Promises to Yourself
By C. D. Larson

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 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;
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds;
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.


Interesting note:
This work was first published in 1912. It appeared in the book, "Your Forces and How to Use Them", authored by Christian D. Larson. Mr Larson was a writer and a speaker who believed that with a positive attitude people can achieve more than they can imagine. In 1992, Optimist International adopted this creed and you may find it referenced as the Optimist Creed.