WHO LOOKS OUTSIDE, DREAMS; WHO LOOKS INSIDE, AWAKENS
Pic.: Chetna Shetty
“Your vision will become clear only
when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks
inside, awakens.”
- Carl Jung
The
Dawn Club had completed twenty-five years in 2014. I had been telling all my
well-wishers that I had this dream to build an institution – THE DAWN CLUB
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE – to carry forward the work I had started twenty-five
years ago. Yes, to carry it forward as an institution and leave an enduring
legacy. Though I had been passionately talking about it to scores of my
well-wishers, who were keen to support me all the way, something seemed to hold
me back… I would find it mysterious to figure it out…
Was it a fear deep down…
the familiar fear of failure… What if I fail?
Was it the lack of
clarity of vision?
Was it the lack of
clearly-defined ‘product’… What we wanted to offer as an institution?
Was it the lack of a
very animated and equally-passionate team?
Was it destiny… Its ‘time’
had not come?
Or, was it something
else?
Yes, I had been
thinking about it… What holds me back? Why am going slow, dead slow on my ‘dream’?
One
of my well-wishers had been an elderly teacher, who had, always, believed in my
work and had, relentlessly, encouraged me not to give up on my dream to build this
institution. Today is new-year. Early in the morning, this adorable gentleman
called up to wish me… “Fear should never hold you back, my dear Gerry,” he charged
me up, “We all experience fear when we dream.” He continued, “It is your
passion that is going to see you through… and, you have loads and loads of
passion. Don’t’ ever retreat.”
Of
all the things I would pray for when the new Sun emerged, today, this was the
one I would pray to God first “Dear God, help me remain true to my heart!”
The
kind teacher summed it up, “Gerry remember this: Institutions are, seldom,
built by bricks and mortar. They are built by men and women who are fired by
the clarity of vision, the charity of heart and spirit of co-operation. God
bless.”
I
went into a long silence after this call ended!
Scores
of new-year messages had, already, poured in and they were still pouring in…
Every message would wish me success, prosperity, happiness and peace. I, too,
was wishing the same to others… But, then, this one message had done a lot to
me, today…
Probably, Carl Jung’s
words carried an answer for my problem:
“Your vision will become clear only
when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks
inside, awakens.”
How
true, “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens!”
Many
years ago, Lisa Fittifaldi, had said:
“Blindness took away my sight, but
gave me clarity of vision.
It took blindness to teach me the
meaning of love and friendship.”
Answer was concealed in Lisa's words, as well… which bring the
same message home as Jung’s do…
That, I need to be blind to the world outside… and awaken to
the world inside… Yes, to understand not only the meaning of love and
friendship, but, also, how to build an enduring legacy around them…
An ‘institution’, if I chose to call it!
A happy new-year to you all... May all your dreams come true!
A happy new-year to you all... May all your dreams come true!
GERALD D’CUNHA
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