Gerald D'Cunha

“Silence is the language of God; all else is poor translation.” Rumi   E ver since I remember, I have been a shy, anxious and quiet ‘kid’. I said ‘kid’… because, that’s what I am, still… I am still a shy, anxious and quiet ‘kid’! And, the only reason I took to writing my private notes was to deal with my private ghosts… I felt relived after I expressed my feelings in words… I felt good about myself. Healed and empowered.   Rumi says, ‘Silence is the language of God; all else is poor translation.” Every time I come across a   great   song, painting, composition, speech,   film, novel, a piece of architecture or design – even a lovely spread of food – whatever that man creates out of nowhere – yes, every time I behold it, I become only convinced, that everything has come from a quiet space… In the beginning, there was nothing… It was quiet and dark everywhere… And God said, ‘Let there be light’ - and the Sun, the Moon and the Stars came. I haven’...

  “ Half of life is lost in charming others. The other half is lost in going through anxieties caused by others.   Leave this play. You have played enough.” Rumi. T rying to please others is akin to handing the remote of our personal peace in others’ hands. The need to please others stems from another innate need: to seek other people’s approval – their validation. Yes, it’s a human need… Hence, ordinary people like you, me and others crave to see Likes, Loves, Wows and generous comments on every single line we post or every single picture we share on social media – we justify it saying, “What’s wrong with it? We are humans, after all!” Rumi and other wise souls, for hundreds of years, have drawn our attention to this human craving. Excess attachment to other people’s approval and validation only undermines our own self-confidence… Beyond a certain point, it not only drains us, it, also, hurts us very badly. What other people think of us should never be...