Gerald D'Cunha

  “Isn’t it rich? Are we a pair? Me here at last on the ground You in mid-air Send in the clowns… Where are the Clowns?”   (From the song ‘Send in the Clowns’ by Stephen Sondheim) S ometimes, it becomes easy for me to identify where in this world I belong. Let’s divide the people of this vast world into two kinds – Those who are naturally confident. And, those who aren’t. And, where do I belong? Living my life for close to 63 years, I am comfortable in saying, that I belong to the category of people who aren’t naturally confident. That said, I do not feel bad about this state – a state which keeps me eternally on the edge, or, shall I say this – on my raw nerves… nervous? Making peace with my shyness and nervousness hasn’t been easy for me, at all. Nobody likes to see himself in awkward positions in a group. Nobody likes to see himself trembling, going blank… worrying endlessly about facing an audience. Nobody likes to experience that deep feeling of bein...

I started writing since I was 17-18, not because I was good at it; but, because I was bad at it. Same is the reason why I started helping others in Public Speaking – yes, not because I was good at it; but, because I was bad at it! Many people do not understand the logic behind what I just said. “How can you write daily when you are bad at it? And, how can you help others in Public Speaking when you yourself are bad at it? Well, my job is not to convince others… My job is to convince myself. That, despite my own handicap of English, I can still write; and, despite my trembling heart, I can not only speak in public, but also help others. I recognized my two handicaps – English and Stage Fear - when I was dreaming of becoming a teacher and a writer. So, I went about overcoming my handicaps by - going out there and doing it. By writing daily, for over forty years, I hope, I have in me, now, enough confidence to write in English… By speaking in public, despite...

"And no one will listen to us until we listen to ourselves.” -       Marienne Williamson O ne reason why I took up teaching was to overcome my shyness and stage fear. The same was the reason why I started THE DAWN CLUB and have spent about three decades helping little ones and young ones to overcome their shyness and stage fear… I still teach… I still help… yes, for the same reason. What is the use of our education if we are not able to face our own fear of speaking in public? I haven’t overcome my own shyness and fear fully… I still feel nervous and anxious. But, that very state keeps me alive and going! A greater section of mankind has the fear of stage. The ones who don’t have it… well, I consider them, really, fortunate! I am nor a psychologist. Hence, I will not speak from that perspective… I will speak from my own experience and struggle. I had a childhood - and, particularly, youth ...

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” - Eleanor Roosevelt  B havin has just become a Commerce graduate and is busy preparing for his CAT exam. (The entrance test for IIMs). A while ago, he called up. “Sir, I am a fresh Commerce graduate and I am preparing for CAT,” he said, “But, I have a terrible stage-fear. The thought of standing before an audience cripples me with anxiety and whenever I attempt to speak, I go blank!” As this was my own problem when I was Bhavin’s age, and, as I knew what it did to my own self-confidence, and, above all, as I knew how I went about overcoming my problem, I spent the next ten minutes trying to calm down a bit of Bhavin’s anxiety about stage fear. I encouraged him to join our upcoming 10-sessions programme, which he was very keen to do. I also asked him to pick some of our motivational books. “Bhavin, You do not have to wait for the course to start,” I explained to him, “You start righ...

“You need to let go of your fear and anxiety of being judged by others.” - Gavin Newsom O ne of the two books published by THE DAWN CLUB on 11 th June, 2017 – (the Certification Day) was titled – ‘My Achilles’ Heel’. In this book, our little ones, young ones and some adults had written about their major (two or three) weaknesses. Just as the Greek warrior, Achilles, had a weak spot, his heel, we all have our weak spots… our own Achilles’ Heels. So, while putting together the writings of our little ones, young ones and adults, I came across this fact: almost all of them placed the Stage Fear as their major Achilles’ Heel… Did it surprise me? Not at all… For centuries, the fear of facing an audience has been mankind’s most dreaded fear. I, too, suffered from it as a young boy, so badly, that it literally tried to rob away from my heart the charm of living… yes, till I discovered the mantra: my vocation… what I wanted to do in life...

I told this to young Suman, all over again, today: If you have a story and you are dying to tell it…  If you have a cause and you are willing to fight for it, nobody needs to teach you how to speak in public… You will sit down for hours and prepare it well, You will stand up for hours and practice it well And you will go up there and deliver it well… That’s all there to it – to the art and science of Public Speaking… Prepare it… Practice it… and Deliver it. S uman was my student some years ago. Her initial dream was to get into Chartered Accountancy. But, it did not take her long to realize that she wasn’t cut for the CA profession. So, after her graduation, she deiced to pursue a course in Fashion Designing, which, Suman tells me is her present calling in life… “Is it?” I prodded Suman, “Is Fashion Designing a real calling in your life?” Sunman said “Yes”. But, it wasn’t a resounding “YESSSS”. A couple of days ago, Suman h...

Pic.: Pradeep Nanda T hat burning need to succeed, deep inside each one of us, is nothing but an incessant need for self-expression.! As a little boy, I was desperately shy. When I became a teenager, the shyness stayed in me like a hard rock…. By now, I was so self-conscious that I stayed away from anything ‘public’… particularly the stage. I was so full of self-doubts that I looked down upon anything ‘good’ in me… I would constantly compare myself with others and suffer inside… It was chronic, killing And yes, it was so lonely! Much of this changed when I got in me that burning desire to become a fine teacher like my idol, Prof. B.S. Raman. So strong was the desire that I was determined to overcome all my handicaps, including my poor English and stage fright… My handicaps became my greatest blessings in disguise… I started writing my simple notes in my diaries… I started reading books; I started listening to good speakers, seeking help from them… This habit sta...