what are your worries and wishes?

several years ago,1500 people in the U.S. responded to this survey. Before you read some of the results, try to guess how they answered the questions.

Q: what are your worries and wishes?

Past and present:

1. Is your life more or less satisfying that it was five years ago?

2. Is your life more or less stressful that it was five years ago?
3. What in your life gives you the most satisfaction?

4. What in your life gives you the most stress?

Future:

5. Do you expect your children's lives to be easier to harder than yours?

6. What is your biggest worry about the future?

7. Complete this sentence with two of our choices or your own "I wish I could.."

...attend the Cannes Film Festival

...camp in the wilderness

...find a cure for cancer

...fly in a hot air balloon

...gamble at Monte Carlo

...go on safari

...go white water rafting

...have dinner at the White house

...same someone's life

...take a flight to space

...visit Australia

...win a lottery

The results of the survey were mixed. For example, 50% who took the survey said their lives were more satisfying than they'd been five years earlier. But 50% also said they were more stressful! The majority said their children and marriages gave them the most satisfaction, but 44% said their children gave them stress.

In general, Americans are optimistic; 66% expect their children's lives to be easier than their own. Their biggest worry about the future is whether they will have enough money.

When they dream about the future, visiting Australia is one of the top three wishes for both women and men. Women dream about gambling at Monte Carlo and having dinner at the White House while men are more likely to choose going a safari ore camping in the wilderness.

Americana's optimism shows again when it comes to winning a lottery. Eight out of ten dream about winning, and seven out of those ten spend at least $1.00 a month trying.