The 90/10 Principle

Author: Stephen Covey


What is this Principle?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you.

…90% of life is decided by how you react…

π

What does this mean?

We really have NO control over 10% of what happens to us.

We cannot stop the car from breaking down.
The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off.
A driver may cut us off in the traffic.

π

We have NO control over this 10%.

The other 90% is different.
You determine the other 90%.

How?... By your reaction.

π

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.

π

You have no control over what has just happened.

What happens next will be determined by how you react.

π

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 getting ready to go to school.
She misses the bus.

π

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 mph speed limit zone.

π

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

After arriving at the office 20 minute late,
You realize you forgot your briefcase.

π

Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse.
You look forward to coming home.

π

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

π

Why?
Because of how you reacted in the morning.

Why did you have a bad day?

π

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”

π

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

π

Here is what could have and should have happened.

π
Coffe splashes 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 5 minutes early a cheerfully greet the staff.
Notice the difference?

π

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

Why?

Because of how you reacted.
π

You really have no control over 10%
of what happens in your life.

π

The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

π

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 Principle.

If someone says something negative about you, do not be a sponge.
Let the attack roll off like water on glass.
You do not have to let the negative comments affect you.

React properly and it will not ruin your day.
A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, or getting stressed out.

How do you react if someone cuts you off in the traffic?

Do you lose your temper?
Pound on the steering wheel? (a friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off),
Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket?
Who cares if you arrive 10 seconds later at work?
Why let the cars ruin your drive?

π

Remember the 90/10 Principle and don’t worry about it.

You are told you lost your job.
Why lose sleep and get irritated?
It will work out.

Use your worrying energy and time to find a new job.
π

The plane is late. It is going to mangle your schedule for the day.

Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant?
She has no control over what is going on.

Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger, why stress out?
It will just make things worse.

π

Now you know the 90/10 Principle.
Apply it and you will be amazed at the results.
You will lose nothing if you try it.

The 90/10 Principle is incredible.
Very few know and apply this Principle.

The result?

You will see it by yourself!
π

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!

π

It only takes willpower to give ourselves permission to make the experience.

Got Heroes?

When i transferred to new staff house, i was happy that we had a DVD player and Magic Sing. My new housemates were also avidcollectors of movies in DVD and those TV series, like Smallville, Alias, Prison break, 24, and Heroes.

Of course, I am already familiar with the first 4 titles. Bu the last one, Heroes, i haven't seen yet. I was told it was actually being shown in the Philippines under RPN. But since our TV is ony tuned to GMA and ABS-CBN, i never got to see it back in pinas.

And so, i took out 4 DVDs of Heroes - Season 1.

However, i go to my friend, Mr. Wiki, for a synopsis of the Heroes series.

Season One

Isaac's painting of Manhattan's destruction in "Genesis" - the following episode, set five weeks in the future, depicts the same explosion, and the painting forms the basis of the primary story arc of the first season. The volume begins as a seemingly ordinary group of people gradually become aware that they have special abilities. Events illustrate their reactions to these powers, and how the discovery affects their personal and professional lives. At the same time, several ordinary individuals are investigating the origins and extent of these abilities. Mohinder Suresh, a geneticist, continues his late father's research into the biological source of the change, while Noah Bennet represents a secret organization known only as the "Company". While coping with these new abilities, each of the characters is drawn, willingly or unwillingly, into the Company's conspiracy to control superpowered people and into a race to stop an explosion from destroying New York City.

The episodes here are eally action-pack and showcases the powers of each individual, whether used in good or bad ways, and how it came to an end (self-destruction or by Sylar or by the company). I got hooked.

Season Two

Volume two begins four months after the events of Kirby Plaza. The main plot arc of "Generations" deals with the Company and its research on the Shanti virus. This research is explored through the Company's founders, whose identities are revealed, as well as through the effects of various strains of the virus. The "heroes" ultimately come together in an attempt to stop the release of a deadly strain of the virus and avert a global pandemic.

I was a bit annoyed that in Season Two, all the usual bad guys, foremost of which is Sylar, came back. I can already smell the usual venganza in the air. But the introduction of new characters with new powers kept me watching Heroes 2.

Season Three

Volume Three began with the assassination attempt on Nathan Petrelli, and the consequences it has in the future. In addition, several villains escape from the confines of Level 5, and the Company attempts to recapture them. Arthur Petrelli heals from systemic nerve damage with the help of Adam Monroe's healing abilities and eventually gains a few of the villains (Flint Gordon Jr., Knox, and Daphne Millbrook) while later luring in Mohinder Suresh, Nathan, Tracy Strauss , Elle Bishop, and Sylar. Their objective is to create a formula to give people abilities but after many failures they soon realize they need to find the catalyst. Claire and Hiro go back in time with Hiro being given the catalyst by his mother. This is short-lived when Arthur intervenes and grabs the catalyst. Afterwards, Peter Petrelli, The Haitian face off Arthur at Pinehearst where they fight for control of the formula. In the end, Arthur is shot dead by Peter's bullet through Sylar's telekinesis ability, saying he is the killer not Peter. Peter injects himself with the formula in order to save Nathan, who was on his fathers side. Ando is given the ability to charge other peoples abilities (which helped him grab Hiro from the past with the help of Daphne's super-speed ability); Claire, Noah Bennet, and Angela Petrelli fight off Sylar at Primatech in which Meredith's ability goes awry burning the building to the ground with Sylar presumably dead.

I borrowed one DVD containing the first episode only. I looked for the entire set from pirated DVD vendors but couldn't get one. Until I mentioned my frustration to a Pinoy colleague, Roland, about my recent obssession with Heroes. Roland said he has a collection of the episodes he downloaded from the internet. I was finally able to see what looked like an ultimate showdown of superheroes - to the death. I felt annoyed that Peter lost his 'empath' ability, and with it, all the powers he collected from others. Also annoying is Sylar getting split-personality of good guy-bad guy characterization. I was expecting Ando to get a better ability than a 'power booster', super spark plug.

Already, I was beginning to think of how to get hold of Season 4.

Season Four

Volume Four begins with Nathan Petrelli telling the president about the existence of individuals who possess superhuman abilities. The president authorizes Nathan to capture heroes, and the majority of the main characters are rounded up, with the exception of Sylar, who escapes Nathan's agents while attempting to locate his biological father.

After futile attempt to download from the links given in got-heroes.com, i decided to try my luck with the torrents. I felt lucky that the new episodes (HDTV-rip) were already available on the torrent. Boy, aren't these torrent folks great. I was only able to download episodes 15 & 16 yet.

However, i felt that the first two episodes -- Trust and Blood and Building 26 -- were quite lame. It was all 'preparation'. Actions were intermittent. And there's plenty of incredulities in it. Hiro falling hard, face-flat into the ground without his eyeglasses flying or getting broken. The plane crash episode shows characters with a bad case of 'effects' make-up... Too tidy and neat to come out in a smoking and blazing plane...

Daphne getting killed despite her super-fast reflexes. And Matt Parkman not going ballistic with her death. Ando being unable to 'spark' Hiro's ability to come back. Noah Bennet's obssession in protecting Claire and in so doing he must again abduct people with abilities. And Claire's gung-ho attitude which always ends with her getting captured.

I really do not understand anymore Claire's role in this episode. I am beginning to think that this is going to be Sylar's season.

Anyways, 3 more episodes to watch...

--

Which got me to thinking. The reason why i am still watching Heroes is that i want to know which path Tim Kring will go. So far, the entire Heroes episodes tells of how people wih special abilities are despised or dstrusted by 'regular' people. Or want to be manipulated by others to do their vested interests -- like rule the world.

Some people with special disabilities are called 'freaks'. And special abilities doesn't have to mean super powers. A person with dyslexia, or with Down's Syndrome, or ADHD is a person with special ability, in some ways. For the rest of us, supposedly 'normal' people, we tend to consider them freak of nature or the weak link in our genetic pool. For all we know, for those with 'special abilities' or with 'special needs', "we" are the ones wo are freaks...

So far, Tim Kring reinforces our "normal" belief that people with superhuman abilities tend to wreck havoc to our regular lives, instead of becoming reluctant heroes like Spiderman or Superman that will save the day (and the planet) for us...

The only truism in Heroes is what Hiro realized in the Indian episode. That you do not need to have special powers or abilities to be a hero.

And that is why we comfort ourselves reading the news that there really are everyday heroes, the realistic heroes. No super power except the innate power to help and be of help to others, to lay one own's life to protect others... they are the real definition of 'heroes' ....