Gerald D'Cunha

  “What makes people weak? Their need for validation and recognition,  their need to feel important.  Don’t get caught in this trap.” Paulo Coelho   T he proof of the pudding is in the in the eating. Meaning, your theory – the inspiring words, the positive philosophy, and, even, the most sincere love and trust – yes, in the end, it doesn’t matter much... The final outcome, the result – it does. No matter in how many ways I try to tell a parent, “Your kid will do well in life, please relax,” – the parent wants the kid to do well in the ‘exams’ in hand... This means, if the kid shines in the exams in hand, the kid will shine in life, as well... I want to see the result – now...  I want to taste the pudding – now... I want the proof. From my years of teaching experience, I can safely tell the anxious parents this: Every kid will have to find his own garden and his own time to bloom. Today, he may not catch up with his piers... and, that’s perfectly ...

  “Your strength doesn’t come from winning. It comes from struggles and hardships. Everything that you go through prepares you for the next level.” Germany Kent   S ome months ago, I was watching Kamiya Jani’s interview on her YouTube channel - ‘Curly Tales’. The man she was interviewing was the Celebrity Chef – Mr. Sanjeev Kapoor. Towards the end, Kamiya asks Mr. Kapoor, what advice he has for the budding chefs. The answer to this question impressed me so much, that I keep talking about it to my young students…      The question: “How can I become a celebrity chef”      The answer: “ You can’t become a celebrity chef…                             You can only create a body of your work                             that becomes worth celebrating.” I have been writing my ‘little th...

  “I am not a win-at-all-cost guy. Winning isn’t everything… It’s second to breathing.” George Steinbrenner   W inning gives me, too, thrills; but, not ‘winning at all cost’… Winning at all cost gives me chills! Last night, I watched the (2011) English film – ‘Butter’ (on OTT). Frankly, I hadn’t heard about this film before. Even more, I hadn’t heard about an art called ‘Butter Carving’, leave alone a competition in this art… In the film, Bob Pickler is a master butter-carver and is an unbeaten champion for fifteen years. On the advice of a senior jury member, Bob decides to quit competing, so that others get a fair chance to win… But, Laura, the ambitious and aggressive wife of Bob, is angry at her husband’s decision. Bob tries to reason it out with Laura, but fails. Finally, Laura (whose only credential as a butter-carver is her total support to Bob over fifteen years) announces, that she is going to compete and win ‘at any cost’… that’s by any means. So, at ...

  “Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters.” Margaret Peters   I n Life, we really can’t have it all… Many of us have tried, or are still trying, to have it all. But, in Life, to get something, we have to give up something… That’s called ‘trade-off’. In other words, nothing comes to us without sacrificing something. Many a time, the sacrifice may prove costly, and what we ‘get’ through the trade-off may not seem worth it. Yes, Time and Life teach us this important lesson. T he night before last, my wife and I watched the film (a 2020-OTT release) on late ‘Shakuntala Devi’, the legendary mathematician, who was hailed as the ‘Human Computer’. The film is written and directed by Anu Menon, and Vidya Balan plays the genius mathematician. It’s an amazing film. In fact, my wife and I (We believe, we are not alone in this) were left speechless to see the ‘Human side’ of the story of this ‘Human Computer’ - Shakuntala Devi. As I said at the outset, in ...

  “How a person wins or loses is much more important  than how much a person wins or loses.” Tom Krause   “S ir, is there a class today?” Mehul’s* mother asked me, half-an-hour before the class. “Yes Ma’am, there is,” I replied, “In fact, they are expected to write a Test, today.” “My son is glued to the T.V.,” the mother updated the position at home, “He is expecting India to win the Semi Finals.” I was surprised to see Mehul in the class five minutes before the Test time… “What happened to the match?” I asked… I was not following this World Cup series, and I didn’t even know, that it was the Semi Finals yesterday, and Pakistan team was already in Finals… Mehul seemed visibly shattered… That’s when I guessed, that our team had lost… Mehul is 17. I have been seeing this mega disappointment for years before Mehul was born… When India loses to Pakistan, it’s just not palatable… “How can we lose to Pakistan?” is the painful question… “It’s okay if we lose; ...

  “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” Robert T. Kiyosaki   I was blissfully unaware of the (ongoing) T-20 World Cup till last night. Someone had invited my family for a Diwali dinner, last night. And, except my wife and I, everyone else over there sounded ‘very informed’. That’s the time we learnt, that our team had just clinched a nail-biter. It was India-Pakistan cricket match, you see… Nothing short of a war between these two neighbouring countries… And imagine when you win a match which you were almost losing… and, that last-run-last-ball victory! Yes, it’s something to set the animal in you free… Last night, our Diwali-dinner discussion was lavishly flavoured with this sweet victory… “What a match, man!”… “What a player Kohli, bro!” etc. etc. … I t, always, feels great when India wins… There is something exhilarating in every kind of victory, for that matter. Why matches alone? Why elections alone? Why reality shows alone? Why exams alone? In every kind of...

  “How a person wins and loses is much more important than how much a person wins and loses.” Tom Krause   O ne of the things I dreaded, when I was in school, was when I was called to the Headmaster’s/Principal’s office on any complaint from my teachers. The thing, that I dreaded the most, was when my parents were called to school! Both, my father and mother had not been to school like they wanted their sons to… They were simple folks. About my relationship with them – well, I was their favourite… They, always, believed, that I was the good sheep in their pack and wouldn’t let them down. Maybe, this was the reason, why I was most scared to tell them, that the Headmaster/Principal wanted to see them! Did my parents, always, try to inculcate good values in me? Well, which parents wouldn’t? I don’t think, we learn to imbibe good values in life, because our parents, teachers and mentors try to inculcate them in us. I think, we learn to imbibe them, when we learn to...

  “Some things are better than winning.” Claire Annette Noland   I enjoy watching important matches, including cricket. So, I did watch the last few overs of India Vs. England ODI-series decider. My 28-year-old son and 85-year-old father-in-law, who are greater cricket enthusiasts than I am, had watched almost the full match… It was truly a tough match, well-played by both the sides. There was heavy suspense till the last ball. And, finally, as is the case in every well-played game, the team which manages to hold the nerves better, walks away with the trophy… Indian boys did! But, certainly, the England boys – particularly Sam Curran – deserved praise for their fighting spirit… They went down gloriously, like heroes! I am not writing this Post to add my own expert-commentary to yesterday’s game. My knowledge, and update about all sports are very limited. But, I am, always, moved by some subtle things while watching sports… Some little gestures by the players, ca...

  "When you win, say nothing; when you lose, say less.” Paul Brown   S ome days ago, when India staged an unbelievable win at The Gabba, Brisbane and clinched the latest Border-Gavaskar Test Series, the high that we all received seemed perfectly reasonable. After all, we had achieved the unthinkable – with a bunch of inexperienced and untested boys. Just think of it: In the first Test, our ‘formidable’ squad had crashed at 36, the lowest in our Test-matches history. And, here we were, on the last day of the last Test-match: Clinching a series, thanks to the boys who were supposed to be ‘extras’! Moral of the story? Nobody remembers the humiliating defeat of our ‘formidable side’ just weeks ago… Everyone remembers only the sweet victory… All is well that ends well… Yes, winner takes it all! That day, when we won at the Gabba grounds, I was teaching online, my room-door closed. But, even with door closed, I could hear my 28-year-old son screaming, clapping, whi...

“I tell the kids: Somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose; Just   don’t’ fight about it… Just try to get better.” Yogi Berra   E very sports person – be it a Sprinter, Boxer, Baseball or Basketball player, Tennis or Badminton player, Cricket, Hockey, Football, Pole Vault, Horse-riding, Swimming, Cycling, Motor bike, Boat or Car race whatever be it – knows this: 1.     He has to be in his best form, and he has to, always, play to win. 2.     He can’t win in every game… Sometimes, he can lose. 3.     When he wins, he should be humble and magnanimous in victory. 4.     When he loses, he should be graceful and respectful in his defeat. 5.     Conceding defeat and congratulating the winner are part of every championship. 6.     Finally, a game is only a game; it’s not Life, or the end of it! As a spectator, we all tend to involve intensely in the games that we watch. ...