Berries, do you want to end your depressive episode right now?
What is step one to snapping out of it????!!! I suppose the smartest chess move would be to purchase a t-shirt that says "DEPRESSION ERA".
Ok I made that one up, so to not call out any particular shirt or brand. But here's a shirt I actually have with a similar vibe. It says:
"MY TITS ARE TOO NICE FOR MY LIFE TO BE LIKE THIS"
Let's think about this for a second. You know... it's kind of funny. But I'm telling you right now: If we want to stop being depressed, we cannot wear this t-shirt.
Maybe you’re thinking, it’s just a t-shirt… it’s not that serious.
And on one hand, you know… it’s sarcasm. And like... I get it. Yeah, this implies your life sucks. And what if you genuinely feel depressed and feel like your life sucks? Maybe you’re just over pretending, being real, and speaking your truth.
I truly understand this mindset, because I used to be exactly like this. I was like, “This is how I feel. Okayyyy!? I’m not going to force myself to be positive. It’s fake, artificial, contrived—everything I’m fundamentally against.”
Now let me offer a different thought. Berries, do you know about confirmation bias? It's a phenomenon in psychology that describes our human tendency to seek out information and interpret events in a way that confirms our current beliefs.
So basically, a t-shirt that implies my life sucks not only strengthens my current belief, it motivates my brain to collect literal evidence to support that belief: every little thing can be interpreted as another piece of proof (parking ticket, rain, driver cutting you off, etc). Instead of an off-day, it'll be an off-life. And it's a feedback loop that spirals and spirals and spirals.
Okay, let's say I'm not actually depressed at all, and I just think it's funny and I like the fit of the shirt. Let's explore this possibility. But guess what? Even if I’m feeling pretty positive in the moment, feelings are highly fluid, sensitive, and subject to change—fluctuating every second. Especially if you're a highly emotional and volatile person.
Plus, just try it. I've tried it on, but I can't get myself to leave the house in it. Just reading the phrase kind of brings me down. And if I wear it? I feel that same energy 100x stronger, all day long and longer. Because now, I’m reading it multiple times a day—I’ve literally dressed up my physical body in that belief.
It sounds exaggerated/dramatic, but if I wear DEPRESSION ERA or the TITS shirt with repetition, that negative vibe subtly invades the fabric of my body's energetic field, until it becomes a permanent pillar of my identity: My life sucks. I'm depressed. And if I'm depressed, I'm not leaving my room. And it repeats...
And even though I actually logically do not believe that, it's a clinically proven fact that your unconscious mind cannot discern when you’re joking.
Berries, I used to feel like living inside my own mind was a 24/7 nightmare. Probably from middle school until like 7 years ago. Now, I regularly experience the feeling I've been searching for all my life—I feel free. It's not all the time, and I've been disconnected from it for months at a time, but I am certain the feeling is available to me at any time—no matter what's happening in life. What changed? Not a job, city, person, medication, or situation.
The only thing that changed was how I learned about the all-consuming influence of words—the way words control the way we experience life, the way we think of ourselves, everything.
So, let's entertain the opposite scenario. A couple summers ago, I found a crop top that says: TOTALLY UNSTOPPABLE. And it sounds crazy, but every time I wear it, I actually feel totally unstoppable. This was just one of the many many things that inspired me to create Want Me, an original line of slogan baby tees that empower girls to go after what they want and be the brightest version of themselves.
The way you talk to yourself is the most important thing in the world. Your actions will only match what you believe you're capable of. So why don’t you talk to yourself like you're the person you love, worship, adore, your favorite person and best friend and idol, all in one? Because you should be.
And of course, MENTALLY STABLE, the slogan of our first drop, is not to be taken seriously. Obviously mentally stable people are not wearing a top that says mentally stable... but simultaneously, a slogan like this keeps things light and fun and not so serious. In my opinion, that's how life should be.
Why not try to make every day the best day ever? Berries, I have known enough people who have died young. Tomorrow is not promised. We cannot expect to live to 80-100 years old. You truly do not know when this life might get cut short for you. So can we please have some fun!?
Why chain yourself under self-imposed limitations and dull mundanity of self-deprecating words when you have free will, and you can alternatively wear a top with words that make you feel happy and limitless?
You are whatever you say you are. So you choose. Do you want to be in your depression era, or do you want to be totally unstoppable?
