Unstuck Living 

Yesterday, I was sweeping leaves off the porch against the wind. As I swung the broom, some leaves would move ahead, while others, pushed by the wind, fell back. The dirt would scoot along, but leave a smudge of dust in its trail.

I was thinking how like glimmers and triggers this was. The leaves that kept falling back were like triggers, causing problems before sweeping them off the porch. The wind, or the subconscious mind, was the stimulus to set the scene in motion. When the leaves were glimmers, they twirled in the breeze to create beautiful patterns. I was enchanted by their dancing movements in the light wind. 

Triggers? Glimmers? 

Triggers have become commonplace in language today. They are cues of danger, either real or imagined. In a quarter of a second, a trigger can activate the body into fight or flight, freeze or fawn, responses. These stimuli can be small (Oh, I was triggered by my friend gossiping about me.) or large (My home was almost burned out by that last wildfire.) 

Glimmers draw the body to relax into safety. They produce inner calm, and move us into positive chosen behaviors (I want an apple instead of that piece of chocolate cake), growth (I was on time every day this week!), and restoration (I’m taking a well-deserved break to watch the sun dance on the water). 

Often, it’s easy to get caught up in triggers, particularly after a long string of small stressful situations of “too big”, “too much”, or “too fast”. Inviting in the glimmers brings peace and calm, allowing the body and mind to slow down and relax. That bigger view can unfold. 

So, buckle up as you roll through an early morning with the Duff and me, along with the stories I tell myself. (I’m unsure if Duff tells himself stories or not.) 

● The clock chime goes off at 4:55, and the Duff begins to whimper. (Trigger: can’t he sleep just a few moments longer?) I roll out of bed as his cries become louder...and louder. (Trigger: Exasperation. I’m 

hurrying as fast as I can!) 

● At 5:15, we are out the door. Duff then begins meandering about,
finding his perfect place. (Glimmer: the sunrise is spectacular, and I so
enjoy spending time with him.)

● After I return from my walk at 6:15 (Glimmer: my ability to walk,) I
brush him out and coo at him. (Glimmer: our bonding time.) I forgot to put together my lunch last night, and hurry to do that. (Trigger: it would have been so easy to think ahead!) Keeping an eye on the time, I notice we have an additional ten minutes before we leave for work. (Glimmer: my body eases and my breathing slows down.)

● I revel in the beauty of the day as we go down the stairs to begin our adventure. (Glimmer: spring is here.) The Duff wanders off again. (Trigger: we’re going to be late!)
And on it goes.

Here’s the thing: we all have triggers and we all have glimmers. The stories we tell ourselves color the body’s response and reactions. Knowing what sends me into a threat response (I’ll be late!) and into safety (I have plenty of time) paints very different pictures in my mind. Color them glimmers and live unstuck!

Joan Courtney is a clinical hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner. You can find more of her articles in Outdoors Southwest, published here on the Mountain. She is also a ghostwriter for bi-weekly posts inspired by her Canine Executive Officer, MacDuff.