Holstee Manifesto – Introduction
What is the Holstee Manifesto and why should you care?
Are you fighting the blues of daily life?
Do you ever feel that you do not know your purpose?
Every day going through the motions, but not feeling satisfied with your accomplishments.
Even worse, what if you feel that you have hit bottom?
You lost your job or your family or some other traumatic event.
What if you feel paralyzed by the enormity of your losses?
How do you rebuild your life?
Would you believe that a t-shirt company created the Holstee manifesto?
Inspiration on 3rd Avenue
One sweltering day on August 25th, 2011, I was walking from Union Square on 3rd avenue up to 41st street in New York City.
My life was in shambles.
During that post-divorce ten-year period, I fluctuated between 250 and 275 pounds, finding little comfort in anything besides fast food.
I mourned the lost family, relationships, connections, and community of the past.
In addition to a catatonic mental state, I could barely walk up the stairs to Tudor City Park on 42nd street between 1st and 2nd avenue.
Then I noticed a poster inside the Decor Art Gallery between 36th and 37th street on 3rd avenue.
I had walked by this store hundreds if not thousands of times.
But this time my eye was drawn to the words “THIS IS YOUR LIFE” screaming through the window.
I had never seen these words in the past because they were in the bottom right-hand corner of the display:
Decor Art Gallery 555 3rd Avenue New York City
I took a closer look at the words on the Holstee manifesto poster:
Who Wrote the Holstee Manifesto?
Now you know that the Holstee Manifesto is ‘merely’ text and words.
Yet, these words can help motivate you to change your life and live your life.
Dave and Mike Radparvar, along with their friend Fabian Pfortmüller wrote the Holstee Manifesto in 2009.
Originally, they started their company Holstee as a t-shirt and apparel manufacturer, but the real star of the show was their Holstee manifesto.
As a result, they fine-tuned their company to focus on motivation and self-empowerment.
In a Washington Post article, Scott Rick a professor of marketing at the University of Michigan likens the manifesto to the slogan popularized by Nike – Just Do It.
That means that this manifesto is one powerful and memorable message.
Below is my commentary and how the Holstee Manifesto affected me.
Please comment and share.
This Is Your Life.
This should be obvious to us all.
But, if so, why am I not focusing on my life?
Why do I spend so much time thinking about what other people might think or not think about me?
How much more time will I spend mourning the past?
And the present results from the past?
You should not need a poster to remind you that this is your life.
But, with all of our daily distractions, it is a welcome wake-up call.
And for me, I kept thinking about how I seem to focus everywhere else other than on myself.
I felt motivated to change.
You might also.
Do What You Love, And Do It Often.
What do I love to do?
I could not even answer that one.
Few people mired in depression can.
Then I thought about swimming.
I love swimming, and that thought pushed me to check out places to swim in New York City.
I first started swimming before I realized that I could never out-train a bad diet.
But, it was a massive step in the right direction.
If You Don’t Like Something, Change It.
You cannot change your life experiences, but you can change your focus.
Similar to point your camera in a different direction if you want to get a different picture!
Are your thoughts supporting you now or killing you?
Once I started thinking of one new change, meaning swimming, my day got a little better.
What can you think of now that will benefit you?
If You Don’t Like Your Job, Quit.
I do not agree you should quit your job unless you have another one lined up.
But by all means, if you are miserable in your job, either change your attitude or look for a new one.
That is why I prefer to say quit negative thinking.
Even though the authors of Holstee did quit their jobs to open up their apparel company.
Therefore, I interpreted this as quit being so negative if you don’t like your job.
Otherwise, you might find yourself out of a job.
Like I did.
Find some good in it to like.
Make it better.
I also interpreted job to mean life.
If you don’t like your life, quit thinking, saying, and doing the things that make you miserable.
And I did plenty of that, so I had a lot to work on.
If You Don’t Have Enough Time, Stop Watching TV.
How many hours of TV do you watch a day?
In addition, stop daydreaming of the lost past or worrying about the imagined future.
You have to stop watching the videos of the past in your mind.
I had to stop, so do you.
I was tired of starring in my own soap opera thoughts.
How about you?
Another benefit of reducing TV time is your physical health.
Sitting disease is a real phenomenon and a chief contributor to obesity and additional chronic diseases.
So, if you think you are already having a tough time in life, you don’t want to aggravate your situation with poor physical health.
If You Are Looking For The Love Of Your Life, Stop; They Will Be Waiting For You When You Start Doing Things You Love.
What do you love to do?
Isn’t it better to devote yourself to pleasing yourself, than a phantom person who does not yet exist?
You exist now, so make yourself happy now.
Why would anyone be attracted to the unhappy you anyway?
Taking care of yourself is not selfish.
I know you might be thinking that.
But, when you take better care of yourself, then you inspire confidence in others that you will do the same for them as well.
Sometimes you are so focused on pleasing others, you have no clue what you really love to do.
All you need is one spark to light the fire.
Find that one interest, hobby, book, language, art, music, activity, that makes you happy, and then pursue it.
Stop Over Analyzing, Life Is Simple.
Ha, I wondered – how is this possible?
I am the poster boy for paralysis by analysis.
And you might also engage in the same.
I think the answer to the over-analysis, is the last few words – life is simple.
Make your life more simple.
Start appreciating what you have, everything.
Start thinking that you have everything that you need.
Because you do.
If you think you do not, then imagine losing anything you consider precious or important in your life now.
You do not want to lose more in your life, so appreciate it all, from the beginning of your life to this very moment.
Find as much good as possible that you can be grateful for.
All Emotions Are Beautiful.
Give yourself a break.
Take a rest from self-flagellation or beating up on yourself.
None of us are perfect, that is for sure.
How long can you keep berating yourself?
When I thought of the emotion of sadness, I could find some beauty in it.
Because I thought of how human it makes me and anyone else facing their imperfect selves.
When You Eat, Appreciate Every Last Bite.
Here is an easy cue.
If you cannot find anything to feel good about, at least enjoy your food.
Of course, this was not so simple to me because I thought I had to stop enjoying any food.
I had to fast and starve in order to lose weight, or so I believed.
I thought that food was the enemy, and because of food, I was a fat bastard, as my neighbor called me.
At that time, I still did not make the distinction between processed food and real food, but that would happen the following year.
Still, this statement made me want to find and appreciate the small details of my life.
There have to be similar details in your life that can make you very happy if you turn the spotlight on them, and not on what is aggravating you.
Open Your Mind, Arms, and Heart To New Things And People, We Are United In Our Differences.
I opened my mind to new thoughts like:
- “I love and approve of myself.”
- “All is good.”
- “Everything is for the best.”
- “I am grateful for everything in my life.”
- “Shoulder the shoulds – everything I think others should do for me, I will.”
- “I have everything that I need.”
- “I am getting leaner and stronger every day.”
Last but not least, open your mind to yourself, forgive yourself for not being perfect, and live your best life possible right now.
Ask The Next Person You See What Their Passion Is, And Share Your Inspiring Dream With Them.
This is a refreshing change from peddling your woes to anyone who will listen, including yourself.
Don’t do it.
Instead, find out what makes them tick and share your new dream with them, even if it is only to swim and lose weight.
Travel Often; Getting Lost Will Help You Find Yourself.
Ten months later I traveled, not too far because it was only from the City to Long Island, but it was a big trip for me.
I visited Wolffer’s estate, a vineyard.
And because of that trip to the vineyard, I developed the 10 Lessons of the Vineyard to help depression, as well as the Hashi Mashi Diet & Training plan.
Travel is a good chance for a change of scenery and helps you put things in perspective.
Even if you can only get to your backyard or a nearby park, stand among the trees, be a part of nature, and be more aware of your human self.
Some Opportunities Only Come Once, Seize Them.
Apply this thought to the day, today, and every day hereafter.
Do not lull yourself into complacency about every day of the week.
Oh, today is Monday, and every week is another Monday, so it is easy to imagine that every Monday is just another repeat.
Another boring replay of the previous Monday.
For example, today is Jan 2, 2019.
There will be many hundreds and thousands of Wednesdays, and even January 2nds in history, but there will only be one January 2nd of 2019.
This is the last January 2nd of 2019 for all time.
It is a unique day in history.
And so is every day of your life.
It is new and one of a kind, just as you are unique, so make it great and make it count.
Life Is About The People You Meet, And The Things You Create With Them.
At this point, I was at an impasse here.
I have no one in my life I thought.
I felt surgically removed from my own family portrait.
Who can I meet?
Just speaking about estrangement is embarrassing and uncomfortable.
However, I realized that I am the person I am meeting.
Even if I have no one in my life, I still have myself.
So why not focus on me?
It seemed a lot more productive than imagining conversations with others in my head.
Real-life is the one I am living.
Even if you have no one in your life today, why not meet and focus on yourself?
So Go Out And Start Creating.
So I went out and found an indoor swimming pool in New York City.
Signed up at the Vanderbilt YMCA on 48th street and 3rd avenue.
And I started to swim.
Doing what I loved led me to explore more and not too long after I discovered free weight room and exercises like:
- squats,
- bench press,
- deadlifts, and
- calisthenics exercises like
Together with eating real food, my body and life both started to transform for the better.
Life Is Short.
You know it, we all know it, sometimes you need a reminder to stop wasting time.
Many people think that patience is a virtue.
And in some situations it is.
But patience is not a virtue when your lifestyle, thoughts, speech, and actions only bring you down.
Have no more patience for a lifestyle that does not lift you up!
Live Your Dream, And Wear Your Passion.
If you start doing one thing that you love, this will lead to more.
You will discover that you do want to create a better life for yourself.
You wear your passion when your life begins to transform.
Because you become that person that you want to be.
You have to start somewhere, and every day is a perfect day to begin anew.
You can get the Original Holstee Manifesto here for yourself or as a gift.
- letterpress printed
- made on a mid-20th century Heidelberg letterpress
- printed with Pantone Black ink on 90 lb
- Stonehenge bright white cotton paper that is 100 tree-free chlorine-free and acid-free
Holstee Manifesto – Final Thoughts
If you think that the Holstee manifesto is only a jumble of words, you are wrong!
This manifesto can change your body and change your life, from the doldrums to a much greater version of yourself.
This Holstee manifesto says a lot in a brief amount of space.
But, this is about you and how the Holstee Manifesto can improve the quality of your life.
I hope you find it inspiring as well.
What a wonderful manifesto for life!
What’s Next
Are you hungry for change and salvation from depression and/or obesity?
Then find your best exercise to beat them, and you will succeed in soon celebrating better health, fitness, and a new lease on life.
What Is the best exercise for depression?
See why I recommend the deadlift.
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Rich is a NASM-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer),