Word Alive
90/10 principle
By FR. BEL R. SAN LUIS, SVD
August 21, 2011, 8:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Let me share the following article I came across which conveys a beautiful lesson worth practicing.
What is the 90/10 principle? It means that 10% of life is made up of what happens beyond our control. For instance, we cannot stop the car from breaking down, the plane from a arriving late, which throws our whole schedule off.
The other 90% is different. You can control the 90%. How? By your reaction.
* * *
Let’s illustrate. You are eating 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 spouse and 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 breakfast and get ready for 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 60 kilometers an hour in a 40 kilometers speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 (traffic fine) away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye.
After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse.
* * *
Here is what could have been done and should have happened. Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry.
* * *
You gently say, “It’s OK honey, just be more careful next time.” Grabbing a towel, you rush upstairs. After pulling out a new shirt and your briefcase, 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 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.
A powerful principle... especially for those who have “short fuses” or easily blow their top.
* * *
source:http://www.mb.com.ph
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