Gerald D'Cunha

  “If you cannot feed a hundred people, feed one.” Mother Teresa   T he idea of   making a difference in this world is a noble one. No doubt about it. So, when most of us have this desire in us to make a difference in this world, there should not be any surprise, too. What should be surprising is this fact: Often, our idea of ‘making a difference’ is a ‘grand and glamorous’ one. In other words, it seems unfashionable to go about making small differences and quietly. That’s why, perhaps, every Pageant Queen – be it Miss Universe or Miss World – gets the loudest applause when she declares from the glittery stage – “The person who inspires me the most is Mother Teresa’! “Where are all the Beauty Queens – Miss Universes and Miss Worlds?” I, often, wonder. They may have become rich and famous by becoming movie stars or whatever – but, none of them has ever walked the footsteps of the ‘Simple Saint from Calcutta’… It’s tough to give with   my right hand and let...

I n Napoleon Hill’s famous book, ‘Law of Success’, he emphasized on many principles (Laws) of success. Essentially, they were nothing but the personal attributes, or, to be precise, the attitudes we needed to succeed. The ones that made a lot of sense to me, when I was ‘struggling and seeking’ in my life, were these two simple personal-attributes: Initiative and Enthusiasm. I was amazed to realize how easily these two attributes could be owned by all of us… How important and effective they were . When we are enthusiastic, we simply glow… It reflects in our speech and action… It is simply infectious! The attribute of Initiative goes hand-in-hand with the attribute of Enthusiasm. It is difficult to tell as to which comes first – Enthusiasm or Initiative… They are twins! Initiative is the quality of doing the work without being told. It’s the quality of going the ‘extra-mile’… doing the work with joy, not for money alone… Both, Enthusiasm and Ini...

Pic.: Chetna Shetty S ince the time I woke up this morning, a thousand things were happening in my life, and they were happening in all directions. And, yes, I was finding myself reacting – irritated, angry, yelling and even depressed. It went on for quite some time, this morning… just like how Victor Hugo had described: “Reaction - a boat which is going against the current but which does not prevent the river from flowing on.” Yes, right in the midst of my reactions – my attempts to row my boat against this  flow of river called LIFE – yes, right in the midst of my frantic attempts, I realized that I was not in control… that, I was not responding to situations and challenges in my life… but, I was only reacting. That, I had lost hold on myself – I had lost the personal leadership. What a phrase – ‘Personal Leadership’! Being in charge of myself… Being in control of my affairs… Being able to respond effectively to my life-situations… Yes, the definition...