Is it worth trying to be happy? The long awaited answers are here!

Apologies for keeping people hanging on this one. I have been enjoying life away from the computer with a trip around the USA and Canada. My last post was one that I wanted to get out there so much that I did it all via my mobile phone. Apologies for any typos that popped up in the process.
I often define the happy and fulfilling life to my clients as a balance of connection to people, connection to nature and connection to a purpose. The latter may include hobbies, projects, and family roles. For many, connection to a greater purpose or a greater good is also valued (be it community / country / a god etc). I find that travelling helps me really connect to new environments that are beautiful, new and therefore stimulating. I find that connecting to people from other cultures helps strengthen my sense of identity about where I fit in the world, and I love connecting to and learning from people from other parts of the world and realising our shared values. More importantly, I just love to “shoot the sh**” and have a good time. That’s a great thing to have in common.

Is it worth trying to be happy? Part 2: The results

Firstly,

Apologies for this having taken so long. I have been overseas working on my knowledge, connection to people and connection to nature.

A couple of weeks ago I posted the following Quiz:

Which of the following were scientifically proven to correlate with happiness*?

-wealth
-physical health
-education
-socio-political climate (ie your system of government)
-age
-gender
-religion
-race
climate (weather)
-number of friends
-marriage

I asked you to take a guess about what the findings may have been be from large randomized controlled surveys conducted across thousands of people (mainly in the Americas ) from a mix of different backgrounds on what happy people have in common.

So here are the trends suggested by recent research:

Wealth
A cross-national survey involving thousands of adults indicated that once gross national product exceeds $8,000 per person, added wealth brings no further life satisfaction. in summary, being poor seems to have a negative effect on happiness, and being rich does not have a significant effect on happiness overall. In very poor nations, where poverty threatens life itself, being rich does predict greater well-being. In wealthier nations, where basic needs are generally met, even the fabulously rich are not substantially happier.

-physical health
-education
-sociopolitical climate (ie your system of government)
-age
-gender
-religion
-race
climate (weather)
-number of friends
-marriage