Are you sick of all the negative messages out there? It seems sometimes like all we see—in the news, on television, in movies—is negative media. We see violence and swearing and all kinds of negative behavior on television and in movies. People sometimes protest the negative content used in entertainment, but, sadly, we see a lot of the same stuff on the news. And even in everyday life, there can sometimes be an overwhelming feeling of negativity.

People feel cynical, for whatever reason—because of life experience beating them down, or because that’s how they see other people live their lives, or maybe just because they think it’s cool to not believe in anything.

But there’s something you can do about it! You don’t have to live with negativity surrounding you. None of us do! But those people who want to fight against negativity have to join forces and support each other through positive thinking.

The power of positive thinking is unbelievably strong. If you’ve ever been in a tough spot in life—feeling discouraged or overwhelmed or intimidated—you know how valuable a positive message of encouragement can be. Maybe you had a friend who told you, “You can do it!” or “The best is yet to come!” Or maybe your teacher told you, “Hang in there,” or “Tomorrow is another day.” Sometimes when life seems impossible, someone comes along and tells you just what you need to hear to get back into the swing of things.

Or sometimes, even when you’re not having a particularly bad day, you see a positive message somewhere—on a sign on the street or in someone’s window, on a bumper sticker, or from someone’s behavior—and your outlook on life seems to get just a little bit cheerier.

If you’ve experienced anything like this, you know how much a tiny positive comment can change your day, or even your life. Even when it comes from a stranger, the positive message can really ring true. Actually, sometimes a message of encouragement can be even stronger coming from a stranger because it comes as more of a surprise, and seems more like a universal sentiment, rather than an attempt by someone you love to make you feel better. Chances are the person who passed the positive comment on to you had no idea how much of an effect he or she was having on you.

So why not return the favor? It could take very little effort to send on the message of positive thinking to someone who needs it badly. Making a custom t-shirt with your favorite positive message on it could help a friend or a stranger turn their day around from hopelessness to inspiration. Choose a couple of the phrases or messages that you find to be most encouraging, illuminating, or just plain inspirational. You could put all of the phrases on one t-shirt, or you could make a couple different t-shirts to highlight your favorite phrases. Just think of yourself as the poster or the bumper sticker that could save someone’s day!