Coaching Practice - What is the Secret of Happiness?

BBC - January 2006 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2630869.stm
Reports a study purporting to say that it has solved one of the mysteries plaguing mankind – just what is the secret of happiness?

One of the authors (Life Coach-Pete Cohen) of the study has come up with an equation to reflect: Happiness = P (5xE) (3xH)

Just to explain, P stands for Personal Characteristics, including outlook on life, adaptability and resilience. E stands for Existence and relates to health, financial stability and friendships. And H represents Higher Order needs, and covers self-esteem, expectations, ambitions and sense of humour.

Some of the questions used in the study:
1. Are you outgoing, energetic, flexible and open to change?
2. Do you have a positive outlook, bounce back quickly from setbacks and feel that you are in control of your life?
3. Are your basic life needs met, in relation to personal health, finance, safety, freedom of choice and sense of community?
4. Can you call on the support of people close to you, immerse yourself in what you are doing, meet your expectations and engage in activities that give you a sense of purpose?

The questions should be answered on a scale of one to ten, where one is "not at all" and ten is "to a large extent"

Add the scores for question one and two together to find your P value.
The score for question 3 is the value for E, and question 4 for H

Apparently the formula was worked out by psychologists after interviews with more than 1,000 people.