--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best self help book I've ever read…" description: "\"The best self help book I've ever read was, The little Engine that Could.\" — Stanley Victor Paskavich" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/stanley-victor-paskavich-630_best-self_the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-w_2619787.jpg" --- # The best self help book I've ever read was, The little… ![“The best self help book I've ever read was, The little Engine that Could.” quote by Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/stanley-victor-paskavich-630_best-self_the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-w_2619787.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/stanley-victor-paskavich-630_best-self_the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-w_2619787.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/stanley-victor-paskavich-630_best-self_the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-w_2619787.jpg) > “The best self help book I've ever read was, The little Engine that Could.” [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perseverance and belief in oneself enable overcoming obstacles. **In simple terms:** Believe and keep trying. Key Takeaway Persist despite doubts. Themes perseverance confidence optimism Mood hopeful steady Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - school projects - career hurdles - fitness goals - creative endeavors Key Concepts self‑efficacy growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - When have you needed to keep trying? - What fuels your belief? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can ignore realistic limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-self/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Engine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engine/) [Life lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lessons/) [Little Engine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-engine-2100076/) [Read Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-little-381685/) [Self help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-help/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not gonna call myself the little engine that could because I'm 5'10 and I'm far from little - I'm the little engine that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-buell/i-m-not-gonna-call-myself-the-little-engine-that-could-because-i-m-5/) [Bebe Buell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-buell/) > [“Little Engine That Could - "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I know I can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watty-piper/little-engine-that-could-i-think-i-can-i-think-i-can-i-think-i-can-i/) [Watty Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watty-piper/) > [When I was younger there was something in me. I had passion. I may not have known what I was going to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-johnson/when-i-was-younger-there-was-something-in-me-i-had-passion-i-may-not/) [Sheila Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-johnson/) > [“Perhaps one night, when you were very small, someone tucked you into bed and read you a story called "The Little Engine That Could,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemony-snicket/perhaps-one-night-when-you-were-very-small-someone-tucked-you-into/) [Lemony Snicket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemony-snicket/) > [“…He sounded as though he had just seen The Pokey Little Puppy meet the business end of The Little Engine That Could.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/he-sounded-as-though-he-had-just-seen-the-pokey-little-puppy-meet-the/) [Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/) > [“The best self is a good being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-best-self-is-a-good-being/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“I feel that I have so many books yet to read and so little time to do so”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mbarreto-condado/i-feel-that-i-have-so-many-books-yet-to-read-and-so-little-time-to-do/) [MBarreto Condado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mbarreto-condado/) > [It alarms me to think of all that I have read and how little of it has stayed with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-laurie/it-alarms-me-to-think-of-all-that-i-have-read-and-how-little-of-it/) [Hugh Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-laurie/) > [Have read little and understood less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/have-read-little-and-understood-less/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [I get up early. I like to read a little before anyone but the dog is up. I also like to read at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-get-up-early-i-like-to-read-a-little-before-anyone-but-the-dog-is/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Some people read so little they have rickets of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/some-people-read-so-little-they-have-rickets-of-the-mind/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Then I read Little Women, and of course, like a lot of really young girls, I was very taken with Jo - Jo being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/then-i-read-little-women-and-of-course-like-a-lot-of-really-young/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [Read my little fable: He that runs may read. Most can raise the flowers now, For all have got the seed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/read-my-little-fable-he-that-runs-may-read-most-can-raise-the-flowers/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [The more you read, the more you realize there are fascinating books to be read and so little time to do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-dhavernas/the-more-you-read-the-more-you-realize-there-are-fascinating-books-to/) [Caroline Dhavernas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-dhavernas/) > [It is important to be well read, at least a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-important-to-be-well-read-at-least-a-little-bit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Stanley Victor Paskavich > [Don't live by my words, don't die by them, chew them slowly digest them, and smile if they give nourishment to your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/don-t-live-by-my-words-don-t-die-by-them-chew-them-slowly-digest-them/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [I believe if there is a creator it will basically ask me two questions, how well did you enjoy my creation and what did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/i-believe-if-there-is-a-creator-it-will-basically-ask-me-two/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [“When you consume more food in one meal than a village of people eat in a day something is wrong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/when-you-consume-more-food-in-one-meal-than-a-village-of-people-eat/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [Some people live a lifetime every second, others only a second in a life time with little happiness to find. Learn to seize each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/some-people-live-a-lifetime-every-second-others-only-a-second-in-a/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [If you could see your perfect image in the mirror it would remove all your fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/if-you-could-see-your-perfect-image-in-the-mirror-it-would-remove-all/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [I've diagnosed myself and discovered I have a limited 'life span' you can do this to. Then live life to its fullest in everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/i-ve-diagnosed-myself-and-discovered-i-have-a-limited-life-span-you/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [Gods word is written in our hearts with a pen called love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/gods-word-is-written-in-our-hearts-with-a-pen-called-love/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [“Saying Dating web sites don't work is like saying my keyboard types wrong as it is "written seek and yee shall find”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/saying-dating-web-sites-don-t-work-is-like-saying-my-keyboard-types/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [I like my psychiatrist she's kind, caring and compassionate but what woman wouldn't be for over a 100 dollars an hour?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/i-like-my-psychiatrist-she-s-kind-caring-and-compassionate-but-what/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [I learned to love compassion when I began to give it away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/i-learned-to-love-compassion-when-i-began-to-give-it-away/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [Believe what you believe and it will be, believe what others believe and they will consume you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/believe-what-you-believe-and-it-will-be-believe-what-others-believe/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [Teach, learn, listen or get the hell out of the way if you teach try to instill your students to set goals to surpass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/teach-learn-listen-or-get-the-hell-out-of-the-way-if-you-teach-try-to/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [If I wouldn't of spent so much time shooting spit wads at my English teacher I'd know how to punctuate good thing I normally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/if-i-wouldn-t-of-spent-so-much-time-shooting-spit-wads-at-my-english/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [People often see qualities in others that they don't see in themselves. Then they hold them accountable for their own short comings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/people-often-see-qualities-in-others-that-they-don-t-see-in/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [When a person says I AM I stands for the one and Am stands for existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/when-a-person-says-i-am-i-stands-for-the-one-and-am-stands-for/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) [Explore all 437 Stanley Victor Paskavich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) ## More Best self quotes > [“Take the day one cautious step at a time. Remember how fearless tastes. Remember how your grandmother told you 'always prepare for the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-gill/take-the-day-one-cautious-step-at-a-time-remember-how-fearless-tastes/) [Nikita Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-gill/) > [“In the offseason, you should be working, reading, developing, growing, evolving, and becoming your best self. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/in-the-offseason-you-should-be-working-reading-developing-growing/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“We all have our own special talents and gifts that make us unique, but because they’re part of us, we can have a hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-hallis/we-all-have-our-own-special-talents-and-gifts-that-make-us-unique-but/) [Tina Hallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-hallis/) > [A lot of people hurl themselves into relationships to lose themselves, but I think the best relationships help us to be more ourselves, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-leavitt/a-lot-of-people-hurl-themselves-into-relationships-to-lose-themselves/) [Caroline Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-leavitt/) > [The best self promotion is your next book. And the book after that and after that …](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-andre/the-best-self-promotion-is-your-next-book-and-the-book-after-that-and/) [Bella Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-andre/) > [“If we are better rested, take care of ourselves, and become a priority in our lives, we can gain the internal strength to choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-cantoni/if-we-are-better-rested-take-care-of-ourselves-and-become-a-priority/) [Jackie Cantoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-cantoni/) > [What destroys us most effectively is not a malign fate but our own capacity for self-deception and for degrading our own best self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/what-destroys-us-most-effectively-is-not-a-malign-fate-but-our-own/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Be true to yourself, to your best self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-v-shearin-karres/be-true-to-yourself-to-your-best-self/) [Erika V. Shearin Karres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-v-shearin-karres/) > [“Why would you be anything other than your unique and best self?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/why-would-you-be-anything-other-than-your-unique-and-best-self/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [I have a two-year-old at home, and my whole life is - besides revolved around keeping this little person alive, just watching them on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemarie-dewitt/i-have-a-two-year-old-at-home-and-my-whole-life-is-besides-revolved/) [Rosemarie DeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemarie-dewitt/) > [“everything. If you are lucky, you meet four or five people in a lifetime who you’re totally comfortable with. Comfortable in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-harpham/everything-if-you-are-lucky-you-meet-four-or-five-people-in-a/) [Heather Harpham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-harpham/) > [Gratitude connects us to others and feeling gratitude allows us to be our best selves. When we are truly grateful, we can count on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-ryan/gratitude-connects-us-to-others-and-feeling-gratitude-allows-us-to-be/) [M. J. Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-ryan/) > [“If I want to know my light side, my best self, all I have to do is look in the outer world and look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-bray-attwood/if-i-want-to-know-my-light-side-my-best-self-all-i-have-to-do-is-look/) [Janet, Bray Attwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-bray-attwood/) > [“The best self is a beautiful soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-best-self-is-a-beautiful-soul/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [We can't think of any better way of becoming our best selves, than by finding something we're great at!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reshma-saujani/we-can-t-think-of-any-better-way-of-becoming-our-best-selves-than-by/) [Reshma Saujani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reshma-saujani/) [Browse all 152 Best self quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-self/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The best self help book I've ever read was, The little Engine that Could.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stanley Victor Paskavich" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-was-the-little-engine-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Best self" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-was-the-little-engine-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/stanley-victor-paskavich-630_best-self_the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-w_2619787.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/stanley-victor-paskavich-630_best-self_the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-w_2619787.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/stanley-victor-paskavich-630_best-self_the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-w_2619787.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The best self help book I've ever read was, The little Engine that Could.” — Stanley Victor Paskavich", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stanley Victor Paskavich", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The best self help book I've...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-was-the-little-engine-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/the-best-self-help-book-i-ve-ever-read-was-the-little-engine-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```