by Jay 

A Cup of Coffee, Two Reactions, and a Life-Changing Lesson

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Picture this: 

You’re having breakfast with your family.

It’s a regular morning until your daughter accidentally knocks over a cup of coffee onto your shirt.

You can’t change what just happened.

But what happens next depends entirely on how you respond. 

Scenario 1: 

You get angry. You yell at your daughter for spilling the coffee, and she bursts into tears.

Then, you turn to your spouse and blame her for putting the cup too close to the edge of the table. Now, you’re both arguing.

Frustrated, you stomp upstairs to change your shirt.

By the time you’re back, your daughter hasn’t eaten breakfast or gotten ready for school because she’s still crying. She misses the bus. 

Your spouse has to leave for work, so you rush to drive your daughter to school.

In a hurry, you speed in a 30 mph zone and get pulled over. 

Now you’re delayed even more, and you get hit with a $60 fine.

You finally drop your daughter off at school. She runs inside without saying goodbye. 

You get to work 20 minutes late, only to realize you forgot your briefcase at home.

The rest of your day feels stressful, and when you finally get home, there’s tension with your wife and daughter because of how the morning went.

Scenario 2: 

Now let’s rewind.

The coffee spills on your shirt, but this time, you stay calm.

You smile at your daughter and gently say, “It’s okay, honey. Just be more careful next time.”

You grab a towel, clean up the mess, and head upstairs to change your shirt. 

When you come back, your daughter is ready for school and catches the bus. She even waves goodbye to you from the window. 

You leave for work, arrive five minutes early, and greet everyone with a smile.

Your day starts off on a positive note. 

Both scenarios started the same way—a spilled cup of coffee.

But they ended in two completely different ways.

Not because of the coffee. Not because of your daughter. Not because of anything outside of you.

The difference?

Your reaction.

You can’t control 10% of what happens in life—spilled coffee, unexpected delays, other people’s actions.

But the other 90%? That’s all you.

Your choices shape your day, your relationships, and ultimately, your life.

This is the essence of Stephen Covey’s 90/10 Principle.

90% of life is determined by how you react, while only 10% is what actually happens to you.

So, next time life throws an unexpected spill your way, ask yourself:

Will I let this control me, or will I take control?

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