Gerald D'Cunha

  “If we want to fully experience love and belonging, we must   believe we are worthy of love and belonging.” Brene Brown   “A t what age do you think our self-esteem begins to shape up?” I have heard this question in our every workshop on ‘Self-esteem’. Incidentally, the ‘Self-esteem’ workshop has been the very first workshop with which THE DAWN CLUB would begin its every summer programme for young kids for their ‘Personality Development’. And, for over three decades, it has been conducted by the same facilitator – Swami Brahmavidananda Saraswati (Shree Ram Mohan). The self-esteem is the foundation upon which the edifice called ‘Personality’ is raised. This explains as to why we have been commencing the two-month summer programme with a workshop on ‘Self-esteem’. As I mentioned, Swamiji would prompt the parents and students, both, with the question: “At what age do you think our self-esteem begins to shape up?” While the answers differ, many tell what Swami...

Pic.: Anima D'Cunha I was to start the PD sessions for the pre-teens at 11 toady morning. Parents started dropping their little-ones right from 10.45… Some of them wanted to talk to me about their kids… Some of them wanted to enroll and wanted more information… Kids, as kids are, were restless… and, I was finding it difficult to focus on parents… Still, using all my experience, tact and patience, I was doing a great job in dealing with my last-minute stress… And, just then, entered an elderly man… His speech wasn’t that clear… He seemed to have difficulty in seeing and hearing both… “Are you  Gerald?” the gentleman asked. “Yes sir, I am,” I gently replied. “My son and daughter-in-law live in so and so place and I live in so and so place,” he said, “They want to send their son, my grandson, to your Personality Development classes.” “Sir, I will be starting today at 11. Can the little-one start from today?” I asked. “Today it is not possible… Can...