ll burn out. I started with what I call the “Two-Minute Reset.” After I pour my coffee, I simply stand by the window for 120 seconds. I don’t check my phone. I just look outside and take three deliberately slow breaths. That’s it. The key is the consistency, not the grandeur. This ritual becomes the save point in your day, a moment where you consciously choose your state of mind. Over 78 days—I kept a streak going—this tiny practice fundamentally rewired my default morning anxiety. It created a small but reliable container for joy, a personal ability I learned to master, much like mastering a Vault Hunter’s action skill. It feels rewarding to learn and master these small, respective abilities for yourself.

Step four involves your environment. You are a product of your surroundings more than you realize. We’re going physical here. Look at the space where you spend the most time—probably your desk or your bedroom. I want you to change five things in the next 20 minutes. I’m serious, set a timer. It could be as simple as moving a plant, putting a favorite book on your desk, deleting all the unused icons from your computer desktop, or letting in some fresh air. This isn’t about interior design; it’s about signaling to your subconscious that change is possible and that you are in control of your territory. When I did this, one of the things I changed was adding a small, ridiculously bright orange vase to my desk. It served zero purpose except to make me smile. It was a visual cue for abundance—a splash of unexpected color and joy right in my line of sight.

Let’s talk about step five: strategic generosity. This is a powerful engine for abundance, but it has to be strategic to avoid burnout. The idea is to give what you wish to receive, but in a way that feels energizing, not draining. If you desire more connection, don’t force yourself to host huge parties. Maybe you send one thoughtful text a week to a friend you genuinely miss. If you want more financial flow, you could donate a small, fixed amount—say, $7—to a cause you care about every month. The act itself is less important than the feeling of expansion and capability it creates. You are proving to yourself that you have enough joy, enough attention, enough resource to share. This creates a psychological vacuum that the universe, or just your own improved mindset, tends to fill. I started by volunteering my professional skills for just 90 minutes a month for a local non-profit. The sense of contribution and the new people I met opened doors I never planned for.

Step six is the review, and please don’t skip it. This is your weekly or monthly “respec.” In Borderlands, you can reallocate your skill points as you learn what works. You must do the same here. Every Sunday evening, I take 15 minutes to look at my specific definitions of joy and abundance from step two. Did my actions move me toward them? Did that new podcast I added make me feel inspired or agitated? Did my tiny ritual hold? This isn’t about judgment; it’s about course correction. I found that my initial goal of “reading more” was actually making me stressed because I was forcing it. So, I respecced that point into “listening to more audiobooks on walks.” Instant upgrade. Each Vault Hunter is fun to play because they all feel powerful and can stand on their own, but you only discover that power by trying things, seeing what clicks, and adjusting. Your life strategy needs the same flexible, experimental approach.

Finally, step seven is about integration and celebration. This isn’t a separate action, but a lens through which you view the previous six. You must learn to spot and celebrate the micro-wins. Finished your two-minute reset for 10 days straight? That’s a win. Had a conversation that felt genuinely connected? Win. Said no to a social event that would have drained you? Huge win. Our brains are wired for a negativity bias, so we have to manually install the software for recognizing progress. I literally keep a “Win List” in a notes app, and I try to add three tiny things every Friday. Over time, this list becomes tangible proof of your growing happy fortune. It’s the loot you’ve already collected on your journey.

So, there you have it. Unlocking your happy fortune isn’t about a single magical secret or waiting for external validation. It’s the practical, daily work of choosing your inputs, defining your targets, building small rituals, tweaking your environment, giving strategically, reviewing your progress, and celebrating every step. It’s about trusting that, much like those well-designed Vault Hunters, you have a powerful and unique build within you waiting to be mastered. The reward comes from the learning and the doing. Start with one step, the one that resonates most right now, and begin building your own version of lasting joy and abundance from there. The treasure vault is yours to open.