I'll Take Superhero Powers

There are more self-help books at any bookstore than almost any other kind, it seems. No matter who one is or what he or she has, it always seesm that there's something missing in life...necessitating the obligatory plethora of self-help books. I suspect that such tomes are merely cheaper than therapy, but I also suspect most people who buy them don't really read them all the way through. Face it, nobody likes to be reminded of what they have to do to achieve what they don't have since it always sounds like too much work. Of course it is, or they would be doing those things already. Now comes word from researchers that between 40% and 50% of happiness might be genetic in nature! That's great! One more reason for me to reach for the mocha fudge and forget about the endorphin-laced exercise regimen: I'm doomed to be unhappy since my parents were!(Like most research, there's a margin for error here, and I'm counting on that!)
Anyway, the folks at RealAge have a quiz online which will help one decide if he or she is destined to be happy or not. By responding to the questions, one can decide whether his or her subjective health is better than objective health. The former relates to how one views the current health status, and the latter relates to how the medical profession might view the health status. Thus, it would seem that it's not what happens healthwise but how one views it that matters.(half full/half empty drivel)
It's not a surprise to me that researchers have discovered that mood disorders are worse for us than physical disorders; nor is it any suprise that personal hobbies and an active social life can lead to happiness and longevity, but I have to take a bit of umbrage at their description of marriage as a "social life." simply because so many people fail at marriage that the unhappiness quotient must be quite high.
Anyway, in the quiz, there was a list of eleven items, and one needed to select the three most likely to increase personal happiness. After selection, the "submit" button led to a description of how happy the choices would possibly make one.

Choices included the following:
1. A massage 2. A million dollars 3. Becoming fluent in a foreign language 4. Hangin' in a beach house with 5 close friends 5. Losing 10 pounds 6. World peace 7. An organized garage 8. Having superhero powers 9. Getting a glowing dental report 10. Taking a long walk in the park 11. A sharp rise in your investments.

For the record, "world peace" is a crappy answer because it sets unreal expectations which are bound to disappoint, but I figure it's as likely as winning a million bucks. Therefore, I choose having superhero powers, but I get to choose which ones. You'll know if I ever get them.
Should you want to take the "quiz," go to realage.com/WellnessCenter/articles.aspx and discover is you have the keys to happiness...if not, it's probably just a genetic flaw.