My Creed Poem -
Edgar Allen Guest
The My Creed poem by Edgar Albert Guest has reminded me that having a simple philosophy to live by - a creed - is one of the keys to
happiness. If you can look at a day that you have lived and you wonder whether it was worth it, to then measure it against your creed. Did
what I do to today correspond to my beliefs and principles and the things I hold dear?
Having a creed also speaks of having a personal value statement. It says this is who I am and these are the standards I hold myself too. I
have a personal mission statement and one of my values is to add value to the lives of others. So that is a personal standard that I strive
for in my daily activities.
This My Creed poem is a beautiful illustration of a personal mission statement and I agree with a lot of the values and standards that he
expects of himself. To do the best he can, to be authentic and genuine whether he is by himself or in view of others, and to live generously
while trying to leave some legacy behind are all values that strongly correlate to my own mission statement, or my creed too.
I'd encourage you to read this and to draw up your own creed. Fill it with all the values and standards that you hold yourself up to. And
when the day gets long or you are wondering whether you make a difference in the world, look at your 'My Creed' and be content with who you
are or where you are going.
The My Creed poem
To live as gently as I can;
To be, no matter where, a man;
To take what comes of good or ill
And cling to faith and honor still;
To do my best, and let that stand
The record of my brain and hand;
And then, should failure come to me,
Still work and hope for victory.
To have no secret place wherein
I stoop unseen to shame or sin;
To be the same when I'm alone
As when my every deed is known;
To live undaunted, unafraid
Of any step that I have made;
To be without pretense or sham
Exactly what men think I am.
To leave some simple mark behind
To keep my having lived in mind;
If enmity to aught I show,
To be an honest, generous foe,
To play my little part, nor whine
That greater honors are not mine.
This, I believe, is all I need
For my philosophy and creed.
-Edgar Albert Guest
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