“Life is not perfect. Life is not easy. Life is good.”

A lost concept managed to resurface throughout the hustle and bustle of the busiest time of the year. As many of us know, gift shopping can become a fiasco of epic proportions, with lines wrapped around stores and prolonged bargaining for a decent deal. During my own experience I came across the Life is Good ® section in a local Plow & Hearth. I finally decided on purchasing a hat for a good friend of mine after 20 minutes of sifting. I knew of the company, having owned a few of their shirts myself. As cute and cheery as their marketing label is, I never really took the time to think about their mission. I kept glancing at the hat and couldn’t shake the thought from my head. I was hooked. There had to be a purpose. What was the story behind Life is Good®?

So I did what all curious thrill-seekers do best: research. After finding their website, I surfed around the content. Not only did I discover some nice finds in the shopping department, which donates 10% of net profits to children in need, but I also gained a considerable amount of knowledge beyond the merchandise. Their mission statement says it all.

“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.”

In addition to the company’s valued perspective on optimism, an interactive model is set up at the bottom of the webpage listing the ten Life is Good® Superpowers: gratitude, creativity, authenticity, love, courage, compassion, humor, fun, simplicity, and openness. By clicking on a Superpower, you are directed to a feed filled with articles, pictures, videos, and personal stories representing that trait. What I assumed would be maybe half an hour of online scanning became hours of deep thought and inspiration. These stories are as genuine as it gets. The joy that the authors express in their writing is highly contagious, so be prepared for wide grins and maybe a few tears.

There is just so much more to this company than meets the eye, including fundraisers, world tours, and children’s foundations. Where will they take us in 10 years?

When you get the chance during these stressful times, take a look at this site. You won’t regret the little reminders to stay positive throughout the madness. Today I learned something new. It was something new about the world and something new about myself. So please, do your mind, body, and soul a huge favor. Skip out on Facebook and Twitter just for today and find an alternative outlet for optimism. After all, it’s our turn to nurture what’s right with the world. We can make life good.