10 Steps to Happiness

Day 1 What are the three things you are grateful for today?

That I can move my body by myself is something to be thankful for. That I

am healthy and not sick to the point I am spending money is another thing to
be grateful for. That I have a roof over my head is yet another thing I am
grateful for.

Meditation: List three things that you are grateful for today. Focus on these
things. Stay with the feeling that you get when you think about how grateful
you are for them.

Affirm: Thank you God for all my blessings. I open myself for more blessings.

Day 2 What are the things that make you happy?

What are the three things that make me feel good about myself? For some of
us, doing physical exercise helps us. It could be that we are dancing to our
favourite music or going to the gym or taking a walk. For others, it could be
karaoke, singing along to our favourite songs. It could be taking ourselves out
on a treat. Identify those three things that make you happy and try to do at
least one of them today.

Meditation: Think of those things that make you happy. Remember or

imagine yourself doing those things. Stay in this imagination for as long as you
desire.

Affirm: Happiness is here and now. I allow myself to feel happiness.

Day 3 What does happiness mean to me?

All of us should not define happiness the same way. For one person, happiness
means sweet meals. For another person, happiness means good health. What is
happiness to you? Your definition of happiness should be original to you, not
what society says happiness should be. What does happiness mean to you? Let
your answer come from your soul.
 Meditation: What is my definition of happiness and how can I be in line and
in sync with that definition.

Affirm: Today, I embody happiness.

Day 4 What are my thoughts creating?

All problems exist in our minds. When we over-think a situation, we make it

more serious. We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. If our over-
thinking can create problems, it means there is a possibility we can use our
thoughts to think ourselves into a healthy mental space.

Meditation: Create a happy fantasy situation and stay in that fantasy. Imagine
all the things are happening in real life.

Affirm: Today, I am in charge of my thoughts.

Day 5 What are the things in my control?

Before you were born, life was moving on its own. Life happens even when we
don’t try to influence it. It is okay to remove your hands from the steering and
watch life unfold. Trust that life is happening for you. When we give it real
thought, we are not in control of much. All we can do is trust God and know
that we exist in God’s thoughts. We can surrender to a higher power.

Meditation: Think of the things that are in your control. Think of the things
that are out of your control.

Affirmation: Life is happening for me. Everything happening in my life is

leading to my greater good. I trust God. I let go and I let God. (Say these
affirmation during the course of the day and trust God while at it.)

Day 6 Do I love myself?

How are the ways you love yourself? You can love yourself by eating good
meals, working out, or anything that appeals to you. When we love ourselves,
we show ourselves more compassion. We realise that we are doing the best we
 can from the limits of our knowledge.

Meditation: What are the ways I can show myself more love?

Affirm: I love myself.

Day 7 What are the magical things in my life?

There is magic and wonder happening within us and all around us. That you
can take a breath easily is wonderful. That your body has its own intelligence
is another wonder. Today, train your mind to see the wonderful and beautiful
things happening all about you. When we tune our minds to see only the
beautiful things, we will only see beautiful things. It is the same way that you
will keep seeing a red car when you start thinking of a red car.

Meditation: Think of all the beautiful things in your life.

Affirm: I call in more beautiful things into my life.

What are the things I am thankful for?

Day 8
It is already a week of this practice. What are the things you are thankful for
today? List 10 things for which you are thankful.

Meditation: As you are in the meditative state, think of all the things you are
grateful for and feel the happiness that those things give to you.

Affirmation: I am thankful for all my blessings.

Day 9 Pain is a constant; suffering is optional. What is this pain teaching me?

There will always be challenges in life. These challenges are meant for us to
grow on all planes of our existence. It is like going to the gym and carrying
weights for the first time. At first, we feel so much pain. The aftermath of
having aching muscles is a whole kind of suffering. However, with time, we
become used to the weights and it becomes nothing to us. That is the same
thing with life. The pain will always be there, but pain is bearable when we can
find meaning in it. Until we learn the lesson from the situation we face, it will
 not go away.

Meditation: What is this situation teaching me? How can I use it for my
advantage to make me a better person?

Day What you fight persists.

10
Imagine you are swimming for the first time. Your first impulse is to struggle
against the water. This in itself is a fight response. In doing this, we find
ourselves drowning. However, we notice that we can actually float when we
stop fighting the water. In doing this, we become one with the water and trust
that the water will not drown us. The same applies in life. What we fight
persists. This also links with trusting God. Don’t fight anything. Understand
that life is working for you.

Meditation: How can I move through life without fighting?

Affirm: Life is working for me. This situation is working in my favour.

With these practices for the first ten days, you will see a difference. Because in
doing this, you are changing the way you see the situation on ground. Challenges
will always be a part of our lives. What happens is that as we get older, we come
up with more creative ways to navigate them.