90/10

Well hey there!

I’m in somewhat of a funk this morning, so I thought I would share something with you that my sister emailed to me this week.  It’s fantastic and can totally change our perspective if we let it.

Discover the 90/10 Principle

-It will change your life, or at least the way you react to situations.

Author: Stephen Covey

What is this Principle?

10% of life is made up of of what happens to you…90% of life is decided by how you react.

What does this mean?  We really have NO control over 10% of what happens to us.

You cannot control a red light.  However, you can control your reaction.  Do not let people fool you.  YOU can control how you react.  Let us use an example:

You are having breakfast with your family.  Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. 

You have no control over what has just happened.

What happens next will be determined by how you react.

You curse.  You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.  She breaks down in tears.  After scolding her, you turn to your wife and you criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table.  A short verbal battle follows.  You storm upstairs and change your shirt.  Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish her breakfast and get ready to go to school.  She misses the bus.

Your spouse must leave immediately for work.  You rush  to the car and drive your daughter to school.  Because you are late, you drive 40 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour speed limit zone.

After a 15-minute delay and throwing away $60.00 on a traffic fine, you arrive at school.  Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye.

After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you realize you forgot your briefcase.  Your day has started terrible.  As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse.  You look forward to coming home.

When you arrive home, you find a small wedge in your relationship with your wife and daughter.  Why? 

Because of how you reacted in the morning.

  Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?

B) Did your daughter cause it?

C) Did the policeman cause it?

D) Did you cause it?

The answer is “D”

You had no control over what happened with the coffee.   How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day.  Here is what could have and should have happened:

Coffee splashes all over you.  Your daughter is about to cry.

You gently say: “It’s okay, honey, you just need to be more careful next time.”

Grabbing a towel you go upstairs and change your shirt.  You grab your briefcase, and you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus.  She turns and waves.  You arrive for work 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff.

Notice the difference?

Two different scenarios.  Both started the same.  Both ended different. 

Why?

Because of how YOU reacted.  You really have no control over10% of what happens in your life.  The other 90% is determined by your reaction.

Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems, and headaches.  We all must understand and apply the 90/10 Principle.  It can change your life!

…Enjoy it…

It’s great, right?!  Talk about some fresh perspective!  Thank you, Jessa, for sharing it with me.  I think I’m going to read this at the beginning of every day…maybe copy it and put it in with my daily devotional book. 

Have a GREAT rest of your day… and REACT WELL!

xoxo