Gerald D'Cunha

Pic.: Manoj Nair W hen I was small, I used to hear the Father in my church telling us this story about Jesus. A rich man, once, asks Jesus: “I have been obeying all the Commandments. What more should I do to enter the Kingdom of God?” Jesus looks at the man for a while and replies: “Leave behind all your wealth and come with me.” The man becomes sad and walks away. Jesus, then, tells the crowd: “It’s as difficult for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God as it is for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle.” The story was very interesting. But, I never fully understood the message, till very recently. There was this man, who had, long back, borrowed some money from me in his difficult days. Then, many years passed by; he kept breaking his promises. He would promise me, and, when the day came, he would fail, yet again. I would get angry, mad… often, scream and shout in others’ presence. But, it had no effect. It would...

Pic.:Rajiv Sharma O ne day, I asked myself: Is my life contributing anything? To my surprise, I found that I was too busy ‘playing’, still indulging in those ‘loose talks’ with my friends, still using my parents as my crutches, and still expecting the world to make my life worthwhile… I was disturbed to see how comfortably I had embraced such a life, how worthless it had been! It was only when I realized, deep within me, that, I had at least some good things to contribute… yes, it was only when I embraced such a zest for life – I sensed that spring of motivation within me.   GERALD D’CUNHA P.S:  In 1990, THE DAWN CLUB had published a small book by the title – ‘The Zest’. It had carried some eighteen short and medium-sized passages written by me. The book instantly became one of our very popular books; and, eventually, it was reprinted several times. W...

Pic.: Anand Ashokan O n one Sunday, in my Public Speaking session, I got a standing ovation. I felt I was on top of the world. The next Sunday, my speech fell flat. Someone else got the standing ovation. I felt defeated, sad… Better sense dawned on me, soon. Is winning the cup the only purpose in life? I asked myself. If so, where is Carl Lewis now? Where is Martina Navratilova? Where is Henry Ford and where is Queen Elizabeth? What went wrong with Ben Johnson, Maradona, Mike Tyson and Michael Jackson? I had immensely liked Marlon Brando in some of his great movies. But, when I read, later, about the hell he was going through, I felt disturbed. Same thing about Rajan Pillai. I had admired his rise to power and lifestyle… The other day, I overheard two young boys arguing about another fallen tycoon. One said, “The tycoon died like a dog.” The other said, “So what? He lived like a king!” It, really, made me think! Being on ...

Pic. : Neerja Panchal A decision is some definite resolve that we make in our minds. We decide to do or not to do. And, such simple state of mind has so much power to influence the state of our affairs, the quality of our lives, and, above all, our destinations... For so many years, I dreamed of so many things. But, when it came to achieving them, nothing took off the launching pad. I realized my handicap: my habit of procrastination. I avoided making decisions, because, I avoided responsibility. Things were quite comfortable, so I feared change, consequences. It was the classic Arjuna Syndrome . The whole Gita was written to explain the importance of making up our minds, of getting up and doing things – instead of just thinking on and on. Later, I did mark these moments in the lives of my heroes: the night Gautama left his palace, the chilly night when young Gandhi was thrown out of a train compartment in South Africa; the night Christ prayed for c...

Pic.: Mehul Bhuva A m I supposed to know everything under the sun? Why under the sun, I don’t think I am supposed to know everything even in my own field. I am, certainly, supposed to get myself well-informed. But, what is the limit? I believe, no matter how much I know, I must still have the ability and grace to say, “I don’t know.” Very often, I used to find it difficult to say this simple “I don’t know” and put on a brave front and go on faking… After indulging in such an act I would feel disturbed, angry and depressed. It used to damage my self-esteem, further. Today, I have learnt to say gently, “I don’t’ know”. I feel nice after I say so… I sense, that the other person feels more comfortable with me. And, certainly, I find it as an opportunity to learn more. Not knowing everything is not a sin. It, once again, signifies that we are human beings – imperfect, and ever eager to learn. To say “I don’t know”, when we re...

Pic.: Malabika Ganguly S omewhere I had picked up this thought: “To be fearless is to be great.” Each day, I tired desperately to conquer fear. And, the more I tried to conquer fear, the more I experienced it, the more I became aware of it. Then, a wonderful book* told me: “You are only a human being; and, as long as you keep growing and learning, as long as you keep walking into unfamiliar territories, you shall always experience fear. Like you, all experience fear… all have so many unfamiliar territories to walk into… That’s a fact of life… Don’t kid yourself.” “What should I do, then?” I asked. “Nothing. Just accept the fact that it is natural to have fear… and experience it fully.” “That’s all?” “Yes. You can only learn to handle fear and conquer it. The only way you can learn to handle it is by doing the thing that you are afraid of.” That’s it. I have, since then, stopped trying to conquer fear. I am constantly trying to han...

Pic.: Reginald Pinto T he story of Christopher Columbus has, always, fascinated me. Often, I have wondered as to what gave him that power to sail on and on, while his co-sailors agitated and couped to jettison him into the sea! I understood the secret much later when I ventured into discovering my own distant lands. Possessing such a vision means sailing a rough sea, with rough people… Like Christopher Columbus, like Moses of ancient Egypt. Your vision is your vision. At times, it is too painful to carry your people along, to keep holding on, when everyone around you screams: ‘Impossible’. Today, I know, that the power to persist stems from our long-ranged dreams, our visions; and our visions are born from our strong, inner desires to make our lives purposeful. GERALD D’CUNHA P.S.: I n 1990, THE DAWN CLUB had published a small book by the title – ‘Th...

  Pic.:Manoj Nair T here must’ve been a million small victories in my life… But, I didn’t bother to recognize them. Somehow, I spent so much of my time brooding over my handful of defeats, and, often, allowed myself to be paralyzed by their bitter memories… I was waiting and waiting to become self-confident, at one shot, overnight… That day never came! Much later, I realized, that self-confidence comes only when we appreciate our every little victory and take our defeats as experiences to learn from… I, also, learnt, that everyone’s journey began with one little step, at a time… I wasn’t an exception. GERALD D’CUNHA P.S.: In 1990, THE DAWN CLUB had published a small book by the title – ‘The Zest’. It had carried some eighteen short and medium-sized passages written by me. The book instantly became one of our very popular books; and, eventually, it was reprinted ...

Pic.:Rajiv Sharma O ften, I compared myself with others and felt inferior deep within; And, often, when others went ahead of me, I felt restless and unhappy. When I became aware of this problem, I started searing for a solution; I realized that the world had million of people more talented and more good-looking than me… And, so, how could I compare myself with so many? How could I compete with so many? How could I become better than them? It seemed neither possible nor necessary. So, I started focusing on my own good worth… “Don’t I possess at least one or two good talents?”   I asked myself… “Can’t I spend my time and energy focusing on improving these talents and appreciating my own self-worth?” It, then made sense. Self-esteem was born the moment I accepted the fact, that, I had the right to be myself… and, that, I did not need to be a...

Pic.: Mehul Bhuva I n 1990, THE DAWN CLUB had published a small book by the title – ‘The Zest’. It had carried some eighteen short and medium-sized passages written by me. The book instantly became one of our very popular books; and, eventually, it was reprinted several times. We guess, one of the main reasons for its popularity was that it spoke to the reader in ‘first person’… He felt as though he was talking to himself… a soliloquy. Yes, the reader could instantly connect to the voice in the book… and, the message simply seeped into his heart! In the coming Posts, I would like o proudly lead you through those simple yet inspiring voices… Here is the introduction and the first voice… L ife doesn’t come with guarantees. We live, full twenty-four hours, surrounded by challenges. And living amidst all these challenges and uncertainties, call for our emotional maturity, our mental toughness. It also calls for a burning hunger in our he...

Pic.: Neerja Panchal “Finally, never ever be afraid, if you are right. The shrill voice inside you will tell you What is right and what is wrong. Be true to yourself, to that shrill voice inside you… and then look! The whole world will be on your side… God will be on your side... What else in life, then, matters?” I n life, you need integrity to be confident, happy and peaceful…. ‘What you know’ and ‘what you do’ should be in sync… Living with integrity gives you strength. It gives you courage to overcome adversities and discouragement in life. Dear, trust in you instincts, your hunches. Trust in your conscience – that shrill voice from within – and follow it all the way… Yes, it will guide you to be on the ‘right’ path… It will tell you what is right and what is wrong… It will tell you when you go astray in life, when you hurt, when you deviate from your true path… Yes, it will help you to re-align your...