Gerald D'Cunha

  “Genuine gems are recognized in the dark.” ― Kamaran Ihsan Salih   I may love writing and I may love reading. But, my friends, loved ones and well-wishers may or may not. And, I have learnt to say, “That’s perfectly fine.” My love for writing and reading came only during my degree-college days. Before that, I was nowhere near the books or the pen. Typewriter and a computer were distant realities. Thus, today, when I write relentlessly and read voraciously, and when my fellowmen don’t, I just continue saying, “That’s is perfectly fine.” I, also, see little kids around me who are into a great deal of writing and reading, and I remind myself saying, “Hey, unlike these little kids, I bloomed late… and, that’s, also, perfectly fine.” If only I learn to be kind to myself, I am able to be kind to others around me. Everyone around me needn’t feel good about himself/herself only through the ‘good habits’ of reading and writing… A n ex-student of mine, who is a de...

  “A flower does not use words to announce its arrival to the world; it just blooms.” Matshona Dhilwayo   S omeone said to me, today: “You are a very humble person.” I felt very good… very proud! Then, a thought crossed through my mind: “Why am I feeling so proud on being called ‘a humble person’? Is my humility a concealed pride?” Honestly, I do not know what ‘a humble person’ means. Yes, I try to present myself, often, as an unassuming person -   one who has less airs about himself… I try to downplay my achievements… Do not like to do a lot of self-promotion… But, despite all these ‘noble’ things, I seriously think, that true humility is a distant goalpost for me. I love the ideal of humility; but, when I try to get there, something comes on my way… and pride takes over! Think about it: Every human being on this planet is able to only ‘duplicate’ – copy – what Nature has already created. Man cannot ‘create’ anything original… Be it art, literature, mus...

  “Real dishes break. That’s how you know they are real.” Marty Rubin   S ome of my most powerful experiences have sprung from my most vulnerable moments. Just as I feel love in my bosoms when the walls around my heart collapse… Just as I feel the touch of God’s hand when I go on my knees… Just as I feel the freedom in my soul when I say ‘I forgive you’… Just as I feel cleansed when I say ‘I am sorry’… Just as I feel happiest, noblest and strongest when I say ‘I need help.” I am what I am because of my tender side… the side which is very, very fragile… the side which gets hurt, anxious, insecure, yearns, dreams, cries, prays, and, above all, hopes and soars… just as every man and woman, here on this planet, does… S ome days ago, a mother, who was present during one of our Personality Development programmes along with her young one, sent me a message, a few hours after the session… “Thank you Sir. I really, really loved your session. You are imparting valu...

W hen God created Adam out of soil, He created only a statue. What made this Statue a ‘living creature’ was the ‘breath of Life’ that God blew into this otherwise lifeless piece of art… Breath of Life… Wow! The Holy Book says, that Man was created in the image of God! What is this ‘image of God’? Frankly, I do not know. But, if God gave man the freedom of choice – which includes the freedom to rebel against Him – He also gave man a conscience… that ‘shrill voice’ within us, which works just like a ‘lie detector’! If I come to know, deep inside, whether I am being honest or dishonest, to me, that is conscience. I do not need a theological or philosophical definition to understand it… God did a great job – rather a favour to His children: When He breathed Life into Adam… He put a conscience inside! So, to me, Death is not when our heart stops working… Death is when our conscience stops working… ‘Conscience is dead’... Don’t we say this, hear ...

I spent my entire day today with the students of a Mumbai college. I was there to help them in the area of ‘Self-confidence and Communication skills’. This subject is so close to my heart… that, I do not have to make any effort to prepare, plan or execute whatever I want to convey. And, I know why it is so… When I was their age, I struggled with my low self-confidence… “You guys are way better than how I was at your age,” I keep reminding them, “If I have done it, you, too, can.” But, there is always a rejoinder I add to this positive message: “There is a massive difference between ‘I can’ and ‘I will’… You have to commit… You have to go all the way and do it!” God doesn’t make repeat production. If He makes someone fair as snow and someone black as coal while he makes someone dusky as a Cadbury… When this young one, Mary, was on stage, I pointed to her specialness – her complexion… “There is no one in this room as unique as you… In your duskiness lies t...

Pic.: Sheela Krishnamony I believe, the moments when I remember God – whether in times of my great joy or acute distress – are the moments of my devotion... Whether I kneel down , with my bowed head, or whether I look unto the heavens and cry, “Halleluajh, Halleluajh”... and, yes, whether I count beads or chant bhajans ... all that God will be interested in is this: Did I do all this with my clean, humble and grateful heart? The moment the God I worship becomes ‘my property’ – ‘my God’ - well, to me, that’s the death of my God! Often, we go about praying so much – making such a ‘show’ of it – I wonder, if our God is so greedy for our veneration? Or, if we are being just hypocrites? Some days ago, one of my dear old-students, Shripad, reminded me of this mythological story... N arad was a huge devotee of Lord Vishnu.The whole day, he went around chanting, “Narayana, Narayana, Narayana.” Slowly, it had gone into his head that no one – whether on...

Pic.: Chetna Shetty L ike many others, I, too, believe that we all have to ‘sell’ our products, services, ideas, concepts, and, above all, ourselves. For example, as I am writing this Blog Post, I am conscious of my innate desire that many people should read it… That is, they should ‘buy’ it. Now, I may not charge for it; but, I yearn for their appreciation and validation.  When they say, that my Posts benefit them, inspire them… yes, I feel happy, useful and motivated to do more… All of us sell… And, we have to… All of us buy… And, we have to… The old selling lesson had taught us that a smart salesman is the one who ‘creates the need’ in the minds of his customers and then sells to that need. So, we were told, quite early in life, that an Eskimo would buy the ice from our smart salesman believing that the ice is better than the one around him… Likewise, a bald-man would buy the comb from our smart salesman, as if it is his life-necessity! Often, ...

There was a lovely Kannada proverb, which, I used to hear people toy with, all around my village. One of my aunts, particularly, would toy it with her own inimitable rustic-flavor: “Ellara maneya dosai… Votttttey!” Means, the dosas in everyone’s house have holes (pores)! But, you are free to extract your own meaning out of this old saying of my village… We all have our own dents… Our character defects, our family problems, our social ills… We are no saints… We have our dark secrets, our endless conflicts, our shares of rows, woes and foes. Because there are walls, doors, windows and curtains… no one can see what is going on inside our houses… nor can anyone hear it. There are walls, doors, windows and curtains around our minds and hearts, too… We have our respective personal-flaws, the relationship-flaws – misunderstandings and fights, fears and insecurities… Yes, we all… the rich and the poor, the ...