Do Motivational T-Shirts Mean We Can Perform Better?

Believe it or not, we found yet another article today about the effects of motivational t-shirts. The biggest surprise is The Simpsons, a well beloved animated prime time TV show is what sparked the conversation for the two individuals that wrote about it.

Can we perform better as a result of what we are wearing? Do certain types of clothes make us feel better or do they make us look better and therefore we feel better?

Two researchers from Northwestern were curious when they saw an episode of The Simpsons that got them thinking about how Homer was perceived differently by the students at the school where he was a janitor.

What was the big deal? It was a drab gray uniform that was given to Homer to wear for work. Upon the event of a rainstorm, the dye was washed off revealing tye-dye which really got the students attention! They were a bit freaked out. So, I guess the students thought he was in a Hazmat suit or maybe a zombie?

Whatever the case may be, how we dress sends a message. Many people perceive how you dress differently dependent upon the style they like too. Those that dress with a Goth style appreciate others dressed in a Goth style. There are many who freak out when they see individuals dressed in Goth type clothing.

Motivational t-shirts are their own story, and you'll see tons of folks wearing them in the gym. In fact, the two researchers on this project coined the term "enclothed cognition", and talk about how it relates to how people feel better able to work out because of what they wear.

While in a lab, some students were given lab coats while others just wore what they showed up in. Surprisingly, those students wearing lab coats did much better than those without. Why? Lab coats trigger the thought that "Hey these people are smart." Some might say, "Wow, they look smart.."

The same applies to motivational t-shirts. Some people feel better about themselves just by wearing them. Naturally, if something is written or printed on a t-shirt, people will look at it. We are creatures of habit. We have to look, otherwise we wouldn't be human!

Aside from "motivational t-shirts", consider the company Lululemon that makes fitness apparel. Many women won't wear the yoga pants if they don't feel their shape is adequate enough to do so. They won't wear spandex or the Wunder Unders that the company sells for $82.

However, if you see someone wearing these outfits, you'll think, "Wow, they must be in good shape because they work out." It's all about perception, and certain types of clothing will no doubt send a message to those that see you. Would you like the impression to at least be a positive one?

Wouldn't you like for people to believe that you are courageous? What about getting people to believe that you stand for something? We can help. Please be sure to stop by and check out our full line of apparel designs to inspire courage, inspiration and motivation. You can go HERE to find our motivational t-shirts NOW!

Does Motivational Apparel Really Empower Women?

From time to time we talk about motivational apparel and how it may or may not help people. Some folks think motivational t shirts are great, and others don't seem to think much about them at all.

However, we have shared a few stories with you about this topic, and interestingly enough, we are NOT the only ones that think it works and is a worthwhile endeavor.

In fact, if you have been following our blog for awhile you probably read about the tshirts worn by runners, and those that were being sold by the gal that posted fortune cookie messages on tshirts.

Simply genius.

Now, we are hearing about an endeavor to help empower women through motivational apparel, and it's catching on folks. This "Kickstarter Campaign" is what many women have been waiting for from Neva. So, what is this all about?

Motivational Apparel by Neva 

Just in case you are wondering, Neva isn't the latest sportswear brand like Under Armour, but it stands for:
Nicole + Geneva. The founder, Sacha Nana started this company due to the inspiration she got from her nieces.

Sacha wanted it to be stylish, but also to employ women from South Asia. The motivational apparel is hand-stitched by women only, employing women that would otherwise have no work. As a result, these women are getting a bit liberated, earning nearly 10 times what they would with a standard job in their country.

It's not just the apparel we think about, but the opportunity the apparel creates. It's life giving in that it is giving these women a purpose, and a sense of being able to provide for their children. That is pretty amazing, and it's powerful for those of us that take our work for granted.

In our endeavor to help inspire you and encourage you each day, we want to offer you the chance right now to check out our motivational apparel that we offer, especially right now during the holiday season.

You can click HERE to view our selection of hats, decals, t shirts and more, and you can also check out the rest of our site to find out how we are helping to empower all people. We hope that we can encourage  and inspire you to do better, to do more, and that you'll be touched by what you find in our motivational apparel here at Courageous Life!.

Will You Live Your Courageous Life in 2014?

As times get tough, will you still continue to live your courageous life as we head into a new year? Closing out this year may feel a little premature, but it's right around the corner. 

In fact, it's time that the Christian community come together and make some heartfelt decisions about how the church can do better by being more, doing more, and reaching out to those that have been ignored for far too long. 

I hear a lot of Christians stating that they are being persecuted for their faith, but that is something God already told us would happen. 

There was no secrecy in His Word to us. It's up to us to decide whether or not we'll believe what He says and stand up for it. If we do, then we do so without merit, complaining, or even regretting it. 

Will You Live Your Courageous Life Now?

God never called us to a life of poverty, discontent, anger, sadness, and hate. If we have those things, they are merely a result of our own doing. This isn't to say persecution doesn't come because again, God said it would. 

If you truly are living your courageous life, isn't it an honor to come against that when it does happen? If we really are living for God, then anything we suffer for Him should be a privilege. 

We should also share the thought that persecution is coming against religions as a whole in our universe, not just the "Christian faith". Furthermore, we as Christians often like to tear down those that don't believe as we do, namely:

1. The LGBT community 
2. Other religions
3. Those from foreign countries 

This isn't the life God called us to live; He called us to live a better one. God has called us to live in freedom in Him, and to share that message with others. He never asked us to be His minions running around judging others, nor did He ask us to NOT speak to others because they are different from us. 

As God's children we should be simply taking Christian to mean, "Christ like", and follow what God teaches us in His word. Could it be any clearer that we have completely failed at this? 

As we go into a new year, we need to bring awareness that the only way to live is to live courageously. It's time to stand up for what God's Word actually teaches and not what denominations have broken it down to believe. 

It's time that we come together, focus on loving others and give our brothers and sisters a real chance to receive our message. Love is powerful, and as the world around us seems to get angrier, let it be a time for us to be different. We are in the world, but we don't have to be "of the world."

Will you join us today and vow to live your courageous as we head into 2014? 

PS-Did you enjoy the insights brought to you today in this article? Did this inspire you or give you something to think about? We want to hear from you! If you would love to start living "your courageous life", please comment below, and be sure to find us on Facebook under Courageous Life! 

Why Motivational TShirts Are Getting Attention

Have you heard that motivational tshirts are getting criticism in the Wall Street Journal. This isn't being taken lightly, in fact the writer of the article, Chad Stafko takes a harsh standpoint about these tshirts being worn by runners. 

The idea? That runners boast about what they do, and if wearing tshirts that boast they are runners isn't enough, they also have bumper stickers devoted to sharing how far they have run. Hmmm. What about those that wear stickers on the day they gave blood? 

Does that make them overzealous about it? Not necessarily. In fact, it can help to encourage others to give blood as well. Even if the decals state the number of miles they run per day, perhaps someone will see it and get motivated to take better care of themselves. Right?

The writer didn't see it that way, but at Courageous Life we look at things a bit differently. We believe that what you wear says a lot about you and what you stand for. In fact, the message on your shirt can cause someone to smile, or even change their outlook on the day completely. Would you agree? 

We aren't saying that tshirts are life changing, meaning completely, but consider the impact they could have even for a moment. Think about how great it is that someone could recall what your tshirt, hat, or even your decal said. They could even share that with someone later on in another conversation. 

Motivational tshirts aren't something that people wear to brag, but in my opinion they often encourage others to do an activity. Inspiring others to take action is what leadership is all about. The writer even states that a study shows that there were 15.5 million people participating in marathons in 2012 versus the 13 million in 2010.

So, the idea that wearing these tshirts doesn't work is simply not true. As runners wear their marathon shirts in races and as they are out and about in public, they clearly just want to share a message. We want to share ours too. 

Our message is one that states positive thoughts and at least gets others thinking about how they can inspire others too. If you want to check out the article just out of curiosity sake, you can go here: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304448204579186401818882202. 

If you would like to check out our motivational tshirts and see what we have to encourage you as well as those around you, go HERE to learn more! 

Would a Superman T Shirt Help you Fly?

When you were a kid, did you wear a Superman t shirt? Did you ever grab your cape and pretend to be flying off of the couch just like Superman or Superwoman?

I can remember those days as a kid, and yes it was fun for both boys and girls!

It's funny to look back into the past and think how a t-shirt or a costume could make you feel so empowered in that moment.

Did you really believe yourself to be different? Did you really feel as though you had super powers?

I know I did. I had that cape on and believed that I could do anything at any time, no matter who said what. Somehow, that changed as I got older.

What a shame, right? We begin to lose our imagination and we start letting life get in the way and we begin to think negatively rather than believe we really are great.

How do we ever lose that? Is this why we have such a call to buy clothing that is inspirational and motivational in nature?

We may not sell you a Superman t shirt, but we do offer great motivational and inspirational apparel. We offer hats, decals, and yes, tons of t-shirts for children, men and women.

Would you be willing to wear something that you knew would make people smile? What about just having something in front of you to keep you smiling and encouraged? It's a wonderful thing, isn't it?

We have our own version of a Superman t shirt, and it's our full line of Courageous Life apparel that you can find HERE!

PS-Were you inspired and encouraged by what you read today? Are you looking for a community of people to help you be encouraged and stay encouraged? If so, you can join us on Facebook, and please feel free to check out the rest of our site while you are here!