"Reaction Vs Response-The Spilling Coffee Way"

Reaction Vs Response

Both 8 lettered words starting with “R” are many times used interchangeably; but the impact of each word on one’s life is invariably high. Let us understand it in depth by means of a story:-

The Coffee

Scenario-1

One day, a father in hurry of going to office was stepping down stairs hastily from bedroom towards the dining table. The daughter was having her breakfast on the same table. Looking at her father, the little angel wished “Good Morning Dad” and while trying to embrace him, her tiny hand touched the coffee mug and the entire coffee spills on father. The furious father scolds the daughter which leaves her crying. He quickly changes and on the way to office, he drives his daughter to her school. On the entire way, daughter was sobbing and didn't utter a word. After dropping his daughter, he enters office where his boss asked for an important file of business plan to be presented. But he realizes that, in the hassle, he forgot the file at home. He was badly reprimanded by the boss and was asked to get the file at earliest. The poor father did so. After entire day’s suffering, when he rings the door bell, the wife opens the door with furious eyes without smile on her face (she was angry with his behavior in the morning). The wife keeps dinner on the table and goes straight away to her room without talking to him. The father had dinner alone and on reaching bedroom he finds his wife and daughter in deep sleep. He too falls asleep with a heavy heart.

x_______________________The End____________________________x

Scenario-2

One day, a father in hurry of going to office was stepping down stairs hastily from bedroom towards the dining table. The daughter was having her breakfast on the same table. Looking at her father, the little angel wished “Good Morning Dad” and while trying to embrace him, her tiny hand touched the coffee mug and the entire coffee spills on father. The father looks at his daughter and moving palm on her hair explains her to be careful with her actions. The daughter realizes her mistake and says sorry. He rushes back upstairs to change the attire and after changing, on the way to office, he drives her daughter to school. On the entire way, the daughter was happy and excitedly talked about the preparations of annual event to be held in her school next week. After dropping daughter, he reached office and when the boss asked for an important file of business plan to be presented, he presented the file and the deal went as per the plan. After spending entire day productively in office, when he rings the door bell, the wife opens the door with a sweet smile on her face and serves the dinner on table. Both while having dinner together talked about entire day’s activity. They both pampered the sleeping daughter and fell asleep.

x_______________________The End____________________________x

Now if we analyse both the scenarios;

What was common in both situations???

“The Spilling of Coffee”

What was different in both the situations???

“The Behavior of Father”

In scenario-1, the father reacted to the situation and in scenario-2, the father responded to the situation

Off the entire day in both the scenarios, the spilling of coffee was 10% portion of whole day while rest of the things that happened forms the 90% of the whole day. 

This is called 90-10 principle which says; 

Only 10% of things in our life are not in our hands and are pre-determined to happen. However, the rest 90% of the things are determined by Self, Our Reactions and Our Responses. The life will take us on a different path altogether if we start practically following the 90-10 principle and start Responding to things rather than Reacting towards them.

Always remember, Reaction is an impulse action which surpasses the role of Mind and Response is a thoughtful action which is sign of a mindful person

“Stay blessed; Stay Happy…"