Unlock Your Happy Fortune: 5 Practical Steps to Attract Joy and Abundance Today

Let’s be honest, the idea of “attracting joy and abundance” can sometimes feel a bit abstract, a little too much like wishful thinking without a tangible game plan. We hear the terms, nod along, but then go back to the daily grind where that sense of joyful abundance feels just out of reach. I’ve been there. But recently, I found a surprisingly effective metaphor for this very pursuit in a place I never expected: while playing a video game. Specifically, in the career mode of NBA 2K25. Stick with me here. The game features this in-universe TV show that runs between matches, and unlike the often painfully awkward, skip-immediately segments in other sports titles like MLB The Show or Madden, this one is genuinely engaging. The hosts have this fantastic dynamic—a blend of genuine mirth and sharp analysis as they jump around the league discussing scores and highlights. I don't skip them. They're fully animated, voiced, and actually compelling. In one episode, they passionately debated how to rank the NBA's greatest dynasties throughout history, and I was hooked. It struck me that this virtual show was doing something crucial: it was making the space between the main events—the games themselves—not just filler, but a source of enjoyment and insight. That’s our first, and perhaps most vital, step in unlocking a happier fortune: we must learn to find value and joy in the interstitial moments of our own lives, not just the big wins.

So, how do we translate that virtual insight into a practical, daily practice? The first step is a conscious audit of your daily “in-between” time. We’re talking about those 10-15 minute chunks: the commute, waiting for a meeting to start, standing in line, or the mental pause after finishing one task and before starting another. Most of us instinctively reach for our phones to numb out. What if, instead, we treated that time like the NBA 2K25 show? Use five minutes to genuinely reflect on one small win from your morning, with the same analytical but light-hearted spirit those virtual hosts use. I’ve started doing this, and it’s shifted my baseline. Instead of seeing my day as a series of tasks, I see it as a narrative with entertaining commentary. The second step is to curate your own “panel of hosts.” We all have internal voices—the critic, the cheerleader, the worrier. The goal isn’t to silence them but to direct the conversation, much like a good TV host moderates a debate. When my inner critic starts ranting about a mistake, I consciously bring in my “analyst” voice to dissect what can be learned, and my “mirth” voice to find the absurdity in the situation. It sounds silly, but by personifying these perspectives, you move from being a passive recipient of your thoughts to an active director of your internal dialogue.

The third step is where we move from mindset to action, and it involves defining what “abundance” means in a measurable way. Vague goals yield vague results. For me, abundance isn’t just a financial figure; it’s a measure of discretionary time, meaningful connections, and creative energy. I set a goal last quarter to increase my “creative abundance” by dedicating five hours per week to a non-work project. I tracked it religiously, and by the end, I had not only completed the project but found that the joy from it spilled over, increasing my productivity in my main work by an estimated 15-20%. The data point might be specific to me, but the principle is universal: define your currency of abundance and track a leading indicator. The fourth step is engineered serendipity. The joyful hosts in the game don’t just happen upon great topics; their show is structured for discovery. We must structure our lives for positive chance. This means saying yes to one low-stakes social invitation per week when you’d rather stay in, or spending 30 minutes learning something tangentially related to your field. I forced myself to attend a local art walk last month, which felt unrelated to my work in digital content. A conversation there directly inspired the framework for a client presentation that was exceptionally well-received. Abundance often flows from unexpected connections, but you have to be in the stream to catch it.

Finally, the fifth step is the discipline of celebration. In the pursuit of more, we often forget to acknowledge what we already have. The TV show in NBA 2K25 works because it celebrates the sport—the history, the debates, the highlights. We need a ritual that does the same for our lives. Every Friday, I now take ten minutes to write down three “weekly highlights,” not just achievements, but moments of pure joy or connection. This isn’t a gratitude journal in the traditional sense; it’s more like producing my own highlight reel. This practice, which I’ve maintained for about four months now, has fundamentally rewired my attention to scan for positive moments actively, making me far more likely to notice and therefore attract more of them. It creates a feedback loop of recognition and attraction.

Ultimately, unlocking a happy fortune isn’t about a single lottery-ticket moment. It’s the cumulative effect of how we choose to experience the mundane intervals, direct our inner narrative, define and track what matters, open ourselves to chance, and ritualize celebration. It’s about making the entire season of your life worth watching, not just the championship games. My experience with that quirky little video game segment was a potent reminder that the infrastructure for joy and abundance is often already in place in our daily routines. We just need to change the channel from autopilot to intentional, engaged hosting. The playbook is there. The next move is yours to call.