A recent Gallup poll, quoted in The Atlantic, found that "well-being rises with income at all levels of income, across countries." In other words, as the article's title states, the poll proves that "Yes, Money Does Buy Happiness."

Except that it doesn't prove that at all. What the study actually discovered was a "strong correlation" between each nation's real GDP per capita and the sense of "well-being" among those nation's citizens.

Correlation isn't causation. The data could just as easily be interpreted the other way around: that happiness creates wealth. What's most likely, though, is that happiness and wealth are part of a cycle, each one creating more of the other.

And that's the reason for this post. Assuming you want to create both wealth and happiness for yourself and those around you, you have two approaches: wait until you're wealthy to be happy, or become more happy now and thereby create more wealth.

I maintain that, in today's economy, it's easier to start with the happiness, because unlike wealth (which takes time to accumulate), you can increase the amount of happiness in your life within minutes, simply by taking more notice of things that make you happy.

With that in mind, here are ten things that can make you happy immediately, regardless of where you are in the cycle.

1. Life

It's easy to forget that the mere fact of conscious existence--that you are alive--is itself a miracle. As the old saying goes "every day above ground is a good day."

2. Health

Rather than thinking of illness as something bad that happens to you, start thinking of health as something good that's happening to you.

3. Purpose

There is nothing more conducive to long-term happiness than knowing that your actions are making the world a better place.

4. Friendship

Almost everyone has friends, although it's easy to lose track of them in the rush of events. Take a few minutes--today--to reconnect with some of them.

5. Family

If you've got a good relationship with your family, rejoice! You're experiencing one of the deepest sources of happiness on the planet.

6. Self-reliance

Feeling secure that you can count on yourself to accomplish what you set out to accomplish creates a quiet but potent happiness.

7. Community

Having the support of a wider group makes you more aware that you're part of something greater than yourself.

8. Gratitude

Rather than focusing on what you don't have or what's out of reach, be thankful for the wonderful things already in your life.

9. Laughter

It is impossible to laugh and be miserable at the same time. Regular doses of laughter are more than medicine... it's the flavor of life.

10. Love

'Nuff said.

Create these ten things in your life and I guarantee that you'll either become more wealthy or, if not, you won't really care anyway because you'll already have what's important.

STUDY: Booze Before Bedtime May Lead to Bad Sleep

While it’s been known for a while that alcohol shortens the time it takes you to fall asleep and increases deep sleep, a new study shows that the sleep might not be that satisfying.

Researchers found that alcohol ends up decreasing sleep quality by disrupting the sleep cycle.

So while people are able to fall asleep faster when they booze it up at night, their deep sleep is interrupted during the second half of the night. This ends up messing up concentration, motor skills, and memory during the day. (CBS News)

SYLVESTER STALLONE: Settled "Abuse" Case With Half-Sister

One of the skeletons in Sylvester Stallone's closet has just come out -- in the '80s, he paid millions to settle an abuse case with his half-sister.

According to the New York Post, when Sly was at the height of his Rocky and Rambo fame, he agreed to pay Toni-Ann Filiti $2 million plus $16,666 a month for life. Filiti, who died last year at age 48, said it was compensation for physical and emotional injuries. Stallone's camp insisted at the time and continues to assert that it was a shakedown and that he agreed to it on the advice of his lawyers.

Sources say Filiti had been threatening to sue before the two sides reached the agreement.

WEIRD NEWS: Fired for Facebook

An Arizona woman found that Facebook has a lot in common with a genie in a bottle after the social media service granted her a wish – to be axed from her job on a particularly bad work day.

Amy McClenathan said she was having a bad day and thinking about the anniversary of her mother's death when she fired off a post reading, "I wish I could get fired some days; it would be easier to be at home than to have to go through this." She had that wish come true the very next day when her boss called her in to give her the boot because of the online venting.

She says she has been blacklisted from her industry and has been unable to get full-time work since her firing. (Arizona Daily Star)

WEIRD NEWS: Snow Excuse for This Crime

An Ohio woman who gained the nickname "the cleaning fairy" for breaking into strangers' homes to straighten up is at it again – this time randomly shoveling driveways of folks she doesn't know.

Susan Warren was arrested earlier this week after someone filed a report about a "suspicious woman" armed with a shovel working her way down a driveway in Elyria [pr ill-EE-ree-uh] without permission. While she was scolded for the action, she was actually busted on charges of violating her probation for the earlier break-ins.

The officer who busted Warren said she was found with almost $1,000 in cash, so the snow shoveling must have been “pretty lucrative.” (Elyria Chronicle-Telegram)

BATTLE OF THE BULGE: Mixed-Weight Couples Fight More

According to a new study, mixed-weight couples, where one partner is overweight and the other one isn't, have more relationship conflict, including arguments and feelings of anger and resentfulness, than same-weight couples.

Researchers found that the most troubled relationships had a healthy-weight man and an overweight woman.

When just the man was overweight, couples reported no more conflict than same-weight couples.

KIM KARDASHIAN: Mom Never Beat Me

Kim Kardashian is rushing to her mother's defense after a tabloid ran diary excerpts accusing Kris Jenner of beating her daughter when she was young.

Earlier this week, In Touch magazine published quotes allegedly from the late Robert Kardashian's handwritten diaries. In one, he writes that Kris kicked and beat Kim when she was eight. In another, the high-powered attorney claimed that Kris was having an affair with a soccer player when the girls were still pre-teens. The diary was allegedly authenticated by Robert's widow Ellen.

In three Tweets, Kim blasted the allegations:

• "10 years since Dad passed and this woman he married for two weeks before he died needs to get a job instead of trying to destroy families with fake stories."
• "So my dad's ex is selling ridiculous stories again to tabloids! Do not believe it! Sad when people need money and get desperate."
• "P.S.: That story that my mom beat me and threatened to kill me -- hahahhahaha! I'd beat her! J.K. truly laughable! #NOTTRUE"

Source: FOX News

LANCE ARMSTRONG: Dancing With the Stars Wants Him Bad

Lance Armstrong has been offered a shot to get back into competition. It's just not in the Tour de France.

Lance has been asked to do Dancing With the Stars. In fact, producers have asked him every year since the show started, but he has always turned them down, including a spot on the upcoming season. And now that he's admitted to doping, DWTS is even more interested in casting him. A source says, "The higher-ups feel he is exactly what the show needs to bring back viewers."

Lindsay Lohan also turned down a spot on season 16 of Dancing With the Stars, which premieres March 18th.

Source: E! Online

ROBIN ROBERTS: Returns to GMA Set

Robin Roberts is one step away from returning to Good Morning America.

Robin -- who's been recovering since getting a bone-marrow transplant in September -- was at the GMA set Thursday morning for a series of dry runs before returning to the air. She explained, “My doctors want me to see how many people I actually come in contact with. How my body reacts to the stimulation -- that’s code word for stress -- of being in the studio environment. My skin is very sensitive and so we have to see how it reacts to the studio lights. My vision is still a little blurry from the treatment. All of this is getting better day by day, so that is the next step.”

Last week, Roberts said that she hopes to be back in the anchor chair in February.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

CORIN NEMEC: Badly Injured in Boating Accident

Corin Nemec, star of the '90s sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose, almost lost his life in an ugly boating accident over the weekend.

The actor was on board a Coast Guard vessel in Belize -- on his way to shoot a scene for a movie called Poseidon Rex -- when the boat crashed into a semi-submerged barge. The 41-year-old shattered his leg and says he lost more than half the blood in his body. He required multiple blood transfusions to save his life.

Corin says, "Everybody onboard that boat, including the gentlemen working for the Coast Guard, everyone is lucky to be alive."

Source: TMZ

SNOOKI: Pauly D Once Hooked Up With Lindsay Lohan

Snooki has outed her former cast mate Pauly D. In a recent interview, Snooks revealed the DJ once made out with none other than Lindsay Lohan.

The new mom says it happened "about three years ago" when the Jersey Shore cast was in Los Angeles for the first time -- promoting the first season of their famed MTV series.

Snooki seems to approve of the hook-up, telling Celebuzz, “Personally, I like Lindsay. I think she’s a fun girl and she’s made a few mistakes and people thinks she’s the devil for it.”

birthdays today: Tobe Hooper, Dean Jones

HappyBirthday to Alicia Keys. The singer turns 32 today.

TOP CELEBRITY TWEETS

Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend tops celebrity tweets.

• Piers Morgan: “Sorry, but poor old Manti is a completely deluded, ridiculously naive knucklehead. Someone has to say it.”
• Jaleel White: “Sumthin’ fishy about this Manti dude. The spidey senses are tingling.”
• Tom Bergeron: “Showbiz Rumor: Manti Te'o's previously deceased girlfriend to recur on South Park. Kenny miffed. ‘Oh my God! They killed Lennay!’”
• Bill Maher: “Republicans have to get off this Beyonce lip-syncing scandal -- if it even was lip-syncing. Manti Te'o said it sounded pretty real to him.”
• Melissa Joan Hart: “Excited to be co-hosting The View on Monday and Tuesday.”
• Eva Longoria : “Okay, how can Chopped on the Food Network make me cry by eliminating Chef Richard from New Orleans? He was adorable!"
• Brad Pitt: “I love being around positive people who see the bigger picture.”
• Steve Martin: “I’m no longer going to pack heat while tweeting.”
• Lisa Lampanelli: “Woman busted smuggling cocaine from Mexico to US in her vagina. Usually you find coke in a can, not in a box."
• Miley Cyrus: “Welcome to my wardrobe mint sweater and sparkly white/gold shorts."
• Simon Cowell: “Have been filming Britain’s Got Talent this week. Some great auditions. And some of the worst I have seen, including a dancing raccoon."

NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE QUIZ

Virtually everyone buys this -- and we throw away nearly 20 percent of it every time. What is it?
ANSWER: Toothpaste. We go through about three tubes a year per person.

MICHAEL BUBLE: He's Gonna Be a Dad!

Michael Buble and wife Luisiana Lopato are expecting their first child -- news they broke on Luisiana's website via a short but very sweet video.

The montage shows the pair canoodling, and zooms in on a still from an ultrasound before trumpeting, "We're having a Baby Buble."

Though the pair hasn't announced a due date or gender, Buble joked about the possibilities late last year, saying, “I think [Luisana] wants me to name the kids after the Twilight characters, which is not going to happen. I came up with some hypothetical names and I didn’t like the names, but she came up with… Bella Buble. I swear to God, she kept coming up with these names, and she kept saying, ‘Bella [or] I like Edward.’ And then I realized, I think she’s talking about…Twilight.”

LADY GAGA: Planning a Tony-Winning Album

Lady Gaga has confirmed what she's been hinting at for months -- that she's doing a full album with jazz legend Tony Bennett.

She hit Twitter on Wednesday to post a picture of her with Bennett, captioned, "And here's me and my handsome date. I simply cannot wait for our album together. He's my darling!" The pair have worked together in the past, collaborating on a version of "The Lady Is a Tramp" for Bennett's Duets Two album. At the time, he said, "She's the biggest. I'll tell you, I never met anyone with more talent than that lady."

Gaga and Bennett have reportedly already chosen the songs for the project and retained jazz arranger Marion Evans to work with them.

FLEETWOOD MAC: 13 More Shows

Fleetwood Mac has added 13 more shows to their upcoming North American tour. The new leg includes second dates in Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles as well as shows in Cleveland, Wantagh, Charlotte, Des Moines, Spokane, Portland, Sacramento, Albany and Montreal, Canada.

Tickets for the second leg of the trek go on sale February 1st at Ticketmaster.com.

TAYLOR SWIFT: Hits Cannes With Harry Styles?

Looks like Taylor Swift might be mixing a little business with pleasure this weekend in Cannes, France -- with One Direction’s Harry Styles.

British tabloid The Mirror says they’re staying in the same hotel and are both due to attend an awards ceremony. Here’s hoping T gets a little time off in Europe this week before she’s due back in the States for the Grammy Awards on February 10th.

JASON MRAZ: Moving into PBS's Neighborhood

Jason Mraz will slip on his coziest sweater and make his way to PBS for an appearance on Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood -- a modern re-vamp of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

Mraz, who has been known to slide “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” into his live sets, will perform that song, as well as the closing theme, "It's Such a Good Feeling," on the Valentine's Day episode of the show.

Angela Santomero, the producer of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, says, “Fred [Rogers] knew that music is very important in connecting with young viewers, and we believe he would have been very happy to know of Jason’s ‘visit’ to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.”

TAYLOR SWIFT: Girl Power!

Taylor Swift is using her star-power to promote girl-power.

She's aligned herself with Keds sneakers for a series of ads and social media campaigns designed to empower young girls. In one of the ads, T says, “If you’re lucky enough to be different from everyone else, don’t change to be the same.”

This isn't the first time she's worked with the sneaker company. Back in October, Keds issued a special Taylor Swift Red sneaker to promote her album.

FUN: Everything Old Is New

Fun leader Nate Reuss has been making records for more than a decade, but that didn't stop the Grammy folks from nominating him and his bandmates for Best New Artist -- which he says is understandable.

Reuss, who had a couple of major label shots with a band called The Format, tells the Huffington Post, "It's probably weird for the people who have been supporting whatever band I've been in for the past 10 years, but if you were to break it down, we'd be a new artist to 99 percent of the population. I definitely wouldn't have been as equipped for [success] if it happened with The Format. I'm still a [bleeping] nightmare as a human being, and I was even worse back then, so I can't even begin to imagine."

WORKING WORLD: Receptionists Don't Want to Be Called "Babe"

Giving a pet name to you significant other is cute. Calling the receptionist a pet name is offensive.

Nearly 3000 receptionists made a very long list of the names they’d been called in the office by patronizing men. About 95 percent of them said at one time or another they’d been called a derogatory pet name.

Here are the five worst pet names, which receptionists regularly hear from guys: “Babe,” “Hun,” “Kiddo,” “Dear,” and “Darlin." (SodaHead.com)