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The Optimist’s Creed
By karen | June 13, 2007
When I grow up I want to be like Cindy.
Cindy was one of my sorority sisters back in college. I realize now that I am probably not the sorority girl type but back in college I hadn’t yet reached that level of self-awareness. Not that there is anything wrong with sororities and fraternities, it is just that I realize that I would probably make different decisions about it now.
But I did meet Cindy. She became one of those wonderful teachers in my life that I long remember. You know we all meet teachers every day, people who affect us in ways that they don’t even know. It is the power of the example that they set. The example can be a good one or the example can be a bad one. Either way we learn about the contrasts of what we do want or what we don’t want in our own lives.
Cindy wasn’t exactly a friend, more just an acquaintance. I really hadn’t thought of her too much until recently. I thought of her this week because Cindy was the first person who brought my attention to the beautiful poem “The Optimist’s Creed” that was in “The Secret Scrolls” that I received in my email last week. If by chance you haven’t read this poem here is the original version.
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, to noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
Our sorority put together a collection of favorite poetry and Cindy submitted this poem. That was the first time I heard it and I loved it. I thought it was so powerful. That was the way I wanted to live. I loved the poem so I enthusiastically shared it with one of my closest friends at the time. Her immediate response was “It’s too sappy”. Kind of burst my bubble with that reaction. She may have been a close friend (and actually she still is) but she really has a critical spirit. I knew for sure that I did not want to grow up to be like her!
But Cindy was one of those people who really lived up to that poem. She was happy and joyful. She didn’t gossip or ridicule others. If she didn’t have a date for the spring formal it didn’t seem to bother her. She didn’t obsess on weight like so many of my college friends. She didn’t get sloppy drunk at fraternity parties. She carried herself with dignity and class. She was just happy and enjoying life. I’m sure she never even realized how much I admired her and her spirit but I truly did. I wanted to grow up to be like her. Cindy stayed in her own happy and joyful world and life treated her well.
So wherever she is now and whatever she is doing I hope she is still the happy and joyous person that I knew. I’m sure she is.
And I will pay tribute here to her outstanding example. Thank you, Cindy. Thanks for being a living, breathing example of a true “Optimist”.
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Topics: Living the Power, Motivation and Inspiration, Personal Development, Real Life, Reflections |