The Optimist Creed

G'diddy was a proud member of the Optimist Club. I had never heard of it before, and if you asked LBB, she would say I should be the President of the Pessimist Club. She's way off, but yes, I can sometimes have a more grim view than she. I still call it Realism, but I'm not saying it's the ideal way to be.

LBB and TB are clearly optimists, and I think that is wonderful. They learned from G'diddy. Here are the tenets of the Optimist Club. I hadn't discovered this until recently, but I plan to memorize it and learn from it. It should be part of the Constitution. Notice that it's all inclusive. You couldn't find a better way to explain G'diddy's philosophy of life:

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.

Purposes of Optimist International
To develop optimism as a philosophy of life utilizing the tenets of the Optimist Creed; To promote an active interest in good government and civic affairs; To inspire respect for the law; To promote patriotism and work for international accord and friendship among all people; To aid and encourage the development of youth, in the belief that the giving of one’s self in service to others will advance the well-being of humankind, community life and the world.