Lessons from the Little Engine

Yet another book I have finished recently is The Little Engine That Could. In fact, my toddlers have encouraged me to finish it a couple times a day for the last several weeks. That has given me lots of time to see the brilliant lessons it contains that make it a timeless classic.


Enjoy your work
"She was a happy little train for she had such a jolly load to carry."
The first character we encounter in the book is a happy little train who enjoys her work. As we will learn later on, she does not have the most important or fanciest of jobs, but her load was jolly, and she enjoyed it.


Leadership involves action 
"'Here comes a shiny new engine,' said the funny little clown who jumped out of the train."
The only doll who actually does anything in the book is the "funniest little toy clown you ever saw." The other dolls and toys spend their time whining or crying or being sad. The clown jumps out of the train and waves his flag and as a result is the default leader of the group, despite his red nose and blue bow-tie.


Always be polite 
"Please, Shiny New Engine..."  
"Please, oh, please, Big Engine..."  
"Please, Kind Engine..."  
"Please, please, help us, Little Blue Engine."
What's the magic word? There is no guarantee that it will work, but saying "please" is always a good idea, particularly when desperate. Notice that after several rejections, the clown is still polite. That is good leadership.

Don't give up.
"Here is another engine coming...Let us ask him to help us."  
"Here comes another...perhaps he can help us."  
"Here is another engine coming...maybe she will help us."
The first three requests for help were turned down. Only on the fourth did the dolls and toys get the ride over the mountain they needed. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Persistence can pay off.

Don't close your eyes to possibilities.
"...the boys and girls on the other side won't have any toys to ply with or good food to eat unless you help us."  
"...won't have any toys to play with or good food to eat unless you help us."
"...unless you help us."  
"...unless you help us." (emphasis mine)
During every request, the clown repeats the same message, that disaster will strike unless you help us. Yet 75% of the engines surveyed did not help and the boys and girls still had food and toys. While the statement may be simply part of a hard sell on the part of the clown, it reads like he is putting all his hopes on a single engine savior at a time. There is always an alternative, do not get locked into the choice in front of you to the exclusion of all else.

Stay positive. 
"The Passenger Engine is not the only one in the world."
"He looks very old and tired, but our train is so little, perhaps he can help us." 
Sometimes the best thing to do is to put on a brave face and keep going. So what if the big Passenger Engine just blew you off? Maybe the Rusty Old Engine has one more trip over the mountain in him. Chin up now, everybody all together, "the sun'll come up, tomorrow!"


Try new things.
"I have never been over the mountain."
So what if you haven't been over the mountain? Metaphorically or physically, there is no need to let the fact that you have never been over the mountain before stop you from going over it now.


Take control of your own destiny.
"Here comes a shiny new engine...Let us ask him to help us."
Besides taking action in general, the funny little clown leads by taking control of his own destiny. At the beginning of the story, he's a passenger, riding a train wherever it takes him. When that train breaks down, though, he jumps out and takes charge. Knowing that he wants to be on the other side of the mountain, he makes it happen. Are you riding a train, or flagging one down?


Care about others.
"'What is the matter, my friends?' she asked kindly."
The Little Blue Engine is kind from the beginning, and through her kindness is given a chance to climb the mountain into literary history. The book is not named for the arrogant Passenger Engine or the gruff Freight Engine, but rather for the kind Little Blue Engine.

There's nine lessons without even mentioning the "I think I can" tagline. What else have I missed? What other so-called children's books would you use as a life coach?