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Developing Your Mindset for Reasons in Seasons (Pt. 2)
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By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“Adversity is known to the wise as a weapon or a tool which we must manipulate and engage to build our “muscles” in all spheres of life in a bid to bear the “weights” of glory. It is our responsibility to be responsible at all times, most especially in trying moments, and never to give excuses for not fulfilling the mandate of MANifestation, the intents of the Maker, God Almighty! I need you to understand clearly that an excuse is a beautiful way of describing why you have failed to MANifest at any given task or opportunity! I charge you to be responsible by engaging your gifts which have been lavished into you by the Maker to MANifest the Great Light (solutions) in the gloomy days of the world, and never to take credit or glory for it but to the Giver, The Maker, who is the Greatest!” – Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD., FIMC, CMC, CMS, CIV, MNIM
It would be best if you never judged your success by other people’s accolades. You should only judge your success by God’s instruction for your life and how well you are with those instructions, because I have found out something in life that the average human being in life is so mediocre that to be a genius, just to do a little extra. People are so normal, but to be an expert, just go one inch abnormal, and they will think you are great. So, don’t judge your successes by what the masses think of you, but by what God told you to do. When experience is your best teacher, then progress is imprisoned. Experience could be a curse. Dr. Myles Monroe (of blessed memory) mentioned in one of his teachings, “I have been taught by my parent years ago, that experience is the best teacher, I don’t believe that anymore.
Experience could cause you to stop progressing, because you keep judging your dreams by your what you have been through, and you end saying, I tried that before, or I never saw anyone do it that way, then you begin to use those encounters to stop your progress.” That is why God always make history with young people, old people have got too much experience. You all remember the story of David and Goliath? The problem with Saul who was king at that time was that he had experiences, and he tried to put them on David. He told David, wear my armour, carry the burden of my shield, use my sword, use them to fight your own battle(s). And David puts it on and says these things are just too heavy, such that, he dropped them at the feet of Saul. David then went out and fought the giant with something the giant had never seen before.
How do you fight a sword with a rock? The giant says. What is this thing he’s using? How will you bring a stone to a battle of steel; a sling to a battle of sophisticated, experienced and award-winning sword?! The giant is highly trained, and experienced with the sword, to the Philistines, his sword was legendary, so he was expecting an experienced sword-man to come and fight him, but here comes a little boy with just an equipment the giant hasn’t seen before. Honestly, we simply need some people like that (David) in this generation, in this century of ours who would defy the traditions, break the norm, conquer the odds, and come out with something the world has never seen at the office, in the community and nations; people that would think of some ideas that will wreck the whole system. That’s why Steve Jobs will always be in the top place of history as a great inventor. He keeps defying his own experience. While watching a documentary about him some years ago, it was said that when the iPhone came out, they said to him “That’s it! You are the ultimate, this is it!”, but he responded by saying “No! there’s more”, and he came up with this idea about the iPad. And he mentioned that the people in the company said that it would never work! Why? It’s an abnormal size. A size that hasn’t been seen before. It is either you get a computer or an iPhone. As for the phone, it’s either you put it in a pocket or briefcase, but seeing this thing in the middle (iPad) isn’t going to work. Steve Jobs says, “Look, we are going to make this.” Now, the iPad is (one) of the most common machinery people make use of in the world! Sometimes, you have just got to defy your own board to take or make progress! As for experience, you are permitted to consult it, but never allow it (experience) to rule you.
William Shakespeare says, “Sweet are the uses of adversity… he says, you must learn to use adversity for your benefit.” One of the wealthiest men in the United States of America wrote a book titled “Cheaters Never Win.” He’s a multi-billionaire; he probably has products that almost everyone in the world uses. He is the largest manufacturer of plastics, paper, cups, plates and forks in the world. The company is called “The Huntsman Enterprise”, here is what he says in his book, “ if there is a silver lining to bad times, it means that, when facing severe challenges, your mind is normally at its sharpest.” I wonder why he’s a billionaire. When facing challenges, he says your mind kicks and thinks beyond the norm. He also stated some fact that I find very interesting which is that “humans seldom have created anything of value unless they were tried or hurting”; and I simply interpret the statement as benefits of crisis. I have concluded that adversity is a weapon or a tool that we must engage to build our “muscles” in a bid to bear the “weights” (responsibilities or demands) of glory.
Many people don’t even recognize that “glory” is a weight. It isn’t just a blessing, but purposeful responsibility on our shoulders to respond to and with the abilities created within us as HUMAN to MANifest Ab(ove)-normally, because the creations are waiting for the MANifestation of the Sons of God! (as seen in the Holy Book of Life – Romans 8:19). It is our responsibility to shine (reflect or MANifest) the Great Living Light to the world in their gloomy days. That’s why we have been charged never to sleep on purpose, never to sleep on the abilities lavished upon us by God, by responding with these abilities (Light) to meeting the goodly and Godly needs of Mankind and his environment.
Adversity is known to the wise as a weapon or a tool which we (must) manipulate and engage to build our “muscles” in all spheres of life in a bid to bear the “weights” of glory. It is our responsibility to be responsible at all times, most especially in trying moments, and never to give excuses for not fulfilling the mandate of MANifestation, the intents of the Maker, God Almighty! I need you to understand clearly that an excuse is a beautiful way of describing why you have failed to MANifest at any given task or opportunity! I charge you to be responsible by engaging your gifts which have been lavished into you by the Maker to MANifest the Great Light (solutions) in the gloomy days of the world, and never to take credit or glory for it but to the Giver, The Maker, who is the Greatest! Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven (Matthew 5:16); For we have this treasure (abilities/solutions) in earthen vessels (us), that the excellency of the power (MANifestation) may be of God, and not of us, that He may be better known (revealed) to the world through us – 2Corinthians 4:7-10. This is why you are supposed to be a greater leader, a better leader because your skills must be tested. Put in another way, Abraham Lincoln was an amazing personality, he became the greatest president in the midst of trials. Today, many sages are convinced that he’s the greatest of the United States in history, because, he used adversity to create a federation that lasted over 300 years and still working, but it came out of the heat of crisis.
Dr Myles Monroe’s (of blessed memory) definition of leadership is straightforward, yet complicated, “leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration, not manipulation, and that inspiration comes from a passion which is motivated by a sense of vision, sense of purpose. So, leadership isn’t something that you pursue, but something you discover. Leaders are born when human discovers something much more important than their personal ambition. True leaders do not seek followers; leaders are actually pursuing a passion towards a purpose that gives them a sense of destiny! The likes of Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa never sought followers. He discovered a purpose that was much more important than his private preservation and private ambition. He pursued his purpose privately and then attracted people. Leaders are more concerned about discovering a purpose for improving the life of humanity, which is much more important than their personal ambition. So, they sacrifice themselves to accomplish something for the greater good. We find that very rarely. Most people we call leaders are simply professional manipulators. And they actually are more concerned about their promotion than promoting the well-being of the people. We are simply the product of everything that we have been through! The best for us isn’t to regret or try to change what happened but to interpret it properly, maximize it and use it to serve other people. Arise and shine! It is simply an instruction from the Holy Book of Life in Isaiah 60:1 to MAN up! MANifest and show up! See others through, and not see through them in their gloomy days…and that’s simply leadership! Take responsibility responsibly!
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke is an accredited ISO 20700 Effective Leadership Management Trainer.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Everyone loves influence. Everyone wants to be a person of influence. Everyone wants to be relevant. Everyone wants to be celebrated. Everyone likes attention, appreciation, approval, and admiration. All these are products of influence.
The question I need you to ask yourself is, are you a person of influence? Are you influencing anyone? Do you have a positive or negative influence on your children, spouse, friends, mentors/mentee, or even strangers? Take a minute to listen to yourself.
When we talk about influence, uninformed minds just think influence is only about money, power, authority, or even being a mentor. Influence is far from it. We are all influencers in one way or another. Many people have influenced us in different ways, some positive, some negative. Similarly, we have also influenced many people in good and bad ways.
But today, I’m here to share with you what influence is about and the positive ways one can be a person of influence. Influence comes in different ways: as a politician, you are influencing people; as a leader, you are influencing policy; as a youth advocate, mentor, teacher, pastor, and employee, you are influencing somebody in one way or the other.
Do you know you can influence someone with your lifestyle? Yes, the way you talk, write, lead, dress, eat, exercise, preach the word of God, do your job, serve people, train your children, etc., are all part of influence. Influence is powerful. It has a way of permeating someone without them knowing. I believe that’s why my late mother would always say, if you are hanging out with a friend, only take the good part and leave the bad part.
We currently live in the 21st century, where the internet leads. The internet is regarded as the fifth estate for a reason, because it empowers networked individuals and alternative media to hold traditional institutions, governments, and mainstream media accountable. Everyone and almost everything is on the internet; however, sometimes, the information we get on the internet is regarded as fake because it’s unverified.
In some quarters, the internet has been regarded as a bad influence on the younger generation because of the limited restrictions and the negative information it has exposed their minds to think in a particular way. Some other schools of thought have opined that the internet has done more good than harm due to the knowledge it has exposed their minds to, as opposed to the information being peddled by some other schools of thought. Regardless of the aisle one belongs to, the internet truly has its pros and cons, especially as it relates to influence.
The big question one needs to answer is what influence is. According to Nosakhare Tune Oni – A Pan-African Strategist, leadership and business coach, “influence is when people trust your judgment enough to act on it. It is when someone calls you before making an important decision. When your recommendation opens a door. When your name carries weight in a room, you’re not even in. When people are willing to put their reputation behind yours. That’s influence.
Let’s take a minute to dwell on those lines again. Has anyone played any of such roles in your life? If yes, that’s the best definition of influence in a nutshell. Influence is not about quantity, but quality. The quality of people in your life is more valuable than the quantity of people one’s life. Do you know we don’t really need battalions of friends, whether online or in person, but just one person of influence can be a game-changer. According to Les Brown, a leadership coach, we need only quality people.
Do you know we are everywhere and nowhere at the same time? Do you also know that we can be everywhere and still have very little influence? Influence is about knowing your value and the right people who appreciate the value you bring. Do you know one can be a person of value to the wrong person or audience?
Influence is about having followers who believe and follow your teaching. We can have visibility with little or no influence. One may have 100,000 followers. We may trend on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, or even WhatsApp. Your name is a household name. That is visibility.
Let me give you a practical example. If you have a large crowd of people following you online or in person. The critical question one must ask oneself is: why are they following me? Are they following me because of my ideology, my talent/gift, academic process, position, profession, vocation, skill, or jokes? If they follow you because of the ideology you represent, you are a person of influence. If they are following you because of your jokes, you may be a content creator or comedian with little or no value in influencing them to do or not do certain things. Real influence provokes action.
According to Nosakhare Tune Oni, influence is built differently from attention. Attention can be bought. Influence must be earned. You can manufacture visibility with advertising, controversy, or constant posting. But you cannot manufacture trust that easily. It comes from consistently being useful. Keeping your word. Knowing what you’re talking about. Showing up when it matters. Building relationships before you need them.
And creating value for people without constantly asking, “What’s in it for me?”
Do you know a person with 1,000 followers and deep trust within a particular industry may have more real influence than someone with 100,000 followers who nobody listens to. So, I don’t think the goal should simply be: “How many people know me?” A better question is: “How much does my presence actually change things?” Because visibility gets you noticed. Value gets you remembered. Trust gets you listened to, but influence is what happens when people trust your value enough to move.
As I prepare to conclude, please take a minute to ask yourself: are you a person of influence? Do you have influence? What positive influence have you had on people or anyone? Today, I want you to be a man/lady of influence like Martin Luther King Jnr, Mother Theresea, Evangelist Ebuka Obi, President Nelson Mandela, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Dr. Kola Adesina, Dr. Joe Abah, Dr. Dele Momodu, Barr. Henry Ukazu and Miss Ginika Dike.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer, and author of Design Your Destiny- Actualizing Your Birthright to Success, Unleash Your Destiny, and The Six Pillars of Success. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Director-General (D-G) of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has commended Governor Alex Otti for the reforms she said are strengthening Abia State’s financial sustainability and driving economic transformation.
Okonjo-Iweala, who spoke in a virtual goodwill message at the 35th anniversary lecture marking the creation of Abia State, also urged the government to develop the “Made in Aba” label into a globally recognised brand.
The anniversary lecture under the theme, “The Rise of a New Abia,” was held on Wednesday at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.
The WTO D-G said the Otti administration has increased internally generated revenue (IGR), reduced the State’s dependence on Federation Account allocations and prioritised capital expenditure.
She also noted the State’s investments in infrastructure and improved electricity supply, as well as the settlement of inherited salary and pension arrears and reduction of its debt burden.
While acknowledging that more work remains to be done, Okonjo-Iweala expressed optimism that Abia could harness its potential to create jobs, prosperity and dignity for its people.
She said improved infrastructure, supportive policies and strategic investments in high-potential sectors could position the state within national, regional and global value chains.
Okonjo-Iweala specifically urged the government to build “Made in Aba” into a globally recognised brand while strengthening Umuahia as a light manufacturing and administrative centre.
Also speaking, the keynote speaker and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, said there was visible evidence of development in Abia since Otti assumed office in 2023.
Chidoka, however, said the ultimate test of the administration would be whether it could move Abia from having a capable governor to building a capable and sustainable state.
He said Otti’s emphasis on education is consistent with convictions he had expressed long before becoming governor, particularly in his 2014 book, Saving the Future.
Chidoka commended the consistent appropriation of 20 per cent of the State’s annual budget to education and expressed optimism that Abia could eventually become a reference point for good governance.
Meanwhile, Otti apologised to the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU), community over the delayed implementation of approved demands by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which resulted in the union’s recent strike.
The governor described the strike as avoidable and warned that “heads will roll” if such bureaucratic lapses recur.
Otti said the demands presented by ASUU-ABSU were legitimate and had been approved by him months earlier, but expressed concern that the approval had not been implemented.
“ASUU went on strike about a week or two ago in Abia State University, Uturu. Their requests came to me. I looked at those requests, and they were legitimate requests, and I approved them.
“But months later, I’m not saying weeks, months later, I was to be told that, yes, you have approved. But it had not been implemented.
“So, I want to, on this podium, apologise to Abia State University as well. That strike was avoidable. And I’ve told my people, if it happens again, heads will roll,” Otti said.
The governor congratulated Abians on the state’s 35th anniversary, stressing that governance was not about an individual but about building sustainable institutions and improving on existing foundations.
He reiterated his commitment to education, explaining that his administration’s decision to abolish school fees, including in the state’s smart schools, was driven by his long-standing belief in the transformative power of education.
In a vote of thanks, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, called for the cooperation and support of Abians in sustaining what he described as the “rise of a New Abia.”
The event attracted members of the National Assembly, members of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers, members of the clergy and other dignitaries.
Chairman/GCEO of Adron Group, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking, has paid a strategic visit to the Niger Foods Breeding and Feedlot Center to explore a landmark agricultural partnership. The move is aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agricultural landscape and expanding opportunities within the nation’s agribusiness value chain.
The engagement between the two organisations focused on unlocking vast opportunities in the livestock industry and exploring the establishment of specialised Adron Farm Estates across Niger State, with the Center positioned to play a strategic facilitation role in the proposed collaboration.
Adron Homes and Properties, widely recognised as one of Nigeria’s foremost real estate development companies, has built a strong reputation for delivering secure, affordable and premium housing developments across the country. Through this proposed initiative, the Group is set to extend its proven expertise in structured estate development into the agricultural sector.
The proposed Adron Farm Estates are envisioned as purpose-built agricultural communities, providing structured, secure and infrastructure-driven land layouts designed to support commercial farming, livestock production and agro-processing.
During a tour of the Niger Foods Breeding and Feedlot Center, discussions between the leadership of Adron Group and the Center highlighted the critical role of modern infrastructure and structured development in addressing the challenges of Nigeria’s fragmented agricultural market system.
The proposed collaboration seeks to combine Adron Group’s extensive experience in land development and infrastructure with the agricultural expertise, livestock production capacity and market development experience of the Niger Foods Breeding and Feedlot Center, with the objective of creating a new and sustainable model for agricultural development.
Beyond enhancing food production and unlocking new opportunities in livestock and agribusiness, the initiative is expected to stimulate rural development, create employment opportunities, attract investment and strengthen the agricultural value chain across Niger State.
The collaboration between Adron Group and the Niger Foods Breeding and Feedlot Center also holds the potential to position Niger State as a major hub for integrated agricultural and real estate development, while demonstrating how strategic partnerships between the real estate and agricultural sectors can unlock new possibilities for economic growth and national development.
As discussions between both organisations progress, the proposed partnership represents another bold step by Adron Group towards exploring innovative development models that respond to emerging opportunities, create sustainable communities and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
