Life is Good
Day 207 of Photo Inspirations — Life is Good.
I had a layover at Chicago’s Midway Airport on my flight home yesterday. Heading to my connecting flight, I saw this “Celebrate Life” Store and was drawn in by the optimism. Everything in the store had a positive phrase on it — t-shirts, hats, stuffed animals, purses, apparel…..like these photos:
“Rise & Shine — Life is Good”, “Life is a Positive Good State”
“Life is Good. Go Deep”, “Game on”, “Start me up. Life is Good”
Of course that optimism drew me in like a magnet. Next door, there was a “news” store that was full of customers browsing celebrity magazines to get the latest scoop about their “ups and downs” lives. Others were looking at world and political news with controversial issues.
Whew! Take me back to the “Celebrate Life” Store where everywhere you turn it’s about celebrating the good in life. It was optimism at its finest.
When I got home, I wanted to find out more about the “Life is Good” store and products so I checked out their website. My eyes were drawn to this: “10% of net proceeds are donated to kids in need”. The Life is Good Kids Foundation partners with leading childcare organizations to positively impact the quality of care delivered to the most vulnerable children. Not only are they sending out a positive message and changing attitudes, but they’re also taking it all to another level of helping those in need. I loved their explanation:
LIFE IS NOT PERFECT. LIFE IS NOT EASY. LIFE IS GOOD.
“We see it when we believe it. Each one of us has a choice: to focus our energy on obstacles or opportunities. To fixate on our problems, or focus on solutions. We can harp on what’s wrong with the world (see most news media), or we can cultivate what’s right with the world. What we focus on grows. That’s why the Life is Good community shares one simple, unifying mission: to spread the power of optimism. Optimism is not irrational cheerfulness or “blind” positivity. It’s a pragmatic strategy for approaching life. Optimism empowers us to explore the world with open arms and an eye toward solutions, progress, and growth. It also makes life a lot more fun.”
I loved the story behind the founders of Life is Good. Bert & John Jacobs launched Jacobs Gallery in 1989 when they were 24 & 21, with $200 they borrowed from another brother. John and Bert loved art and designing, and selling t-shirts seemed like a good first step toward making a living from it. By 1994 they barely broke even and they were supplementing their income with substitute-teaching jobs, working on designs in school art departments after hours. They were down to $78 when John came up with their mascot, a stick figure named Jake, who embodies optimism, and then they hit on the slogan “Life Is Good.” Those shirts sold so well in the streets that they decided to try wholesale, which took off. According to Inc Magazine, their 2014 revenue was $100 million plus. Now their merchandise is online, is in approximately 4,500 retail stores in the U.S. and in 30 countries. They found a niche market and REBRANDED themselves with optimism that our world needs so much.
I like to think that the positive message of LIFE IS GOOD has exponentially grown because it was good. It is what is needed in spreading good words, good messages and good deeds throughout our world. Yes, I was inspired and I agree with these brothers……LIFE IS GOOD! Doesn’t it make you want to REBRAND yourself with a positive, life-giving message as well? Maybe that’s the missing piece we need to propel us to success and prosperity!