Twins Sydney and Shea Hinckley of Dallas grew up learning to “think positive.” Six months ago, those positive thoughts turned into a positive enterprise: UPWords, a clothing, accessories, and home goods business that encourages an abundant mindset with a positive perspective.
The 17-year-olds’ mother began instilling an appreciation for the power of positivity in her daughters by writing impactful messages on postcards for them to pick from each morning. Their mother told the girls to say the phrases to themselves while looking in the mirror. Over time, the messages turned into beliefs, and they realize now how much that routine changed their lives.
As soon as the girls began to recite the affirmations daily, they noticed how much their lives were dominated by negative self-talk.
Sydney made it clear that it is okay to feel negative emotions and that feelings such as sadness are valid, but it is important not to stay with the sentiment too long.
Rather than dwell on that feeling, the twins suggest a shift in perspective, accomplished by a change in thinking.
Sydney and Shea believe “focusing on positive affirmations can improve one’s self-worth, mental well-being, and quality of life.”
When deciding what they wanted their business to do, the girls thought of how their mother’s strategy might help others.
“It just started with something we thought we [ourselves] needed,” Shea told NBC DFW. “With social media, especially, being so prominent in our lives, you see a lot of the comparisons, and you feel like you need to look like them or be different to be enough, which is a lie that I feel is constantly being told to us in our generation.”
The girls started their entrepreneurship adventure with printed messages like, “I’m enough, and so are you,” and “In a world where you can be anything … be kind.”
These heartening reminders are placed on everyday items such as t-shirts, hats, stickers, pillows, and jewelry. The affirmation-graced products are meant to unite people by instilling and spreading love.
“I hope when they open our package or wear our stuff that they feel overwhelming love about themselves and that they feel love from others as well,” Sydney said. “We want a safe community. We want to change the world one shirt at a time.”
Another way the twins impact the world with kindness is through their charity, Stuffed Hugs. So far, they say they have donated over 1,000 teddy bears to children’s hospitals and the Ronald McDonald House.
