Gerald D'Cunha

"At the heart of mastery lives consistency.” Robin Sharma W e get to hear a lot about the compounding effect of our investments. Obviously, the reference is to our financial investments. “Start early with whatever little investment... Stay consistent... Stay long invested... and, over the years, you will be surprised to see how hugely your wealth grows.” To me, that wisdom on financial literacy did not come either early or late in life. Rather, as I did not choose to invest financially, I did not amass any financial wealth in my life. However, unwittingly, I started making my small investments — daily, consistently, over long years — in my random writings. And, the same Law of Compounding applied here, too... my wealth of written work compounded into a great treasure... Today, when I am coming out with ten books from my years of blogging, all that I have to do is — to draw from this ‘rich well’... As a young migrant into this city of dreams, when I was barely 20-plus —...

  “You, always, say such lovely things to me, Red. Do you say them to yourself?”   Talia Hibbert,  Get a Life, Chloe Brown   F or several years –- particularly in my twenties to thirties (and even in the first part of forties)   -- I have done a hell lot of work. Read ‘hell lot’ means heavy work, hard work, donkey work, or whatever. Before I married to my wife, I had married to my work… and, that first marriage continued till, one day -- right in the midst of my frantic work, my wife fell severely ill, got hospitalized for a month… then, for almost two years, needed my total attention…   I remember going through anxiety and guilt at the same time. It was difficult to reset my priorities at that point of time… It was telling on my own health… One evening, my dear friend and associate at The Dawn Club, Dr. Deepak, who had just become a Psychiatrist in his mid-twenties, came over to my place. We both sat on the floor, and he helped me deal with my a...

“Sometimes, the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.” Brené Brown   O ur summer programme (spread over two months) is on... When I was growing up, the summers were a complete break from studies... I remember spending the entire summer vacation at my maternal grandparents’ place... Oh, that glorious village life -- ponds, running streams, fields, orchards of mangoes, cashews, jackfruits... no books, no studies, no exams... yes, no getting up, dressing up and showing up, no matter how you felt each morning. We returned from our grandparents’ place only late in the evening before our school reopened... Now, the summer vacations are no more meant to ‘break free’ from the routine studies and exams... For each kid, be it in the villages or be it in the cities, summer vacations are meant to do extra studies – with preparation for some entrance exams, or tuitions, or a dozen other classes – dance, sports, singing, computer or soft skills etc. I am guil...