One of my favourite motivational stories of all time comes from a little book called “Attitudes Are Contagious…Are Yours Worth Catching?” by Dennis & Wendy Mannering.
Here it is straight from the book:
“It’s kind of like the farmer who ordered a dozen chickens from the general store. The farmer wasn’t going to be home when the chickens arrived so the store owner had them delivered in a crate to the front of the house. Later the farmer called the store owner and said, “I guess it wasn’t such a good idea to have the crate delivered when I wasn’t here. When I got home, the crate had broken open and chickens were all over the place! It took me all day to round them up and even then I only found eleven.”
The store owner replied, “Well that ain’t bad, cuz I only left six!”
I tell this story often in The Armoury facility and even have a big, can’t miss, banner up with chickens on it and all (see picture above). It’s gotta be one of the most commented on aspects of the gym for Armoury newcomers, “Uhhh…why the chickens?”
I can understand the confusion which is really part of the fun as it’s hard for a brain to connect chickens and strength training without knowing the story. Once someone hears the story though it usually comes together.
This cute & fun little story about chickens really isn’t about chickens at all. It could be one of the most powerful tools for making positive change in your life.
In a nutshell, we get what we expect.
Expect poor physical health and you’ll get it.
Expect to be soft and out of shape, especially after a certain age or a big life event like having kids, and that’s exactly what you’ll be.
Expect to be broke and you will be.
Expect to be miserable and you will be.
Expect the world to fall apart and you’ll find lots of reasons to show that it is.
You’ll make lots of excuses to justify the low expectations you have of yourself and why you really don’t have a choice.
In short, expect mediocrity and you will get it.
OR
Hold yourself to a higher standard by raising your expectations around what is possible.
Find more chickens because you’re expecting more chickens.
Expect to be fit and jacked and (in time) you will be.
Expect to have vibrant health and energy and you will.
Expect abundance and you will find it.
Expect to be happy and fulfilled and you will be.
Expect the world to be a wonderful place and you’ll find lots of reasons to show that it is.
You’ll come up with all sorts of reasons why you’re the type of person to set big goals and achieve them.
In short, expect excellence and you will get it.
You’re choosing every day whether you know it or not.
Ask yourself: “Am I a six chicken person or a twelve chicken person?”
A mindset of six chickens equals mediocrity.
A mindset of twelve chickens equals excellence.
Our potential for greatness in unlimited but it’s only the twelve chicken people that can approach the greatest they’re capable of.
Now choose what type of person you’re going to be and go find some chickens!…don’t allow yourself to wallow around in the mud and murk of life because you haven’t given yourself enough of a challenge.”
ps. Here’s the great, little known, book that I found the story in.
