Conceptually, it is very simple to achieve genuine happiness: you only have to (1) identify your genuine aggregate needs – financial, functional, emotional and spiritual; and (2) satisfy these needs.
To a certain extent, you can identify your genuine needs yourself – by using the best tool by far (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs). Just make sure you use the extended (six-layer) version – the one that includes self-transcendence.
However, it might be wise to study the appropriate book (there hundreds, if not thousands, on the market), video (ditto), Web site (of course), blog and/or other happiness-focused resource. Obviously, your life MUST become happiness-focused as well – your first vital set is to make a firm commitment to genuine happiness.
It might also be advisable to visit happiness-focused lectures, seminars (or webinars), consult the appropriate psychologist… and, of course, a priest (if you are a follower of some kind of organized religion, of course).
However, you will inevitably find that recommendations and instructions by “all of the above” ultimately boil down to a few (relatively) simple but vitally important steps.
You CAN NOT be genuinely happy, obviously, if you poison your body with unhealthy food, drink, alcohol, tobacco or drugs (especially illegal ones). So, if you are a smoker, than quit – you DO have the power to do that for good.
Ditto for alcohol and drugs (even if you are abusing a perfectly legal one). Ultimately it is better to “take no pills” at all and yes, you have the power to make it happen.
It is usually the best decision to avoid alcohol at all – and yes, you have the power to make it happen, too. However, if you find quitting extremely difficult, then consult your physician to determine the right amount of your alcohol consumption.
Including the right kinds of drink, of course. And, of course, choose the most competent dietician and develop a customized diet as there is no such thing as one-diet-that-fits all. And stick to this diet no matter what.
However, you must always be aware of one fundamental and vitally important fact. Ultimately, happiness is all about energy. Divine, invisible, spiritual energy inside your so-called “subtle bodies”. Your invisible, intangible, spiritual bodies (you have six of them – in addition to your visible, tangible, physical body).
This energy is called by different names – prana, chi, qi, Holy Spirit, Divine Grace and even Kundalini. These names refer to different components of this Divine Life Force.
Your happiness is ultimately determined by the amount of Divine Life Force in your “subtle bodies”; consequently, to achieve genuine happiness you MUST accumulate and maintain a certain “critical mass” of this energy.
The first requirement is to avoid the eight deadly sins – pride, greed, gluttony, sloth, wrath/rage/hatred, lust, envy and fear (yes, fear is a very deadly sin). In other words, you must make sure that your thoughts, words, decisions and actions (yes, all of them) are NOT driven by these deadly sins. Because these sins destroy your Divine Life Force and thus ruthlessly kill your happiness.
In particular, you MUST develop (and stick to) a healthy spiritual diet. In other words, you must read, watch and listen only to the media (books, movies, music, images, etc.) that is saturated with the Divine Life Force.
And does not contain (explicitly or implicitly) these eight deadly sins. It might seem impossible to develop (and stick to) such a “media portfolio” but in reality it is not difficult – your “sixth sense” will take care of it.
Divine Life Force must be accumulated both “from the inside” and “from the outside”. Inside and outside of you, of course. Your internal source of the DLF is called Kundalini. Kundalini is a (potentially) enormously powerful energy that resides in your subtle bodies (more precisely, in the so-called Muladhara Charka at the base of your spine). Unfortunately, “by default” Kundalini is dormant so to use it to accumulate the critical mass of Divine Life Force, you have to awaken it (using Kundalini-yoga).
To use the external source of the DLF, you MUST commit yourself to a customized system of spiritual (meditation and mudra-yoga) and physical (Tai-Chi, Qigong or yoga) exercises. Obviously, to develop the right system of spiritual and physical exercise for you, you simply have to hire a knowledgeable and experienced instructor(s).
An individual (and thus his or her happiness) is determined by his or her decisions and actions. Consequently, it is absolutely vital to establish and maintain a tight control not only over your thoughts and words (spiritual exercises will take care of that) but also over your decisions and actions.
To make it happen, you must plan your work (i.e. how you intend to become and stay genuinely happy) for every year, month, week and day – and work your plan. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail in this case, in your pursuit of happiness. Plain and simple.
Every individual is (of course) defined by his/her occupation as well. Consequently, you MUST choose occupation that makes you happy (in other words, generates the highest amount of emotional and spiritual value). And only then figure out how to make money with it. For a genuinely happy individual, emotional and spiritual value ALWAYS comes before the financial one.