The Optimist’s Creed

by Lorne Mitchell on 16/02/2012

I came across this rather splendid creed which was originally published in 1912 by Christian D. Larson in a book called “Your Forces and How to Use Them”.  I hope it gives you a lift and makes you more optimistic!

THE OPTIMSIT’S 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 thesis 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 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 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 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.

One hundred years on, and every word rings true.  How timeless the messages are.  In these times of so much pessimism, it makes you think how important it is to be an optimist!  Oh – and May the Force be with You!

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Foolish or Wise?

by Lorne Mitchell on 09/02/2012

So are you foolish or wise – and if so, does that make you wise or foolish?  Makes you think.  It also makes you take yourself a little less seriously – which is never a bad thing!

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Clean Thinking and Clean Language

2 February 2012

Have you ever been in a situation where you say something that you regret later? For example,  I was with a close friend the other day trying to “help” her work through some problems.  The suggestions that I made to her were taken the wrong way and the conversation broke down.  Purely because I put [...]

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Bedrooms, Markets and Coffee Cups

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Anthony kindly sent me this brilliant short video from Hans Rosling on why economies are made in bedrooms, not markets! So, whatever you do, if you are European or American and want to grow your business, go seek out new markets in China or India….or start serving the over 60s! Makes you think anyway! Tweet [...]

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Creating Purpose and Meaning

12 January 2012

Following on from the popular RSAnimate video of Dan Pink’s great lecture describing the three attributes that really motivate people: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose, I came across an equally impressive piece of work by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer in this month’s McKinsey Quarterly.  If you don’t already subscribe, it is well worth doing so. In their [...]

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On Sustaining the Gains (and Losses)

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You are probably past the point of setting New Year’s resolutions and have forgotten the one you set last year.  Yet when you look back a year and look forward a year, it is surprising how little changes and how much stays the same. Sure, 2011 was turbulent for many.  In Europe, we seemed to [...]

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Four Beautiful Christmas Trees

18 December 2011

In celebration of the time of the year, I found these four sets of elegant Mathematical Formulae which I thought would make excellent Christmas Trees!  As we leave 2011, here are two that celebrate the symmetry of eleven:                                +   [...]

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Step Into the River!

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One of the great treats of Thursday (in addition, of course, to Thursday Thoughts) is Melvyn Bragg’s “In Our Time” broadcast twice each Thursday on Radio 4. Last week’s programme (HERE) was about Heraclytus – one of the greatest pre-Socratic philosophers which is well worth listening to if you missed it last Thursday. One of [...]

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The Future

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Whilst exiting from the Underground Station at Canary Wharf yesterday, I saw an advertisement for a well-known global bank which said “The Future is Here”.  How banal.  How meaningless.  How hollow, I thought, when the banks are in such a mess. Last week I found a quotation which, for me describes the future in a [...]

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Occupy Everywhere!

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I had a meeting early yesterday morning at the Frontline Club in Paddington. As I was leaving, some NHS folk were outside the entrance to St Mary’s Hospital demonstrating and making a noise. I did not go up to them and chat – I just took a picture. The window in the top left corner [...]

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