Gerald D'Cunha

H aving spent years helping young ones develop their self-confidence, I have come to one clear conclusion: Parents’ critical messages alone are not responsible for the low self-esteem of their children, their smothering messages, too, are equally responsible. A daughter of one of my dear students got 91% in SSC. The young one was very clear about what she wanted to do: Humanities (Arts). She wants to, eventually, major in psychology and go about doing what she believes in (at this tender age). Yesterday, the mother called me up to update that they had collectively decided to take admission in one of the local colleges and drop the social compulsion about seeking admission in the ‘Best College for Arts’… I loved the decision… What can the so-called ‘The Best College’ do for you if you are not ‘good’, leave alone ‘the Best’? The best teachers, the best facilities, the best exposure… yes, these things definitely can help if the students have their attitude...

T he 16-year-old Manpreet had begun to miss her P.D. sessions suddenly. She had started off very well and I was very happy about the progress. Then came this hiccup… she stopped coming without informing me… When I contacted, she gave me some reasons for her absence and assured me that she wished to continue. But, the next session, she remained absent again… Last night, I sent a message to her: “Manpreet, request you not to drop out. You have been doing well… Please attend at 8 tomorrow morning. G.nt.” Manpreet replied instantly: “Yes sir. Thanks for your concern. I will surely attend tomorrow morning.” She did! When I ushered Manpreet on stage, this morning, I asked her to speak on the topic: ‘Why I did not attend P.D. classes for more than a week’. None of the reasons Manpreet gave us this morning, I was ready to accept. From my experience of nearly three decades, I knew that those who made a clear commitment and stuck to it… yes, they would do it till...

“The sharpest minds often ruin their lives by overthinking the next step, while the dull win the race with eyes closed.” ―  Bethany Brookbank , W hen I realize that my leg has gangrene, what do I do? I cut off the infected part of my leg so that the rest of my body is saved. But, then, what do I do when I realize that my life is getting infected due to the presence of some negative people around me… Why do I dilly-dally from amputating the infected people from my life? The people I choose to surround myself with can either boost my energy or they can drain it. A dear friend of mine constantly advises me to be wise in choosing who I want to surround myself with…  “Negative people are leeches… they suck our energy,” he keeps reminding me, “When we recognize that… yes, that’s the time to cut off from the caustic people in our lives.” Who are these caustic people? Are they significant people in our lives… our spouses, children, fa...