First published in 1912 in a book entitled Your Forces And How To Use Them, this is definitely worth reading every morning and night.

THE OPTIMIST CREED by Christian D Larson 

PROMISE YOURSELF…
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to everyone you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile 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 expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are of your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and to press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticise 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 word, 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. Please take a look at the ninth promise - To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticise others.

We probably all have to battle with this from time to time, maybe on an ongoing basis. I can think of several people I know whose lives are totally stagnant and I suspect they are deeply unhappy.

Yet, instead of challenging themselves and setting goals to improve their situations, they wallow in an ocean of harsh criticism of others, many of whom are earnestly making huge efforts to improve their lives.

The point is that constructive criticism, aimed at helping people, is generally a positive thing, especially when given from a perspective of wisdom and compassion. The harsh criticism I refer to is almost always behind people's backs and is mainly rooted in self-justification of their own inactivity and failure to progress.

Reading the creed each day, surely helps us to see if we are slipping on this point or any of the others raised in the promises. I have found it really useful in checking my own attitudes and I hope you will also find it beneficial.