Gerald D'Cunha

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...