Gerald D'Cunha

Pic.: Sheela Krihnamony “Don't be satisfied with stories - how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”   ―   Rumi T he more I think on the subject of ‘Success’, the more I get convinced that, it is all about scripting our own – unique and distinct -  stories; it is all about unfolding our own myth... Look at a small baby. It is so unique, so distinct. As a parent, when we look at the baby, we simply believe in its uniqueness... Its each little-gesture is a mighty milestone for us... We watch it in delight; we rejoice in it, celebrate it...  As the baby grows up, we encourage the kid to blossom fully with all its God-given gifts... We want our kid to sing, dance, draw, play, swim, act, click pictures, talk well, study well and behave well... All this we do with our kid, because, we believe that those things are good and our kids should be good in them... But, somewhere along the way, we ...

One of the realities around me is: There are millions of people - out there - who do the same work which I do.   That means, I don’t do anything special… My work, for example, is teaching or training or counseling or even writing. And, I see millions, out there, doing it… And, that’s how it is for every other work that is being performed, every other trade or profession that is being engaged in, every other service that is provided for – there outside… Yes, nothing special about it… nothing unusual or extra-ordinary… Everyone is like me… He does it for the same reason as I do my work: for earning, for security, for feeling happy and fulfilled… Millions of teachers, trainers, counselors, writers… out there Million of doctors, architects, engineers, scientists and researchers… Millions of Chartered Accountants, Psychologists and Psychotherapists… Millions of professional players, athletes, coaches and events-managers… ...

A nother lesson we should teach our children, very early in life, is to celebrate our differences… All sorts of differences. In fact, I am wrong here. This lesson we should learn from our little children! For, children are pure… They are unbiased… Division and hatred doesn’t come to them naturally. It is when they see us talking about division – when they see our prejudiced reactions towards people around us, including the ones within our own families – yes, our children pick them up from us. In my last Post, I had focused on our uniqueness… How God has made each one of us unique, special. I had emphasized how powerful that faith of ours in uniqueness could be. I had called it – ‘The Gospel of Faith’! Today, I wish to focus on the other side of this faith: that, as much as I am unique, special, my fellow-being, too, is… That, I should not only believe in the beauty, strength and power of my own uniqueness, I should believe in h...

This world is a very, very crowded place!  Here, everybody looks like me! Here, everybody does what I do… likes what I like… thinks what I think… dreams what I dream… fears what I fear…  Here, everybody seeks the same things… the same Gods, fairies and treasures… The same Kingdom of God, the same Heaven… The same safety nets for our children and grand children … The same tomorrow… The same Happiness. Every morning, as I rise, I rise with the same hopes and anxieties as everybody else does… The moment I step out, I find myself tearing through the milling - faceless, fast-paced - crowds. It is the insane peak-hour rush of New York or Manhattan or our own CST! “Where am I in that crowd?” I wonder, “Where am I heading?” “Is there enough for all of us ‘out there’?” I ask, “Will I be able to make it? Find what my heart desires?” Yes. It is the milling crowds...  I look like everyone...

I was reading Amitabh Bachchan’s blog last afternoon. Like me, he too is an avid Blogger… I must’ve committed a 'crime' by saying – “Like me!!!” It is like comparing a mouse with a Dinosaur… or, a molehill with the Mount Everest. So, before, I become a laughing stock, let me place myself where I belong: I too blog, the way the mighty Bachchan sir does! And, if I say Amitabh Bachchan is a busy man, I would be an even bigger laughing stock! Still, he blogs every day, for years on… He writes in the middle of the night… In the early hours of the day… in the middle of his busy afternoon schedule… whenever, wherever… But, he blogs, everyday, without fail.  In one of his latest posts, he – may be for the billionth time in his life – recites a poem of his dad, Shri. Harivanshrai Bachchan. Yes, from the classic – ‘Madushala’.  Amitabh Bachchan keeps saying – and over and over again – that he can not be even a shadow of ...

When they were sitting here before me, I thought I was watching the latest SRK movie - 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'. They were parents, and they had come to my office with their 17-year-old daughter for her admission. He seemed to have hailed from Mars - was desperately shy and avoided eye contact as he spoke. In fact, he hardly spoke. She seemed to be a direct descendant of Venus - out going and out spoken. That tells as to why she did all the talking. The daughter was cast in her papa's mould. She sat there just like a wet hen. After the admission formalities got over, we started talking about other things. The mother seemed very concerned about her young daughter's shy and withdrawn nature. "She should talk; should mix up," the mother told me looking at her quiet daughter. It was our first meeting, and I did not know them well. "She is fine ... a bright girl," I responded looking warmly towards our young girl. "She is smart in every respect, sir; bu...