WHAT MAKES ME CONFIDENT












Pic.: Anima D'Cunha


“Above all, I think, it is good to be confident in one’s own skin.
Accepting yourself, just the way you are,
with all your gifts and flaws is not an easy task.”

- Meryl Jacob (Age16)

Like I did during our last year’s PD course, this time too, I promised our young-ones and little-ones, both, that I would be releasing a book on the day of their certification, i.e., on 12th June, 2016. And, this time, it would be titled: ‘WHAT MAKES ME CONFIDENT’.

So, as I did last year, this time too I encouraged them to come up on stage and tell straight from their hearts what made them confident...

Majority did... straight from the heart. Some wanted to write their thoughts down first and then come up and present… But, all did. They have handed me a copy of their speech and, I am putting them together in the book ‘WHAT MAKES ME CONFIDENT’… It will be out on their big day!

However, before the book gets released, I shall be sharing with my readers all the speeches… keeping them as tender and fresh as they are. So, here I bring - proudly and confidently - two of them. Hope, you read them with equally tender and fresh eyes… and yes, feeling proud and confident, too…



WHAT MAKES ME CONFIDENT
Kirtam Kaur Gandhi (Age 13)


Seeing my family stand by me, support me makes me feel confident.

When I see my parents happy and tension-free, I feel confident.

My sisters’ trust and faith in me makes me confident.

The supportive and trustworthy atmosphere in school makes me confident… The way my teachers encourage me to do the best in whatever I undertake makes me confident and motivated.

When I am sad, I read inspirational and motivational quotes… and that makes me confident.

I am a basketball player and a fan of legendary Michael Jordon, He had failed many times… He was removed from the team in high school… He had missed many shots… But, despite his setbacks and defeats, he had succeeded. That’s why, today, he is hailed as the most successful basketball player in history!

Success isn’t about always winning. It is about losing and then having the courage to gather the confidence again to win…

Finally, confidence isn’t about having all the answers in life… It is the strength to face all the questions.



WHAT MAKES ME CONFIDENT
Meryl Jacob (Age16)


In my opinion, all of us have confidence within us. But, each one of us unleashes this confidence differently. When Gerry sir asked us to talk about the things that made us confident, I thought deeply… and these, I find, are some of the things that make me confident…

Daring to do what I dread makes me confident…

I have, always, dreaded to speak in front of a crowd. I dreaded to come on the dais to speak this very topic.  But, I dared to do it… and slowly, I am unleashing my confidence…

Also, speaking my heart out makes me confident…

Recently, I have developed the skill of card-making. The appreciation, encouragement and smiles of joy that I receive from my hand-made cards... yes, that makes me confident to make more of them.

Above all, I think, it is good to be confident in one’s own skin. Accepting yourself, just the way you are, with all your gifts and flaws is not an easy task. I am glad, that I am gradually moving towards my goal of being confident just by being ‘me’.

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Anima D'Cunha

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