We are now a halfway through April and Stress Awareness month. Let’s face it…things in the world are very stressful right now. Between the war, sky-high gas prices, crazy weather all over the country, and friends and family at odds over politics, I am sure everyone is very aware of stress, so it is nice to have a month to focus on stress and ways to better manage it. Many people are finding themselves heading to a dark place or having gloomy thoughts more than ever before. People are looking for any spark of hope to help lead them out of the darkness…but where do they find it when the news and TV just seem to exacerbate this dismal place we find ourselves in?
You may be familiar with the term “triggers.” These are words or phrases that, when you hear them, cause some kind of visceral reaction within you or can cause you to feel threatened or offended. All of these are negative reactions to the word or phrase. There are many common trigger words that people hear often. I am not going to list them here because I don’t want to trigger anyone! But I am sure you could easily name off a handful.
Recently I learned of a term that is the opposite of trigger, and that word is “glimmer.” These are small moments or occurrences that calm us down, make us feel hopeful or happy, or bring a smile to our day. Glimmers usually signal safety and well-being within us, which is quite the opposite of a trigger. The term was first coined by a psychotherapist named Deb Dana. Glimmers refer to the moments of positivity we experience that can combat difficult situations or negative emotions.
Glimmers can be as simple as watching a sunrise, feeling accomplished or proud when we complete a task or project, or that rush you get when someone pays you an unexpected compliment. Whereas triggers bring us down, glimmers lift us up and give us the positive feelings of hope and optimism to keep us motivated and moving forward. It may often feel like triggers, or the negative things, overtake the positive or good in life. But if you look around, these glimmers really are everywhere. The next time you perform a random act of kindness, like holding the door for someone, and they give you a warm smile, take that as a glimmer. If nothing else, your kindness and positivity may be the glimmer that someone else is looking for to help them find some hope and peace in their day amongst all the triggers.
A Glimmer of Hope
I hear that hope is fleeting,
And I’ve heard that hope is gone.
I’ve read that hope has moved on
And in our lives does not belong.
I’ve heard prayers don’t get answered
Or only for those with a strong belief,
And those who remain skeptical
Aren’t granted much relief.
I’ve witnessed the loss of kindness
And watched indifference take its place.
I’ve seen people too wrapped up in themselves,
And therein lies my case.
I’ve seen depression and resentment
Taking center stage
Accompanied by anger
And a slow, simmering rage.
All these things I’ve witnessed
Remind me of the darkness we are in.
All those cloudy moments
Full of greed, and hate, and sin . . .
So I ask myself, why bother
To be good and kind and fair?
Why try to improve the world
When so many others do not care?
I’ll tell you why . . . these are my thoughts . . .
I still believe in good.
I believe in accountability
And in doing what we should.
I believe in helping a neighbor
And for a stranger, holding the door.
I feel the more good deeds I do,
I’m prompted to do more.
It might be a tiny gesture,
And not make a big impact.
It might wear me down quickly
As the deck against me is stacked.
Yet still I keep on trying
Because what else is there to do?
I may not change the world,
But I can make it better for a few.
Perhaps I can be the glimmer
That brings a smile to someone’s face.
I might help clear away doubt
And watch hope settle in its place.
And maybe, despite the struggles
And challenges life contains,
For those that I do help out,
A glimmer of hope remains.
And perhaps that one little glimmer,
Like a firefly in the night,
Will help to light the way
To make our world more bright.
-K.A. Bloch-
