For the last 10 years I have been wearing the same t-shirt.
It started off innocently enough. I was severely depressed and felt like I needed help. I decided it would be a good idea to write a positive message on my tshirt that I would see when I looked in the mirror.
So I grabbed a blue magic marker and wrote the words “it will be ok” on one of my t-shirts. I wore it under my button up shirt to work sometimes and no one ever saw it but me.
Photo: The original “it will be ok” t-shirt
My life started to change dramatically.
I can’t attribute it all to the shirts. But I can say that this little message had a magic to it. Seeing the words “it will be ok” in the mirror every day made me feel good. I got a little rush every time I saw it.
I wanted more of that good feeling, so I wrote “it will be ok.” on every t-shirt I owned.
A few years ago I started professionally printing the shirts online and wearing them by themselves. For the first time ever, other people could see this little private message I had written to myself.
Photo: I wear the t-shirts almost every day
What happened was pretty amazing.
Every time I wear the shirt in public, people come up and ask me about it. They tell me it made them feel better, sometimes they say it’s the best news they’ve gotten all day.
- I’ve been approached by A-list celebrities (I live in Hollywood, CA)
- Cashiers at grocery stores give me smiles and high fives
- Total strangers (including hot women) walk up to me and ask where I got it.
- Some people just smile and say “Thank You”.
Everyone loves the damn shirt. And it’s easy to understand why.
We all need an uplifting boost sometimes. And seeing a simple, visual reminder like “it will be ok” can snap you, or someone else out of a dark thought or depressing day.
I don’t have any scientific evidence that these shirts make me, or other people happier. But in my personal opinion… they 100% absolutely do.
People have been asking for years where they can get one of my shirts. And after much harrassment from several of you – I’ve finally made them available online for a limited time.
The first ever “it will be ok” t-shirts are available online. But only until April 27th, 2015.
Click here to get one (or ten) right now.
Join me and become a walking billboard for positivity, for yourself and for others. Help me spread the message that no matter how weird things get or how badly things might be going for you right now…
“it will be ok.”
this aged pretty well and still holds true. Who would have thought that 4 fucking words are so powerful. “it will be ok”. nuff said.
Got it 🙂
Despite deeper idea behind the slogan etc., I have to say that’s damn good tee 😀
Cheers mate!
(Not sure why I’m laying on the side tho.. )
Hi. Inspiring writing. All the way from Singapore. 🙂
As i’m watching tv and reading the email there was a commercial of a lady looking at her self in the mirror saying the the same words “It will be ok” lol I was reading it and she was saying it at the same time. lol what does that means? is weird.
It’s a double rainbow man!
Good stuff man. I like how you see the positive in everything Malan. It’s infectious. I’m starting to do it too now!
Cool story. Cool shirts. What about the type that you’re wearing?
what do you mean?
Is the tank top you’re wearing also available to buy?
Oh, nope that’s just a regular t-shirt with the sleeves cut off of it. After the shirts are shipped I’m going to do a video on exactly how I do it because several people have asked.
Now I understand your affection to this very sentence 🙂
Doh.. mate.. I go through the blog again, just had to. And I think I see the underlay… that’s apart from ‘make money online’ … your deamons are pretty huge bastards mate… As far as I can imagine unwritten parts of those stories, you are one of the toughest (put any adjective here) (and here put a noun of your choice) in blogosphere…
Respect.
(and yes, comments are fine on mobile when I’m in actual post 😉 )
I got one of those ‘It will be ok’ .. may tape in my own logo next to it 😉
Thanks Malan
thanks Mac – and nice work reading between the lines
Can’t wait 😀 Shame it won’t be here by wednesday, I’d show off in France a bit 😀
Good stuff. The picture of you in the original is priceless. I liked seeing the earlier version shirt + Malan. Got mine, think it’ll be perfect to wear if I ever run another marathon 😉
thanks adriana – i found that picture the other day, couldn’t believe I still had it. The original! #itwillbeok
The page says ‘Only 2 more needed to print!’, so I ordered a couple… but the page still says the same thing. Nice marketing move, Teespring! Anyways, thanks for sharing!
it probably just needed a minute or two to update itself Eddie. thanks for the order though! #itwillbeok