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The Optimist Creed

Promise Yourself —

• To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
  
• To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
  
• To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
  
• To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
  
• To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
  
• To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
  
• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
  
• To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
  
• To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
  
• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Many have found inspiration in “The Optimist Creed.” In hospitals, the creed has been used to help patients recover from illness. In locker rooms, coaches have used it to motivate their players. It was originally published in 1912 in a book titled Your Forces and How to Use Them. The author was Christian D. Larson, a prolific writer and lecturer who believed that people have tremendous latent powers that could be harnessed for success with the proper attitude. Optimist International adopted this creed in 1922.