A couple embraces as they enjoy sunset on the Pont des Arts with its fence covered with padlocks clipped by lovers over the River Seine in Paris, August 10, 2013. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

It can be relieving to discover that there was a study made to unearth the secrets of living a happy and meaningful life. And with the numerous options of self-help sites and books you can choose from, it can be a lot more convincing to believe in a 75-year old research. It took a group of Harvard researchers to produce answers to the most fundamental questions of life with a study they called as the Harvard Grant Study. It was directed by George Vaillant, a Harvard psychiatrist who led the team from 1972 to 2004.

To revisit the findings of the Harvard Grant Study, here are its top five secrets and lessons that you can possibly apply in your own life:

Love Holds The Key

According to Mr Vaillant, love is one of the two main pillars of happiness in anyone's life. The other pillar is finding ways to go on with life without losing love. It is one of the most important findings of the study that relationships are what really matters in life. Anyone can have all the money and success in career and health but without loving relationships, one can never experience true happiness.

It's Never Too Late For Anyone To Be Happy

No matter how bleak life may be for you, it is still not too late to find that key of love. In the Harvard Grant Study, there was a man by the name of Godfrey Minot Camille who was one of the saddest in the people interviewed. He even attempted suicide. But as Mr Vaillant explained it, he still ended up one of the happiest since he spent his entire lifetime searching for love.

More Connections in Life, More Happiness

The Harvard Grant Study also discovered that when people develop strong connections or solid social ties, the more that it can improve the overall sense of being of each person. It can also lead to living a longer life and much improved health as it is related to having lower stress levels.

Beyond Money and Power

To have money and power in your life can certainly give happiness but they only take small parts of a bigger picture. Contentment is what's needed to live a meaningful life, for money and power can only just diminish in time.

Live Up To the Challenge of Caring For Others

The final lesson that anyone can learn from the Harvard Grant Study is how caring for others and coping with the challenges of life can bring happiness. It leads to the conclusion that for one to be happy, it also requires people to find ways to cope with the hardships of life by seeing what's positive even in the most negative of situations. Pretty much the same as finding an oasis in the middle of a desert or searching for a rainbow in the middle of the storm.