On the main page of demandtheshimmer.com I tell the origin story of how this phrase “demand the shimmer” – something that started as a random sentence built one day long ago from the pieces of a magnetic poetry kit – eventually morphed into one of the guiding principles of my life and now is a philosophy that I am putting out in the world.
I’m quite certain I never would have put those three words together in a declarative sentence if I hadn’t had the raw materials in my artist’s magnetic poetry kit, but there they were. I can’t even really remember how long it was before a sentence that just sounded fun to me hit me on the head as guiding principle for a joyful life, but one day it did. What exactly does demand the shimmer mean to me, and what can it mean to you?
To me, in simple terms, it means don’t settle. Every day, every action, every meal, every conversation – they have the potential to be special. To sparkle. Or, at least a little bit better than fine. Fine is no way to live. If I ever answer the question “how are you?” with a “fine”, it is time to shake things up. Like right now.
I do want to be clear on one thing – when I say demand the shimmer, I am directing that order to myself. This is something on me. I am in control of my choices and my perceptions. Demand the shimmer is not a decree or an excuse to be unfairly demanding of other people. It is a promise to myself to make little everyday things special. Because little everyday things are life. That’s it.
Shimmer in the literal sense brings to mind everything from an excessively expensive diamond ring to a little girl’s glittery notebook (I don’t have or want the former, but I may be known to have purchased the latter as a grown-up, truth be told). Shimmer is not literal though, in this philosophy (ok, once in a while it is, hence the notebook). It is an antonym for dull, okay, fine, meh.
So what does this all look like in my life? Here are some ways I demand the shimmer:
* I shower by candlelight every morning. This has completely changed my routine morning routine to a spa-like experience.
* Candles come in later in the day too – I eat by candlelight and with a dinner jazz radio station I created on Pandora playing in the background. This includes weeknights and eating alone. There is nothing about the trappings of a traditional ‘romantic dinner for two’ that can’t be enjoyed by one on any random Tuesday night.
* Any day without a good laugh is a day wasted. Even when there is hard work to be done (maybe even especially when), injecting the day with some lighthearted humor, especially the sort that connects people rather than divides them, adds some shimmer and lightness.
I think it’s really important to acknowledge the privilege I come from as I put these ideas in the world. I am a white, middle-class, highly educated, able-bodied, cisgendered woman. I am child-free by choice, though I am involved in the care of my much beloved elderly Mom. I have a good, secure job that can be stressful, but is also challenging and enjoyable. Although I have always had my share of insecurities and anxieties, my mental health is generally strong. I know I am quite fortunate, and not everyone who reads this is – and others may be even more so. I vow to try to check my privilege as I make suggestions in this blog, because I want the general idea of demanding the shimmer to be adaptable, even in more challenging situations.
Demanding the shimmer for me is a way to use my creativity and talents to make moments better for me, for my loved ones, and for anyone I encounter. It is not about huge, expensive, or time-consuming gestures; it is about consistently helping the world to sparkle just a little bit more.
So how about it? How can you demand the shimmer today?