No Limits: Blow the CAP Off Your Capacity

by John C. Maxwell

That reminds me of a story I once heard about Charles Kettering, the founder of Delco. He once bet a friend of his one hundred dollars that he could make him buy a bird. The friend thought the idea was absurd, so he agreed to the bet. That Christmas, Kettering bought the friend a beautiful, elaborate, and very expensive birdcage and had it delivered to the man’s house. It was set up right by the front door so all his guests would see it. The friend understood Kettering’s strategy, but he had no intention of getting a bird for the cage. However, every time that guests visited the man at his home, they would admire the cage and remark about how beautiful it was. And they would always ask, “Where’s the bird?” Finally, the friend got so sick of the question that he gave in and bought a bird. The moral of the story? When you have a designated place for something, whatever it is, there is the sense within you that it needs to be filled. And you’ll find yourself doing what it takes to fill it. That holds true for your thinking.