Born in Iowa to Norwegian immigrants, Christian D. Larson (1874-1962) abandoned plans to pursue the ministry in favor of a more independent spiritual path. In 1901, at age 27, he launched one of the first journals devoted to positive-thinking, Eternal Progress. He moved to California and grew into a popular New Thought and inspirational writer and speaker, producing more than 40 books. Larson's most enduring work is the meditation called "The Optimist Creed," which he originally published in 1912 as "Promise Yourself." In 1922, it was officially adopted as the manifesto of Optimist International and today is quoted around the world.