A personal credo should be clear and specific. When you read it, it should
provide you with a stronger sense of self and a stronger sense of purpose
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A credo is a set of beliefs that drives thoughts
and behaviors.
A personal credo is one which is created by
the individual, and not just one accepted
from other people
The word “credo” comes from the Latin, and
literally means, “I believe.”
Many successful people use a customized personal
creed. They think very seriously about the kind of
person they want to be, write it down and then read it
aloud at least once a day. This guides everything they
do in life and moves them daily towards the life they
want. For example:
 I am wise, loving and kind. I love people and they love
being around me. I invest my time in improving myself,
helping others, and making the world a better place.
Money comes to me easily and I have more than I need.
I am healthy and fit, and look and feel fabulous. Every
day brings me blessings beyond measure
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The most common source of a creed is religion.
Many people have a favourite verse in the bible
that guides them in their daily living. Popular
verses include:
- “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
- “Work with all your heart, soul and mind, as
working for God and not for men.”
- “Forgive not seven times, but seventy-times
seven.”
- “Seek first to understand, then to be
understood.”
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You could use a poem or verse that you find a
powerful guide to living. The following is
something I use as a philosophy of life, a way
of thinking, taken from a poem attributed to
Mme Grifsters:
You gotta dance like nobody’s watching
Dream like you will live forever
Live like you’ll die tomorrow
And love like it’s never going to hurt.
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The lyrics of songs can move us deeply and
make us want to be better people and do
good things. You could use a line or a whole
verse as a personal creed. The following is
one that I like.
“May you always walk in sunshine,
Slumber warm when night winds blow;
May you always live with laughter,
For a smile becomes you so.”
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Sometimes the impact on us of what
someone says is so profound that it can
change us and the we live forever. These
could be the words of a spouse, child,
colleague, or friend.
- “You’re the greatest dad in the world!”
- “Leave every person feeling better for
having met you.”
- “Brighten every room you walk into.”
- “Walk like you own the world.”
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Like Mother Teresa, you may have had one of
those crystal clear revelations that tell you
without a shadow of a doubt what you must
do.
- “Nobody in the world should have to die
alone.”
- “Every child must feel wanted.”
- “Live each day as a gift.”
- “The world is a better place for my having
lived today.”
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I was browsing in some little shops while waiting
for a friend one day, when I stumbled across a
wall plague. The words on it have become my
personal creed and have changed the way I live.
Think deeply
Speak gently
Love much
Laugh a lot
Work hard
Give freely
Be kind
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Start each line below with “I believe.”
1. Write down five specific things you believe
about one or all of these topics: religion,
politics, nutrition, a particular sport, sex.
2. Write down five specific things you believe
about one or all of these topics: asparagus,
birds, sweatshirts, small appliances, personal
hygiene.
3. Write down five things you do NOT believe
in, from any of the above categories.
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4. Write down three things you WISH you
believed in (no limits).
5. Write down two things you USED TO
believe in, but don’t any longer (no limits).
6. Write down what you believe is THE MOST
AMAZING thing or event in the known or
unknown universe, or simply in your own
personal experience.
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7. Use these lines to construct a poem that
starts, “I believe…”
8. Revise: start adding in WHY you believe
these things for all or every other line. See
what happens to the poem. Remove some of
the “I believe” statements to create a list-like
tone. Check on your choice of verbs, words,
clichés, unintentional repetitions,
predictability. Strive for your own, unique
voice in every possible way