Summary: We live in a world full of noise, deadlines, and distractions that pull us away from ourselves. But glimmers are stubborn little messengers of hope. They sneak in anyway. For example, they arrive in a stranger’s smile, the smell of brownies baking in the oven, the sound of wind threading through trees. These signs tug at something profound in us that remembers: life is still beautiful. Here’s how to capture them and incorporate them into your daily life.
Dear Dr. Sylvia,
Lately, stress has turned me into a negative, mean-spirited leader.
I feel like Debbie Downer from SNL.
Could you please provide me with some methods to restore hope and positivity in my life?
I need this for both my organization and my family.
Signed,
Waiting for Happiness
Hope Shows Up When You Stop Demanding the Answers
Dear Waiting for Happiness,
Some moments don’t look like much from the outside.
A ray of sunlight through the kitchen window.
The way a song you haven’t heard in years is on your cell phone.
The sudden laugh of a child that bursts out when you least expect it.
These are glimmers.
Tiny sparks of aliveness.
They slip into our days quietly, without announcement, and they remind us, “Oh, right, this is what it feels like to be joyful”.
We live in a world full of noise, deadlines, and distractions that pull us away from ourselves.
Glimmers are stubborn little messengers of hope.
They’re already here.
The work is not in making them, but in noticing them, slowing down enough to say, Yes. That moment was a clear message to pay attention.
Think of your nervous system as a tuning fork. All day long, it hums, picking up the vibrations around you. Stress rattles it. Fear shakes it. But a glimmer?
A glimmer steadies the vibration. It says, You’re safe. You belong. You’re still connected to the pulse of life.
One of My Favorite Ways to Notice Glimmers is to keep a Glimmer Journal
It’s nothing fancy, a notebook, a scrap of paper, even the notes app on your phone.
At the end of the day, ask yourself: What was one moment today that sparked joy or peace, even for just a breath?
Maybe it was the warmth of your dog or cat curled against you.
Perhaps it was the first sip of morning coffee.
Or it was the relief of lying down after a long day.
The Glimmer’s Moment Doesn’t Need to Be Extraordinary.
It just needs to be yours.
The more you look, the more you’ll find. It’s like switching on a lantern in the dark.
Suddenly, all around you, little sparks begin to glow. They were always there. You just had to turn your head toward them.
So let this be your first practice: look for the spark. Please write it down. Name it. Claim it. Hold it in your hands like a firefly you almost missed.
Because once you learn to notice glimmers, you’ll begin to see they’re everywhere. And they’re here for you.
To your success,
Sylvia Lafair
PS, Keep a lookout for my new book “GLIMMERS: How Head, Heart, and Gut Illuminate The Leader’s Path
