About the Author & Why I Created the Daily Glimmers Journal

Hi; I'm Candy Parker, author/creator of the Daily Glimmers Journal. 

Originally from northern Virginia, I moved to Arizona a decade ago and now live in a retirement community outside of Phoenix with my four dogs (who are quite excited to be named among the "Dedications" in the Daily Glimmers Journal). Ironically, my pups are the only ones in the household who've managed to retire.

When I'm not working in the field that keeps the lights on and the dogs fed, I enjoy writing, creating abstract art, binge-watching documentaries, and spending far too much time on TikTok. I'm also the first to admit that, despite much progress, I remain a mental health work-in-progress and thus continue to embrace my glimmer-hunting gratitude practice every day. 

The Daily Glimmers Journal is my first book, and I am currently working on my next project, The Glimmer Effect: Using Micro-Moments of Joy as a Path to a Positive Mindset.

Creating the Daily Glimmers Journal was a passion project for me for several reasons, including some very personal ones involving my own mental health and quest to develop a grateful and positive mindset.

First, ever since I was old enough to hold a pen in my hand, I’ve wanted to write a book. I began scribbling poems in notebooks around age 10 and later crafted short stories, sitting in my room pecking away at a little yellow, manual typewriter through my early teens.

Later, as most kids were begging for a car for their sixteenth birthday, I asked for a Thesaurus and an IBM Selectric Typewriter. I received both and they remain two of my most memorable birthday gifts.

More recently, I tapped into a subject matter I found exceptionally inspiring and compelling – glimmers. Yes, at age 62 and thanks to the Polyvagal Theory which gave rise to the term “glimmers,” I’m proud to finally be checking that book-publishing accomplishment off my imaginary bucket list.

Next, mental health is a topic near and dear to my heart. I inherited a tendency toward depression from my mother’s side of the family, a trait exacerbated by a less-than-ideal childhood that involved periods of abuse in every sense of the word. I’ll be the first to admit I’ve struggled to rise above my genetics and environmental influences at times. Still, I’ve always found a way to do just that.

When I learned of the term “glimmers” while scrolling TikTok some time ago, I was captivated by the concept and the purported benefits that could be realized by adopting a consistent habit of recognizing, acknowledging, and reflecting on them.

As I tend to do when enthralled by the discovery of new information, I promptly descended the proverbial rabbit hole to learn as much as I could about glimmers, what they are (i.e.,micro-moments of joy, peace, safety or connection), why they’re important (i.e., they help counteract stress and anxiety, shifting the nervous system towards a state of calm and social engagement), and how they affect our nervous system, sense of happiness and overall mental health (i.e., they engage the parasympathetic response, specifically the ventral vagal complex). 

In doing so, it occurred to me that glimmers had actually been serving me well since long before Polyvagal Theory was put forth by Stephen Porges in 1994 or the term “glimmers” was coined by Deb Dana in 2018. I realized that during the most difficult phase of my childhood, from ages 8 – 13 the years in which my mother was married to a charming, yet abusive, alcoholic and pain pill addict, glimmers had seen me through.

I’d gotten through those years collecting and reflecting on the glimmers – the sparks of joy, happiness, safety, calm, etc. – I’d found holed up in my room, trying desperately to fly under the radar. 

I’d unearthed glimmers in the sense of accomplishment I found in writing, the joy I experienced listening endlessly to music, the happiness I knew would someday be mine once I finally turned 18 and could marry David Cassidy. I hit upon them while performing well in school and sports, earning accolades that never came at home.

Having made that connection, I couldn’t help but wonder what an appreciation of glimmers might do for me as an adult who at times struggles with depression and anxiety. And so it was that, while initially imperfect in my discipline, I began consciously making an effort to look for glimmers as I went through daily life. 

Armed with my newfound knowledge, though, I knew it wouldn’t be enough to just find the glimmers. I needed to acknowledge/appreciate them, carry them in my mind throughout the day, and reflect on them at night before bed in order to gain the full benefits of a glimmer-hunting lifestyle.

So, when I noted a glimmer, rather than letting it fleetingly slip away, I made sure to pause and let the sensation linger a bit, much in the way one might savor that last delicious bite of dessert. In doing so, I extended the positive effects of the glimmer, enjoying the feeling of glee, calm, peace, warmth, or similarly positive emotion for just a wee bit longer than I otherwise would have.

And then I incorporated the habit of glimmer journaling at night. I had a notebook in which I’d scribble down the glimmers I’d found each day shortly before crawling into bed each night. I knew this element was key if I were to realize the full range of benefits the neuroscience of glimmers offered.

I did this without the benefit of any sort of guide like the Daily Glimmers Journal. Believe me I searched but couldn’t find one beyond the superficial. So, I was driven (and those who know me well understand I do mean driven) to create the Daily Glimmers Journal in hopes that others might benefit from the habit as I had, for, over time I’d seen significant changes in my mindset and sense of well-being. Glimmer-hunting Candy is a far happier Candy, for sure.As for inspiration for creating this journal, the last piece is this. I’m one who considers herself curious, open-minded, and spiritual. I’ve engaged in a variety of activities and practices aimed at enhancing feelings of gratitude, improving mindfulness, and raising vibration since long before the term “glimmers” was coined in 2018.

I’ve had times where I started my days sitting outside reciting a list of things for which I was grateful; I’ve sampled breathing and mediation exercises; I’ve researched, purchased, set with intention, and charged crystals under the light and power of the full moon; I’ve studied tarot and numerology; I’ve read Tolle’s “The Power of Now,” Singer’s “The Untethered Soul,” Ahmed’s “Manifest Now,” the Hicks’ “Ask and it is Given,” “The Book of Joy,” by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, “The Four Agreements,” by Don Miguel Ruiz, Rhonda Byrne’s “The Secret” and “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brene´ Brown and so, so many more self-help, spirituality or mental health-related books.

Finally, with this background and newfound glimmer knowledge I had a bit of an epiphany: it occurred to me that those engaging in any or all of the three hot-topic practices of today – gratitude, mindfulness, and manifestation – could benefit substantially by knowing about and adopting a glimmers practice, as well. Allow me to explain.

Gratitude. This point is important as some practice gratitude by simply reciting or writing down a list of belongings, circumstances, people, places, etc., for which they feel grateful. However, a true gratitude practice requires that we “drill down,” so to speak, and express gratitude at the micro-level.

For example, I could say I’m grateful for my dogs. Heck, I even included them in the dedication, so they’re obviously important to me. But their mere existence isn’t really the thing for which I am grateful. Rather, I am grateful for the near non-stop cascade of glimmers they provide – the happiness I feel when watching them chase and wrestle in the backyard; the softness of their fur when I pet them; the added sense of safety I feel knowing that there isn’t a burglar on the planet who could break into my house at night without setting off a cacophony of barking and howling; the amusement I feel when they do something particularly cute. You get the idea.I knew the Daily Glimmers Journal could serve as a prompt for those wishing to enhance their feelings of gratitude, serving as a reminder to do the “drill-down” work when contemplating the things for which they express gratitude.

Mindfulness. This one is a challenge for me. With so many distractions these days and everything and everyone around us seemingly moving at lightspeed, mindfulness is a tall ask. But being a daily glimmer- hunter requires us to be mindful. It flat-out demands it of us.To spot glimmers, you absolutely must be in the moment; you have a duty to be present. Going back to the example of my dogs, if I arrive home and my pups are jumping around excited to see me, but I come through the door looking at messages on my cell phone, distracted thinking about chores I have to complete that night, or still anxious about a situation at work, I’ll miss out on the positive feelings, the glimmers, with which they unknowingly yet reliably gift me each evening.

So, again, just as with gratitude, incorporating a glimmers practice as part of your routine will immediately step up your mindfulness game. 

Manifestation. If you’re at all familiar with manifesting, then you know that you can do all the repetitive scripting or vision board-creating you want, but if you don’t raise your vibration to be in alignment with what it is you desire, it will all be for naught.

For those who might be unfamiliar, “raising your vibration” essentially means cultivating and maintaining a positive, high-energy state. With that being the case, one could argue that there are few methods more effective in accomplishing that than looking for, appreciating, and reflecting on your daily glimmers. Paying attention to the glimmer moments and taking the time to reflect on and write about them will elevate your energy and assist in bringing your dreams to fruition.

So, that’s my story of how and why the Daily Glimmers Journal came to be – I had a lifelong desire to publish a book, I found the concept of glimmers fascinating and the practice of glimmer-hunting beneficial, and I saw that others, even those who already working on gratitude, mindfulness or manifestation, could benefit from the relatively new routine of finding daily glimmer moments.

I hope that in the following pages, you find knowledge, motivation, encouragement, and insight and that in adopting the practice of recognizing, appreciating, and reflecting on your glimmers you realize enormous benefits.

I want to be exceptionally clear that, even having adopted a regular glimmers practice, I periodically continue to avail myself of the services of an amazing mental health practitioner. (Shout out to Annette Hill, MC, LPC, NCC, EMDR Certified Therapist in Scottsdale, AZ, who has patiently abided my starts and stops for the last 10 years and who bestowed upon me the pinnacle of glimmers recently when kindly offering to write the Foreword for this book). And while I have an Annette to turn to when needed, I recognize that not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to afford working with a practitioner and that even those of us who can indulge in that way can also benefit in working on ourselves outside of the 45-to-60 minutes per week we carve out for the therapist’s sofa or comfy armchair. My hope is that the Daily Glimmers Journal will serve as a tool for those who wish to engage in this sort of “DIY mental health homework.”

While I’m certainly not here to tell anyone that glimmers are a Swiss Army knife for mental health issues, I do know that when I set out in the morning with the deliberate intention of spotting glimmers, I am noticeably happier, less anxious, more relaxed and sleep far, far better at night.

Whatever your motivation, as you choose to embark on this glimmer-journaling  journey, I wish joy, peace, love and so much more for you.