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Explore, Engage and Stick to Your Purpose
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“At the centre of your being
you have the answer;
you know who you are
and you know what you want.”
– Lao Tzu
Harnessing the hero within is often galvanised and simplified by the practice of self-exploration, or productive introspection. This is the road that all winners in life must pass through. The biblical prodigal son, for instance, came back to his senses and recovered all he had lost, not primarily by determination, but by self- exploration.
How far a man conquers the world is a function of how well he conquers himself. Proverbs 16:32 says, “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Hence, the greatest, most prestigious and most rewarding journey any man would ever embark on is the journey of self-exploration, leading to self-discovery.
A man will ever remain primitive and ignorant, no matter how well he has travelled round the world, if he neglects to travel through himself. Empowerment for change or development does not come from travelling round the world; it comes from travelling through oneself.
Here is a practical and glaring example. The governments of many African countries frequently talk about attracting Africans in diaspora to come back home to make their countries better. I consider this unnecessary. Africans who will develop their countries are not necessarily those who have travelled round the world; they are simply those who have “travelled around” their minds.
Consider the case of the prodigal son again. Despite his travelling to a far country and mingling with the citizens of a foreign land, he never acquired the necessary wisdom or insight to have a successful life; but as soon as he embarked on the journey of self-exploration, he got connected to a programme of restoration.
Self-exploration enables an individual, group or nation to outgrow childish dependence on others. Rather, it helps in acknowledging, celebrating, developing and maximising innate or indigenous potentials for the benefit of others. Self-explorers do not just sit down and wait for others to make things work for them; instead, they get up and work out things by accepting the responsibility for making meaningful contributions to the world around them.
Wired for Exploits
Self-explorers are wired to meet needs. They do not waste time to first think of who to call on to help meet their needs or the needs around them; rather, they look inwards because they believe in what the Creator, God Almighty, has embedded in them. This they consciously and continuously work upon to become better and more useful to the society at large and not only to themselves!
It is neither accidental nor coincidental that life’s significant activities are usually done or carried out in seclusion. For example, real banking transactions are carried out in the “strong room”. Moreover, an organisation’s behaviour is cultivated, strengthened and accounted for in a secluded company boardroom. Also, surgical operations are usually carried out in a secluded place, known as the theatre. This reveals to us the power of self-exploration.
Often, self-exploration that leads to self-realisation requires a secluded or serene atmosphere that guarantees solitude and, perhaps, silence. Sometimes, silence tells us the truth more than words! A man who does not engage in silence is bound to perform below his potentials! In the case of the prodigal son, it wasn’t until he became alone with pigs, such that he had nobody to come to his aid, that he came to himself. The prodigal son being alone means that he disconnected himself from his previous distracting activities – he disconnected from clubbing, as well as hanging out with sluts and macho guys. He indeed disconnected himself from distractions so as to pay attention to the call of destiny!
Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists that ever lived, attested to the power of solitude, when he revealed:
“I am truly a ‘lone-traveller’ and never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family with my whole heart. In face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude, feeling that increase with the year.”
What the above simply means is that productive silence or solitude goes beyond locking yourself in a room and avoiding all manner of human and mechanical noise. It actually involves disengaging your mind from all manner of desires, lusts, pursuits, and associations that are not beneficial to the discovery, development and deployment of your God-given potentials. Isaiah 30:15 says, “…in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength”
The Michael Jordan Example
Michael Jordan is globally recognised as one of the greatest names in the history of basketball. Indeed, the game of basketball would perhaps not have garnered as much attention and excitement without the legendary exploits of Michael Jordan. What many may not know however is that there are reasons beyond the visible that made Michael Jordan such a timeless star. His winning edge was his mastery of the ageless art of solitude. He once wrote this powerful piece online:
“When I am out there, no one can bother me. Being out there is one of the most private parts of my life…during the game; for a few times in my life, I feel untouchable…I mean that about a game being like meditation period for me. Anytime I am playing serious basketball, it’s like meditation.
Sometimes even in the middle of the game, I am able to think about things as loud as it is; it’s almost a quiet time for me. I know that basketball game can be very exciting, but for me the game is one of the calmest parts of my life.”
Jordan’s success secret can thus be said to be his ability to be united – spirit, soul and body – with the game of basketball, without allowing external or distracting forces to affect him. By this, he was able to initiate, maximise and sustain coherence with the unusual basketball energy he is endowed with.
Curiously, the art of silence has been neglected by the vast majority of mankind; yet it is as important as prayer. This is why those who are given to prayer without being given to silence make little or no contribution to human existence. Conversely, those who combine prayer with quality moments of solitude enjoy the grace to soar and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of humanity!
Bishop Oyedepo, in the book, “Maximising Your Destiny” reveals:
“Quietness enhances the quality of thinking. Quietness enhances productive reasoning. I cherish quietness and I will do anything to have it…that is why although we have many rooms in our house, I sometimes have to put certain guests in the hotel, to avoid the noise they will make in my home. Quietness is precious to me. It has great spiritual value…”
One of my enviable role models, Samson Adah Paul, wrote this mind-blowing piece that brings the creation story much more alive: “When God Almighty saw the need to create woman for man, he did not inspire man to employ the ‘art of prayer’, he simply inspired man to connect to the art of silence…” This is confirmed in Genesis 2:21-22, “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”
Believe it, friend – silence informs! Since it is the seedbed of ideas, it can rightly be described as the powerhouse of societal progress and development. Consequently, any quest for progress and development that is pursued without the art of silence will ever be in vain. According to Samson Adah Paul, “Africans that will experience the fulfilment of the ‘African Dream’ will have to be masters of the art of silence. Mind you, silence in this context is not about being mute and dumb; it’s rather about being immune to distracting external forces, in order for one to initiate and maximise communication with the inherent resources endowed in man by God.”
Edison’s Example
Some aspects of Thomas Edison’s life have been a great lesson to me after taking time to study about him. I discovered too that his greatest strength was his mastery of the art of silence. He recorded a number of achievements, discoveries and exploits – but they were mainly as a result of his paying attention to necessary matters, while avoiding those he considered unnecessary. He had a physical challenge from birth – total deafness in one ear and partial deafness in the other. However, rather than seeking to find a way to remedy this defect, he rather chose to bear the burden, because – according to him – it was an advantage. He wrote this interesting piece:
“Even though I am nearly deaf, I seem to be gifted with a kind of inner hearing which enables me to detect sounds and noises that the ordinary person does not hear.”
Edison did not consider hearing disability as pain but as gain. And this helped to strengthen his concentration level – leading to amazing inventions that blessed humanity, rather than becoming a good excuse for him to fail in life.
You Need a Break
Harnessing your potentials doesn’t mean that you have to burn yourself out. You are still human, after all, and must therefore devise means of conserving and replenishing your physical strength.
There is nothing to be ashamed of about this. We all get tired sometimes. This is why we must be able to manage our energy and not only our time. We must be able to know when our energy gauge is getting low, and then back off; otherwise, we might make some bad decisions.
Our Lord Jesus Christ provides a good example for us on this. He retreated occasionally, when the multitudes pressed upon Him. There were times He pulled away, and either went to the mountain (a serene and holy place) to pray or got some other place to rest. Moreover, the Scripture reveals that God, our Heavenly Father, rested on the seventh day after creation.
When you are tired, withdraw from people. Look for a serene environment and lodge there for a while to regenerate and rest. Go on short vacations with your loved ones and enjoy a change of atmosphere.
Dr. Robert Schuller wrote: “When I am tired, I often do not see people. I owe a great deal to my dear wife. She knows me very well, and she arranged my calendar very clearly and carefully. She knows when my energies are taxed, and she blocks off time for renewal. Each year she plans mini-vacations for me immediately after busy times of the year. That way I never get burned out.”
I often adopt the withdrawal method too. I go to a cool and serene environment to reload my energy by having good quality rest. This way, I am refreshed and inspired towards greater exploits.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke is an accredited ISO 20700 Effective Leadership Management Trainer. Email: adegoketolulope1022@gmail.com;
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
It’s impossible for any mortal person to claim that he has not at one time or another felt envious. In other words, everyone somehow has wished they have something other people; friends, partners, siblings, colleagues or even family members, have. It is worthy of note that the Creator of heaven and earth designed the universe in such a way that everyone needs to depend on one another for survival. Nobody has it all.
While one person may be gifted in singing, another might be gifted in praying, healing, speaking or writing. Yet another might be gifted in playing soccer, while another might be gifted in sprinting, tennis, swimming, and more.
As a Human Capacity Development expert, I have come to realize that we all have different strengths and weaknesses. The mistake most people make is to chase what is not chasing them instead of focusing on developing themselves.
When you develop yourself, it will be easy for other people to appreciate and support you, but when you focus your energy on being jealous of what other people have, you deprive yourself of attracting blessings and opportunities to your life. As a Life coach, I always tell my tribe, major on your major and work on your weakness.
Envy is not only when one is jealous of what someone has, it also means greed when one is not satisfied with what one has. Isn’t it true that greed makes a rich man poor and contentment makes a rich man poor. It is important to note that you can’t attract what you hate. If you see anyone thriving, please if you can’t support them, please leave them the way you are instead of pulling them down.
One of the best ways to succeed in life is to know oneself. According to Socrates, “man know thyself”. When you understand who you are, you will understand what’s unique about you, and you won’t be concerned about the activities of others. The benefit of self-discovery is priceless. Self-discovery will help you to make the right choice, it will assist you to unleash your potential, and it will ultimately help you to be intentional with your life.
One of the reasons why envy is paramount is that we don’t practice gratitude and appreciation. Most often, we look towards what we lack instead of looking at what we have. There’s an adage that says, it is because the philosopher was too busy to get to the promised land that he forgot there’s a ditch in front of him and he fell inside. That’s the philosophy of envy.
It’s instructive to note that envy is not only deadly, but also “cancerous” because when it envelops someone, it blinds the person not to see the good in others. Envy, if not properly managed, can cause more than damage.
There was a story about two friends- John and Paul. John woke up one morning to a gleaming new model Toyota Camry in Paul’s garage. He went green with envy, and by the next day, he had the same brand of car in his own garage to prove a point. Unknown to John, he didn’t know that Paul’s car was a gift from his wealthy father-in-law. John on the other hand had to exhaust all his savings to buy his own car just to prove whatever point he had in mind.
At the end of the day, Paul was smiling well and living his best life, but John was experiencing financial challenges that threatened his marriage because of his pride and greed to prove a point. The moral of this message is to desist from competing with people, rather compete with oneself by being better than you were yesterday.
One good reason why envy and covetousness are such terrible afflictions is because what is right for others may not be right for you. If your motivation is to have what others have, your decisions will be targeted at the wrong or goal. Your goal must be self-geared and not to keep up with the neighbors.
It’s instructive to note that we are not on earth to impress anyone, except God. Yes, it’s good to impress our boss at work, our friends, family members, mentors, and benefactors, etc., it should be done with moderation. What is important is for one to know the intention behind whatever they are doing. This is because when you try to please man, you’ll fail, but when we try to do the right thing, everything will fall in place. According to Bill Cosby, I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone. Moral: Just do you and everyone will be fine because at the end of the day, those that care, don’t matter and those that matter don’t care.
In conclusion, as you journey towards life, please avoid envy, run from it and be satisfied with what you have.
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 Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
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WAEC Dismisses Viral Letter on Deployment of Security Personnel to Exam Centres As Fabricated, Fake
By Eric Elezuo
A statement signed by the Ag. Head, Public Affairs, West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Office, Yaba, Ms Moyosola Adesina, on behalf of the Head of National Office, has denied and dismissed a letter purportedly issued by WAEC, and making the rounds on the internet, as forged, fake and fabricated.
The statement stated categoricrally that ‘the Council has not issued any such directive regarding the deployment of security personnel to individual examination centers as described in the rogue letter.’
The Council urged schools and examination centres to disregard the letter and it’s content as ‘it did not emanate from the office of the Senior Deputy Registrar (Test Administration) or any other department within WAEC Nigeria’.
Below is WAEC’s statement in full:
The attention of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, has been drawn to a fraudulent letter making the rounds in the media space.
The fabricated letter, dated May 27, 2026, bears the reference number L/SED/12/DIST/VOL. 4/460 and is addressed to “The Proprietor/Principal of schools.
The forged document falsely claims that the Council has finalized plans for a “comprehensive deployment” of personnel from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to all WAEC examination centers across Nigeria, effective June 1, 2026. The letter also features a forged signature of the Senior Deputy Registrar/Head (Test Administration), Mr. S.D. Kum.
The Management of the West African Examinations Council wishes to state categoricrally that the said letter is fake, as it did not emanate from the office of the Senior Deputy Registrar (Test Administration) or any other department within WAEC Nigeria. Similarly, the Council has not issued any such directive regarding the deployment of security personnel to individual examination centers as described in the rogue letter.
Furthermore, WAEC recognizes that this letter is the handiwork of mischief-makers and fraudsters aiming to create unnecessary panic, disrupt the smooth conduct of the ongoing examination, and mislead school proprietors, principals, parents, and candidates.
On this note, school authorities, supervisors, invigilators, parents, and the general public are hereby advised to completely disregard the contents of the said letter.
The Council hereby wishes all registered candidates for WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 the very best in their preparations for the examination.
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to deepen, as the President Bola Tinubu’s daughter, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, on Wednesday, called for the disbandment of the influential Justice Forum and Mandate Movement groups over alleged manipulation of the party’s primaries.
Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Bola Tinubu, specifically faulted the conduct of the House of Representatives primary for Mushin Constituency I, Agege Constituency II, and Ojokoro, alleging that the mandate of aspirants in the constituencies was stolen and handed to “a non-winner”.
Speaking during the weekly meeting of market leaders and stakeholders at the Iyaloja-General’s office in Alausa, Ikeja, she condemned what she described as political shenanigans and warned against attempts to subvert the will of party members.
She also decried the alleged marginalisation of traders by political office holders despite their contributions to the growth and electoral success of the APC in Lagos State.
The Iyaloja General cited the cases of Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo in Agege Constituency II, Seye Oladejo in Mushin Federal Constituency, and Olotu Emmanuel Ojo in Ojokoro, insisting that the aspirants won their respective primaries convincingly before moves were allegedly made to alter the outcomes.
She said: “We have to cry out now; let the APC cancel Justice and Mandate Forums because our governorship candidate belongs to the Justice Forum.” Everybody is now joking at the Justice Forum because that is where our incoming governor belongs. Are we not Lagosians? When he becomes the governor, he will not be the governor for the APC alone; he has to balance it. Even when you are the governor, you have to lead both your friends and foes. It is saddening that when a Mandate Forum aspirant wins, he jumps to Justice Forum; it is saddening. It is a way of telling us that hard work doesn’t pay in politics.
“Something must be done on that because it is important.
We are sure that Seye Oladejo won in Mushin Federal Constituency and Olotu Emmanuel Ojo in Ojokoro won in Ojoroko with a landslide.
“In fact, we decided to calm down and see what they will do about it because we are ready to protest. We know they won the election and their mandate should not be given to somebody else.”
She urged APC leaders at the state and national levels to immediately investigate the disputed primaries and ensure that justice prevailed before final ratification of the results.
She warned that failure to address the grievances could worsen internal tensions within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu-Ojo declared that market women across Lagos remain committed to supporting the governorship ambition of Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat and other APC candidates nationwide, but stressed that traders deserve recognition and political appointments in return for their loyalty and sacrifices.
She also urged President Bola Tinubu to acknowledge traders as critical stakeholders in national development.
Meanwhile, aggrieved APC members and supporters in Mushin have threatened mass protests if the alleged mandate of Oladejo is not restored.
The protesters accused leaders of the Justice Forum bloc of attempting to impose candidates and undermine internal democracy within the party.
“We know who won the election, and the mandate should not be stolen. We are ready to protest if justice is not done,” one of the protesters said.
