Holland, Michigan, Happiest Because Of Giving Nature?

Despite harsh winter conditions and high levels of unemployment, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index rates the small Michigan town of Holland-Grand Haven as one of the happiest in the United States. The index ranks Holland as second only to Boulder, Colo. in terms of “well-being,” a term which includes the physical and mental health of residents, as well as job satisfaction and other measures of happiness.

So what’s making these Michiganites so happy? As ABC News has recently pointed out, Holland also ranks as the second most generous town in the country. Holland residents are committed to regularly giving back, whether it’s lending a helping hand to a neighbor or volunteering with a local organization — and that just might explain what keeps them smiling.

More…