What is the 90/10 Principle? It means that 10 percent of life is made up of what happens to you; 90 percent of life is decided by how you react. Let's use an example.

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 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. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school.  Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye.

After arriving late at the office, work 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 spouse and daughter. Why? Because of your reaction that morning.

You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds, is what caused your bad day.

Apply the 90/10 principle. It will change your life, at least the way you react to situations.