From Bob McKinnon comes this modern retelling of the beloved classic, Little Engine that Could, that asks young readers, “How does your journey differ from others?” It also serves as a thank you letter to all the parents, teachers, role models, and even strangers, who help to clear the storm or pull the tree trunk from their track.
Available in your favorite bookstores.
Have you ever asked yourself this question? Or wondered why your life turned differently than you expected or from others you know. On this site, you’ll find tools, writing and podcast episodes that explores this question and others. Watch Bob’s TEDx talk to learn about his journey and the science behind how we see our lives and those of others.
Children’s Books
I think I can, I think I can, I think I… can’t? What’s an Engine to do when even believing in yourself won’t get you to the top of the mountain? In this modern retelling of the beloved The Little Engine That Could, The Little Blue Engine and her friends attempt to reach the town on the other side of the mountain, but they quickly realize that not every engine is on the same track, and they all face different obstacles in their journey. In Three Little Engines author Bob McKinnon asks young readers: How does your journey differ from others?
While paying homage to the beloved classic, author Bob McKinnon acknowledges that although positive thinking and confidence are important, they are not always enough to help you succeed. In many instances, success requires a helping hand. This book is a gentle introduction to the idea of socioeconomic mobility and inequality in America. Heavily inspired by his own experiences, McKinnon teaches the youngest of readers how to recognize opportunity and inequality in the American Dream, and, most importantly, how to extend a helping hand to those on different tracks of life. At its heart, Three Little Engines is a thank you letter to all the parents, teachers, role models, and even strangers, who help to clear the storm or pull the tree trunk from your track.
Three Little Engines is now a New York Times best seller! Order your copy today from your favorite online bookseller or your local bookstore:
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Newsletter
Ago
Fun fact – one hundred years ago, Robert was the most popular boy’s name in the country. Today, my name doesn’t make the top one hundred list.
Fifteen years ago, my first book, Actions Speak Loudest: Keeping Our Promise for a Better World was published. This first chapter in this collection of essays was written by former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away last week at the age of one hundred – born the same year Robert was the most popular name in the country.
Seventeen years ago on the day that I am writing this, I became a father for the first time.
Just a second ago, five children were born across the world, while two people died.
The first recorded use of the word “ago,” was in the fourteenth century and it is derived from the Middle English term meaning “to pass by.”
There is something innate about the word that suggests whatever it is attached to is worth noting or remembering. The phrase, “Four score and seven years ago…” perhaps best exemplifies this.
As one gets older, it’s easier to spend more time in the world of “ago-s.” For me it is an opportunity to remember where I came from and how much I have to be grateful for. But it can also be a reason to lament the inescapable passage of time.
It’s hard not to see your name falling from number #1 to off the list entirely as a sign of time passing you by.
It is also hard to believe that my oldest daughter is seventeen. I want time to slow down or stop, even some times to go backwards – the idea of re-living one day with her again as a toddler or coaching her in a soccer game – is tantalizing. Conversely, the realization that her daily presence in our home is numbered, as college beckons in less than two years, is heart breaking.
It is worth noting that while “ago” is most associated with the past, its origin also hints at another meaning – “to go forth.”
Every moment we experience in the present will inevitably become a moment ago and then a minute, a month, a year, a hundred years ago etc. Such is the continuum of time. Yet that continuum also stretches before us. One moment, one minute, one month at a time.
In the end of his essay, President Carter wrote that “God gives us the capacity for choice.” When he passed, his days in the White House were more than forty years ago. There would have been ample reason for him to dwell in bitterness on losing his re-election campaign or look back at that period with regret. Yet his choice was to live in each moment and in doing so to create different “ago-s.” Ones attached to the more than four thousand homes that he helped build or the countless memories created with his wife, four kids and twenty-two grandchildren and great grandchildren.
An hour ago, this was a blank page. Now there is this. Undoubtedly you will make an even more worthwhile “ago” today. Looking back being able to say, “a few minutes ago I helped someone or made someone laugh or took care of someone, something or even myself.”
Looking back at one “ago” can propel us forward to create another. So go forth this week and make some to remember.
Recommendation of the Week: Check out this movie about a different Bob – A Complete Unknown. The performances and music are fantastic. The title doesn’t lie though, if you’re looking to figure out how Bob Dylan became Bob Dylan, this won’t help you. Still worth the watch.
Share this email with someone from some time ago who would love to hear from you.
Monday Morning Notes
Delivered to your mailbox each Monday morning, these short notes offer an opportunity each week to reflect on who and what contributes to where we end up in life. Readers tell us it’s a great way to start their week on a positive note. See the latest note below:
Ago
Fun fact – one hundred years ago, Robert was the most popular boy’s name in the country. Today, my name doesn’t make the top one hundred list. Fifteen years ago, my first book, Actions Speak Loudest: Keeping Our Promise for a Better World was published. This first chapter in this collection of essays was written …
Attribution with Bob McKinnon
Attribution is a podcast, where people from all walks of life, reflect on who and what has contributed to where they ended up. Our hope is after each episode, you feel a little more inspired, grateful, or supported, then when you first hit play. Check out the latest episode below:
Episode 29: Random w/ Mark Rank
Mark R. Rank is recognized as a foremost expert on issues of poverty, inequality and social justice. To date he has written 10 books on a range of subjects, including an exploration of the American Dream and a new understanding of poverty and inequality. In this episode, I talk to Mark about his latest book, The Random Factor which looks at the role of luck and chance in shaping the course of our lives. It was a fascinating discussion, one I was lucky to have. I hope you enjoy.
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