Recently I came across notes that I took at a seminar in 2013 about happiness led by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, the renowned professor of positive psychology. (I am still convinced that had I known about positive psychology in college I very well may have chosen to study that instead of pursuing nutrition—having been a psychology … Continue reading Positive Psychology is Positively Great
Author: Gila Daman
Latest release: Inner Piece: Decluttering a Soul. Also by Gila: Pandemic Poetry, She Pooped, I'm Pooped!: Motherhood Year One, First Comes Self-Love, Then Comes Marriage, and The Roadmap Ends Here: Entering Adulthood.
August 23, 2000: My Flashbulb Memory
August 23, 2000 was a very weird day. It was horrible actually. But the way it became horrible was weird. A flashbulb memory is when you remember something so accurately, even years later, because it was so shocking. Kennedy's assassination is an example often used. 9/11 is another. Well this memory isn't national, rather related … Continue reading August 23, 2000: My Flashbulb Memory
Cherished Childhood Memories
One of the first things I thought after my father passed away when I was 21, was that I had the perfect childhood. It wasn't that growing up didn't involve low self-esteem, shyness, anxiety, etc.—it did. It was just that I had this feeling of gratitude that my father didn't pass away when I was … Continue reading Cherished Childhood Memories
Fancy Bathroom, Healthy Self
I keep happening upon renovated bathrooms: at the local apartment complex, at the local synagogue. I didn’t think the previous bathrooms were so bad. "Why did they spend the money to redo them?" I initially thought. But after using them, I realized there is something uplifting about using a fancier, finer ladies' room. It elevates … Continue reading Fancy Bathroom, Healthy Self
Back to School: New Clothes, Evolving You
I keep seeing back-to-school ads on Hulu and they irritate me. How important is it to have the newest shoes or coolest folder for school?It seems tacky, superficial. But after buying myself a couple new outfits for the new school year, I felt refreshed. And when I think of my new clothes as symbolizing something … Continue reading Back to School: New Clothes, Evolving You
Family Portrait: Taking Time Out to Pause
My mom and brother visited from out of town so my mom wanted to take a family portrait with all of us (mom, brother, husband, daughter and me). The only time we were all together was Tuesday morning. Tuesday afternoon I was off to a teacher training to kick off the new school year and … Continue reading Family Portrait: Taking Time Out to Pause
Feeling More Grounded Socially
Growing up I yearned to be invited to the gatherings of the "cool crowd." Sometimes I was, and sometimes I wasn't, and that made it all the more difficult and sad for me. Recently I got a last-minute invite to Shabbat lunch from a family whom we've been trying to have over for a while. … Continue reading Feeling More Grounded Socially
Mindfulness Wordplay: Forgetting the Present
As I rushed out the door to deliver a gift to my friend, I thought about the funny coincidence that the word in Hebrew for noise is ra'ash and one of the main reasons that I rush is due to the noise in my head. Then I went back into my house to get the … Continue reading Mindfulness Wordplay: Forgetting the Present
Inner Child Work: It’s Not You, It Was the Group Setting
Over the past decade I have read books and attended seminars about healing one's inner child. One time in the preschool classroom where I work, I was reminded of this concept. A child was crying and we were all getting frustrated about how to calm him down. And I realized that if this child were … Continue reading Inner Child Work: It’s Not You, It Was the Group Setting
Toddlers Remind Us to Live in the Moment
Toddlers change nearly every day. They also change their minds every minute. This is a reminder for me to live in the present moment rather than the projections in my head of what I expect or wish to happen. Children in general are fully focused on what they are doing—they are masters of mindfulness!
Mindful Nuggets 