Gerald D'Cunha

  “Share our similarities, celebrate our difference.” M. Scott Peck   T his morning, I was talking to one of my friends. During the course of our discussion, I praised his young son… “His work is brilliant, absolutely creative and unique,” I said, “I look forward to see his new work posted on FB.” My friend’s son, as I said, is a creative young man. Who works for a automobile-design company where he is given a free hand to express himself. So, each of his new work he regularly shares on FB with his friends, which is highly appreciated. “My son is gifted, very creative and brilliant, no doubt,” my friend said in response to my compliment, “But, he is too sincere and trusting not only at his work place but also everywhere else. Therefore, he doesn’t get the due recognition and, often, people take undue advantage of his gentleness.” For a while, I thought, that my friend was talking about me… “You are too gentle, sincere and trusting in a rough and tough world… They t...

Pic.: Azriel D'Souza Y ears ago, when I had decided to do something about my poor English, one of the things I did – and found very effective – was telling a nice story in two tenses… the Present and the Past. Over the years, I have helped hundreds of people, who were earnest about improving their English, with the same method… Yes, write a nice story down in both the tenses… and, then, tell it to someone… I was in my early twenties when I read this ‘inspiring’ story in one of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s books.  In fact, his book started with this story! I have loved this story, ever since… WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DRINK TOO MUCH PAST: O nce, a very famous motivational-speaker – call him a ‘Life-coach’ – had come to transform the lives of a group of chronic alcoholics. It was believed that the man, with his charm and power, could compel the addicts to kick the bottle once and for all… So, our miracle-man stood before the group of alcoholics with...

Pic.:Chetna Shetty I n the evening, yesterday, I had been to a friend’s office. He is a very skilled and efficient accountant, who has employed in his office half-a-dozen staff. Some of them are graduates and some of them are undergraduates – obviously, all from the Commerce stream. I was there in my friend’s office for twenty minutes. Later, my friend came out to see me off. We walked for a short distance. On the way, my friend introduced me to a young-man, who seemed to be in his late twenties. His name was Sanjay. “Sir, I want to tell you about Sanjay,” my friend’s face lit up, “He had started working as a peon in an accounting firm when he was in eighth standard. Due to his house situation, he couldn’t’ study beyond eight standard. But, today, for most of us, the professional accountants, he is a very resourceful person… He can do our entries, with super-speed and super-efficiency, get the Trial Balance ready for us… help us with our...

Pic.: Chetna Shetty H ow to use our knowledge is, in deed, more important than how to gain it! O nce, Mulla Nasrudin had proceeded on a long journey to another town. As advised, he had carried with him a fine sword and a spear for his safety. When it was dark, a robber, armed barely with a stick in his hand, attacked Mulla and sped away, robbing him of all his belongings, including his fine sword and spear! On reaching the town he had journeyed to, Mulla began to narrate to everyone his misfortune. But, whoever heard Mulla’s tragic story, were left amused. “Mulla, how in the world could a thief, with just a stick in his hand, rob you off when your hands were armed with such a fine sword and a spear?” “That’s exactly the problem... and, I am trying to explain it to each one of you,” Nasrudin said vehemently, “Tell me, how could I fight that thief when my hands already had so much to carry?” “You don’t understand,” Mulla justified! W ell, as it is sai...

E verybody around us is not sly, not cunning. But, some are. Many a times, I get carried away by others’ sweet talk. I also trust them easily. Doubting what others say, reading between their lines, decoding their intentions… all these don’t come to me naturally. So, there are times – not too many though – I get foxed! That’s the time, I remind myself, “Hey champ, get smarter like the Rooster who saw a wild pack of dogs coming!” O ne day, a Rooster, perched on the branch of a high tree, was crowing aloud. A hungry Fox heard this and decided to have this Rooster for his meal. Thus, the sly Fox came near the tree and said in a sweet voice, “Hi dear! Have you heard the good news? The new Treaty of Harmony has been just proclaimed by our King. Accordingly, we all are going to live here as fine friends, without causing any harm to each other. So, please come down dear; rest assured, we will be good friends… and, we can spend a good t...

There was an interview in the newspaper, today, with Amish Tripathi, the author of the sensational Shiva Trilogy. It was the typical last question: “What is your advice to aspiring writers?” This young author is currently in news. The 5-crore advance deal, even before Amish has decided on the theme… is no small deal. So, the answer he is expected to give assumes importance. The answer is something like this: “When you write, just focus on writing… Literally shut yourself from every other concern or thought… including the selling of your writings, the money and the fame. Write with total devotion… and, once you're done with, try to sell it with equal devotion.” As I said, Amish’s answer, though not in these words, conveyed the same message: Just write with all your heart… Don’t worry about the money and the fame. It will follow, if you really deserve! And, this afternoon, I had with me my 19-year-old student Advait. He is very fond of f...

One day, Mullah Nasrudin, was badly in need of money. So, he went to a wealthy man to borrow some money. "What do you want it for?” asked the wealthy man. "To buy an elephant," Mullah replied. "What did you say?” reacted an annoyed wealthy-man, “You have come to me to borrow money, of all the things, to buy an elephant?”  He yelled at Mullah, “How on this earth do you think you can maintain it?” “Well,” retorted Mullah, unruffled by what the angry money-lender had just dished out, “did I come here for money, or for your advice?” In the all-time favorite movie, ‘3-Idiots’, there is this amazing scene: Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi) has come for his first job-interview on a wheelchair, his bones all broken! “How did it happen?” enquirers one of the interviewers, “An accident?” “No sir, not an accident,” Raju makes his honest confession, “I had attempted a suicide, jumping off the building out there!” ‘Shocked!!!’ Well, this is...