“Puff, puff, chug, chug, went the Little Blue Engine.
“I think I can - I think I can - I think I can…”
― Watty Piper, The Little Engine That Could
If you’re unfamiliar with the classic American children’s book, The Little Engine That Could, it’s a story of a train filled with toys and gifts that breaks down before it reaches its intended destination.
Stuck on a mountain, it’s unable to find an engine that will help carry it over the rugged terrain that remains.
Faced with a steep, uphill climb, it asks several large passing trains to help, but none are willing, except a little blue engine, the one least likely to succeed.
Many times in my life, I’ve felt the least likely to succeed. But it didn’t stop me from continuing. When the odds were against me, I found a new way to beat them.
As a child, I rooted for the little blue engine as it chugged and puffed its way up the steep hill.
I repeated the words, “I think I can, I think I can,” along with the storyteller.
For generations, The Little Engine That Could was a story of what was possible. In a 2007 poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children” more than seventy-five years after its first publication.
A Timeless Lesson
The book’s lesson remains as relevant today as when it was first published in 1930 because it teaches that hard work, perseverance, hope, and optimism can overcome rejection, hardship, and disappointment.
Some may disagree with its relevance.
I’m writing about it this week because of its relevance.
Beating the Odds
There are endless stories of those who beat the odds and overcome great adversity.
One such person that comes to mind is Helen Keller. Most famous for her triumph over the limitations of blindness and deafness, Keller was one of the twentieth century’s leading advocates for individuals with disabilities.
After a series of illnesses, she lost both her sight and hearing before her second birthday. Instead of letting her disabilities define her, Keller became the first deaf and blind person to receive a college diploma in the US, graduating from Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The author of 14 books, Keller campaigned for those with disabilities, women’s suffrage, and labor rights.
She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century and said she found happiness by facing adversity with hope and optimism.
Both Keller and the little blue engine faced daunting challenges but approached their circumstances with a belief that helped fuel their success.
When facing unlikely odds, how do you approach the task?
Do you accept or reject the idea of the impossible?
Do you question your ability to succeed or believe you’re capable?
Are you willing to try despite the odds?
The willingness to try was a critical difference between the little blue engine and the larger, stronger engines who refused to help.
“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…”
But was the willingness to try enough to propel the little engine up and over the mountain with its heavy load?
It’s doubtful but had the engine not been mentally invested in his attempt; he would have been unlikely to succeed.
I think Henry Ford would have agreed. You may recognize this often-referenced quote:
“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.”
-Henry Ford
What do the little blue engine, Helen Keller, and Henry Ford have in common?
They believed mindset matters.
They were willing to try despite the odds.
They mastered perseverance.
Life is full of steep mountains and heavy loads to carry. It’s also full of self-doubt and those who will tell you can’t succeed.
I’m here to remind you that you can.
The next time you question your ability to overcome a challenge or seemingly impossible task, consider the little blue engine and repeat that famous catchphrase:
“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…….”
Remind yourself of those who combined hope, optimism, hard work, perseverance, and mindset and turned the impossible into a reality.
And when you find yourself on the other side of the mountain, heading toward the finish line, tell yourself, “I knew I could, I knew I could, I knew I could.”
Thank you for being a part of The Power of Change.
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Until next week, be mindful and stay safe.
This was such a timely boost Tracy! Thank you 🙏🏻
I always loved that book. Yes, it is as relevant today, if not more.