What makes people happy – I mean, really happy?
Many of us believe we’ll be over the moon if we get a good education, find a great job and make lots of money. But a recent study found that what really makes us happy is membership within a tight-knit community – one that includes regular church attendance.
Which is exactly how Scripture tells us we ought to live.
Happiness researchers at Canada’s McGill University and the Vancouver School of Economics recently surveyed data collected from 400,000 Canadians. They found that “average life satisfaction” in the rural areas they sampled are “significantly higher” than in urban areas.
Factors in greater happiness include shorter commutes – which means more time with family. Areas where fewer people spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing (again, typically rural areas) tend to be happier.