How Much Happiness Is Choice?

In his article, 10 Powerful Ways to Create Your Own Happiness, Dr. Travis Bradberry argues that emotional intelligence (EQ) is critical to happiness.  He also makes the convincing point that about half your happiness is up to how you choose to react:

Happiness actually has less to do with your circumstances than you might think. A University of Illinois study found that people who earn the most (more than $10 million annually) are only a smidge happier than the average Joes and Janes who work for them, and psychologists from the University of California found that genetics and life circumstances only account for about 50% of a person’s happiness. The rest is up to you.

If 50% of your happiness is based on your choice of reaction (Stephen Covey's First Habit: "Be Proactive") and the other half is largely outside your control, where do you focus your attention?  

Happiness Posts is published by Darin M. Klemchuk founder of Klemchuk PCLC, an intellectual property law firm located in Dallas, Texas and co-founder of Engage Workspace for Lawyers, a coworking space for lawyers. He also publishes the Ideate (law) and Elevate (law firm culture) blogs. You can find more information about his law practice at his firm bio and also at his BioSite.