By Henry Ukazu

Greetings Destiny Friends,

“A life of mediocrity is a waste of life” -Colleen Hoover

We are not created to live small. We are not created to have small dreams. We are not created to have small beliefs or small ideas; we are created to live big. It’s worthy to note that at creation, we were given all we need to survive on earth. You have hands for artistic duties or handiwork; you have legs to play soccer and you have a brain to process information. According to George S. Patton, “Anyone, in any walk of life who, is content with mediocrity is untrue to himself.

You have eyes to see and vision the unimaginable. Every single part of your body has a unique role. So why play low? Henry Ford was right when he said: “Mediocrity is the worst enemy of prosperity.”

You can’t go through life living small. One of the biggest battles we face is contentment. Sometimes, we are too comfortable in our comfort zones. It is worthy of note that we all have seeds and potentials of greatness waiting to be tapped. Kindly permit me to say that a mediocre is blessed with limited thinking; this limited thinking gives him a myopic vision which limits his ability to succeed.  Per Maureen Dowd said “The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.

It may be normal to experience disappointments, failures, setbacks, etc. However, each time you feel this way, stand up and stir up your faith to unleash your potential, new dreams, opportunities and talents. Don’t settle for less.

In the race of life, don’t settle for less than you deserve. You deserve more. If you accept mediocrity it can be seen as normal. Don’t let mediocrity be the norm. Don’t be limited by your environment or circumstances. If you live by the standard you see around you, you might just be tempted to accept it as normal. Just imagine putting a whale or shark in an aquarium; it won’t reach its potential, because that’s not where they belong.

It is easy to give in to excuses, but remember that’s one characteristic of a mediocre and mediocrity. You can’t live small, believe small, and expect big things to happen in your life. Too often, we allow circumstances and how we are raised to affect our lives. Some people even blame their parents, guardians, spouses, teachers and even friends for their failure. Yes, to some extent, they may have a role to play, but the buck stops with you. It will only have an effect if you give it life. Your parents laid the foundation for you, they expect you to use it as a stepping stone. Even if they are poor, dare to succeed. Don’t stay in your comfort zone. There are more opportunities available to you if only you can take the step of faith. If you can think big, and pragmatically put your thoughts to action, you will definitely live big

You are endowed with all the skills you need to succeed. Don’t give in to the belief that you don’t have anything to offer the world. To show you a practical example of the power of the mind. If you are drug seller, you have to know how to market your products, that’s marketing, if you can get the word out there, that’s advertising, if you can take care of your customers, that’s customers service, if you know when to sell, that’s a management and decision-making skill. The truth is if you can sell drugs, you can sell stocks and bonds. Moral: Use your skills for productive ventures. It’s worthy to note that Joyce Meyers never went to college but today she’s speaking to professors and leaders all over the world.

It’s easy to believe that you can’t do something because nobody has done it in your family or neighborhood. A story was told about Steve Harvey while he was in middle school, his teacher asked the students to write what they want to be in future, innocent Steve Harvey wrote he wanted to be on TV making people laugh, his teacher called him out and told asked him if anyone in his family has been on the television before, he said no. His teacher told him to write about what is feasible. He cried that fateful and narrated the story to his dad when he got home. His dad told him to put the writings on his bed and advised him to read it every day before going to school and before sleeping. Today, the rest is history, Steven Harvey is making people laugh on television. If you are still wondering if dreams come true, please look at Steve Harvey. Moral: You have to learn to encourage your self, even when people don’t believe in you. And have the right people around you.

A prudent reasonable man wants to live a normal life which can be categorized as an above-average lifestyle. No one wants to live a low standard live which can be referred to as below poverty level. We desire to live a comfortable life. However, in order to live a larger life, it is imperative to think beyond your present predicament as opposed to being comfortable. In the journey of life, you cannot solve a problem with the same level of understanding you met it. You have to step up your game. It’s quite unfortunate that complacency has remained the cardinal reason a lot of people fail to get to the peak of their potential. This is because they feel their circumstances, family background or even their mental state won’t allow them do better, thereby making them feel caged.

Living a life of mediocre is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. You have a lot to offer the world, therefore, you don’t have to limit yourself to what the world offers to you. You have potential in you; you have seeds of greatness waiting to be tapped; you have talents, gifts, skills and ingenious abilities which are lying fallow and begging to utilized.

We can all live a large life and fulfill our desires in life, but before we can do that we have to cast out fear from our minds and give our best by working hard and smart.

Most average people give up as soon as things get tough and then they complain that they never got what they wanted. Of course, things will get hard! You will cry, be frustrated, afraid, angry, and totally beaten to a pulp, but then you have to get up, shake off the dust and move on.

To avoid mediocrity, be bold and be fearful, and confront the risks head-on. You cannot truly get to the peak of your career without taking risk. Risk has a lot of roles to play in shaping the career or success story of anyone. Risk is a necessary part of success. A rule of thumb: Always weigh the risk factor into every decision but be open to taking risks because if you succeed you climb higher and if you fail, you gain experience by learning something new. It’s better to take a risk and fail than not taking the risk and still fail. Nothing pains the heart later in life when risk option was not explored.

Most mediocres are scared to think big and take action towards it. They do what society or their surroundings expect them to and rarely ever pursue things on their own. Question: If you had only six months left to live; would you do what you are doing now?

How You Can Live Above Mediocrity

Do you have a dream?

Dreams help to propel us to live an extraordinary life. Many people have the dream of becoming a pilot, outstanding politician/leader, professor, TV host, soccer player, etc. If you have big dreams, you’ll definitely want to birth the dream. Birthing the dream entails leaving your comfort zone, having sleepless nights, reading extra books, waking up early, sleeping late, networking with the right group/minds and doing what you have to do to succeed. This is simply how great the mind works. A dream simply sets you above average. Not having a dream means going into mediocrity.

If you have found your dream, the next question is whether or not you have the courage to follow it.

Learn more than anyone else.

Mediocres are normal set of people who just like the status quo. They don’t feel like going the extra mile. Extraordinary people do more than going to school, networking, reading wide, etc. They seek ways to improve themselves. You must seek to learn every single day, become knowledgeable more than the average person by going the extra mile. The question now becomes, are you willing to put the effort? “According to Diana Waring, The difference between mediocrity and excellence is often a matter of effort.”

In conclusion, avoiding mediocrity is a goal that everyone in the world should strive for. According to Dr. Steve Maraboli “Stop letting your fear condemn you to mediocrity.”

I am going to leave you with great words from Brian Cranston: “Don’t settle for mediocrity. Take a chance. Take a risk. Find that passion. Rekindle it. Fall in love all over again. It’s really worth it.”

Thank you!

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright To Success. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com

By Tolulope A. Adegoke

“Man, has failed in his responsibilities to life, if he would refuse to overcome his greed.”- Tolulope A. Adegoke

Let’s share, not out of pity, but responsibility just like the Cubans in trying times. The Cubans’ lifestyle speaks volume and worthy of being painted on the canvass of responsive leadership:

Cuba has sent over 400,000 health professional to work free in 164 countries. Italy is now the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic with deaths in the past one week, averaging over four hundred. Almost all countries in the world are protecting just themselves and conserving their finances, health workers and medical supplies for their citizens. In contrast, Cuba is mobilizing and sending thousands of its medical professionals to countries ravaged by Covid-19, just last Saturday, it sent 52 doctors and nurses to Italy, a developed European country, to help battle the virus. Italy’s Permanent Representative to the European Union (EU) Maurizio Massari, had complained that his country’s cry to the EU member countries for medical help to combat the corona virus had gone unanswered. The Cuban deployment of its “armies of white robes” to Italy, was the sixth international medical brigade it was sending out to fight Covid-19. It had sent them to Grenadad, Nicaragua, Suriname, Venezuela and Jamaica. When the 140 Cuban medical professionals arrived Kingston, the Jamaican Health Minister Christopher Tufton greeted them thus: “in a time of crisis, the Cuban government, Cuban people…have risen to the occasion, they have heard our appeal and have responded.” The Cubans are dogged fighters who no matter how bad the situation becomes in those countries, do not turn their backs. For them, no matter the battle field; military, medical or humanitarian, neither retreat nor surrender is an option. Watching a video of the Cuban’s arrival to the applause of grateful Italians was emotive for me. It was a definitive statement that all human beings are one irrespective of ideology and colour, and even level of development. The acts of the Cubans in rescuing passengers of the British ship MS Braemar and sending doctors to Italy, is also a lesson that a financially poor, underdeveloped country can come to the rescue of rich and developed countries. It is instructive that Cuba, an Island that is just 110,860sq with a population of 11.3million, relying over the decades on raw sugar and Tobacco export, as being under American economy, commercial and financial embargo since October 19, 1960. Yet, is has an almost 100% literacy and one of the most developed health systems in the world. In fact, one of the main medicines that China used successfully to treat Covid-19 patients is Interferon Alpha 2b, a drug Cuba produced in 1981 to fight the dengue virus. For many years Cuba stood alone and isolated in the organization of American States, but through commitment, will-power, consistency and development paradigm, it won over most of the States to its side. Cuba teaches us in Africa, particularly Nigeria that there is no alternative to being self-reliant; to building basic institutions and investing in the people. It teaches the Nigerian elites who appropriates the countries resources to themselves and their Western masters, that there is no alternative to building indigenous or local capacity. That if they had built the health system rather than think they can always go abroad for medical treatment they would not be patients in the dilapidated hospitals now that the corona virus has shut out the outside world to all Nigerians irrespective of status. Cuba as great exemplar here is no fluke. It is built on the foundations of its founding fathers like the poet Jose Marti 1853-1895, general Antonio Maceo ‘the Bronze Titan’ 1845-1896 and the later generations like Fidel and Rauel Castro, Camelio Cienfuegos, Haydee Maria and Celia Sasanchez who taught that humanity is one and that its resources must be deployed for common good, particularly in favour of the poor, the weak and marginalized. The Cuban philosophy embedded in the thoughts of a man like Ernesto Chez Guevera who taught that: “the life of a single human being is worth a million times more than all the property of the richest man on earth.” The Cubans are living Chez’s advise that: “we must strive everyday so that this love of living humanity is transformed into actual deeds, into acts that serve as examples as moving force.” I strongly believe that Cuba would be ready to help in Nigeria’s Covid-19 battle. Let’s continue to stretch our hands friendship for the good of mankind, to the glory of God Almighty.

My Charge!

Let’s imbibe care as a lifestyle.

Let’s share, not out of pity, but responsibility just like the Cubans in trying times.

Let’s read facts & figures of local, national & global events so as to know ‘how’ and understand ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘where’ to wire or harness our energies for outstanding impacts.

Everything, no matter how little or frail is worth studying. It’s an act of responsibility (pills) that must be swallowed & executed by all.

In truth, the plague is over.

We have cried to the Almighty to heal our lands (across the nations of the world).

And truly, God has fulfilled His part of the deal (of healing).

But, it’s time for us as humans to heal ourselves (race, status & endowments notwithstanding) by spreading genuine love to one another in deeds (practical expressions).

The word ‘Love’ is a practical experience. It is a right that must be experienced by all.

Man, should stop giving out of pity, but out of responsibility to life!

No one is above another, it is by the order of Grace that ‘we’ are not consumed. It’s a privilege to ‘have’, but is right to ‘give’ especially in trying times.

Cuba, (a developing nation) great exemplar of responsive leadership continues to give her best to developing & developed nations across the world. Cuba only survives on raw Sugars & Tobacco exports yet heals the world kindly in her own gentle capacities void of the shame of grieve & greed!

Shame on your energies as a wealthy entity if you cannot be responsible in trying times!

Shame on your pride & ego if you cannot relief others of their pains in trying or trauma times!

Shame on your abilities or skills if it’s not wired for humanistic ideals!

Shame on your status as feathers that cannot even father the poor or the needy in trying times!

Shame on your anointing if you cannot kneel for others across the world to rise in trying times (as this)!

I charge you all to launch out in your best capacities as given you by Grace to heal the world by starting with the ‘living’ sitting or standing next to you!

Avarice is a demonic ‘missile’ fired at Man by ‘evil’ to destroy the world; forgetting that haven destroyed the world, he (Man) has consciously & unconsciously helped himself or herself to destroy himself or herself!

I ask you, would you live alone in a world that you didn’t create but given unto you by Grace?!

The moment you decide to start living ‘alone’, then, you start dying alone.

Ask yourself: Who gave you ‘life’?

Are your efforts really worth the grace or wealth that you carry?

(I guess you know the genuine answers to that).

Then why live like a container?

Why not live as a channel (as a useful tool in the hands of the Almighty)!

Why watch & starve others to death!

Why hoard the wealth & grace that you carry?

Who are we, if not Grace?

For it has been given to be (genuinely) GIVEN.

What do you have that you were not given? Nothing!

Kindly come down from that evil clouds of ‘self’ and release that which you have as a healing balm to the oppressed, tormented and the poor around you. Here, you have naturally proven worthy of the scepter of grace for greater wealth, capacity and channels to flourish in trying times.

Lights shines brighter in dark places.

You will only be used and dumped if you submit your (scepter of grace) powers to the administrations of evil tidings consciously & unconsciously!

Man, therefore, has failed in his responsibilities to life, if he would refuse to overcome his greed!

• Be aware
• Be awake
• Be strong
• Be safe
• Believe
• Become

It’s time to share.

It’s time care.

It’s time ponder.

It’s time to relief, not relent.

It’s time to love again.

It’s time do what you can, where you can.

It’s time to let ‘life’ flow again (through you).

It’s time not to be farther, but nearer than ever.

It’s time to be a responsible father and act as feathers unto the ones in your care.

It’s time to be a dedicated mother, not a murderer.

It’s time to wipe your tears and widely open your ears to learn reigning trends, so as to avoid being a ‘sophisticated’ prey!

Yes, you are an extension of God Almighty on Earth to power and extend His Grace upon the earth as kings and priests!

That’s exactly why He has created and blessed you for such a time as this (trying time).

Be humble, it breeds compassion.

Be compassionate, it breeds inspirations.

Be inspired, it breeds revelations.

Be revealed, it breeds illuminations.

Be illuminated, it breeds divine creativities (in the order of Grace).

It’s time to be divinely ‘human’, again! Activating this power & prowesses, you are simply doing no man any good, but yourself!

When God blesses you in areas of endeavour (work), be responsive enough to put life into it.

Be responsible!

God bless!

Watch out for the Book titled: “The Power of an Empowered Zero” (From Zero to HERO) by Tolulope A. Adegoke. Foreword by Dr Yomi Garnett (CEO/Chancellor, Royal Biographical Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S.A., U.K., Abuja, Nigeria.) Edited by Ola Aboderin. 

By Henry Ukazu

Greetings Destiny Friends,

As human beings, we have different character traits, personalities, gifts/talents, skills and abilities. These are what makes us unique beings, but at the top of this different genes lies our secrets. It should be noted that your secret is what makes you strong and probably successful. Your secret is basically your life. A person without secret can simply be regarded as half dead. During the course of this article, we shall be discussing how our secrets can impact our lives, and how we can use our secrets to empower ourselves.

In every sphere of life, there’s a place called Holy of Holies. This can be black room, black box, vault etc. where the secret or power of the organization is kept. Even the book of life stated, wherever your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be. Even in government offices, there’s always a secret place. As a student, your secret place might your academic certificates.

Depending on your lifestyle and profession, everyone has a secret place; where they take time to relax, re-energize and re-ignite with their inner being. This secret place can serve as antibodies to our immune system. Your secret place is where you allow your peace of mind to reign supreme. Your secret place is devoid of bitterness and stress, but peace and love. If you allow negativity to fill your mind, you’ll experience bitterness, stress, anxiety, worry, and negative traits that will drain you.

Your secret place should be a place of peace and stability. Secret place is the core value of who you are. Your secret place should be regarded as your guard room. Only permitted people are allowed to come inside. When you allow unguarded minds into your secret peace, you give them the opportunity to deposit negative traits which drains positive energy.

Every great person experience so many challenges in their lives ranging from health, relationship to finance among others. But the good thing about them is that they keep their eyes on the prize. They don’t allow negativity to affect them. They remain focused on their goal. Your secret place can be regarded as your powerhouse which can only be destroyed when you allow outside forces to penetrate inside. For instance, no matter the waves that might make a ship to sink, the ship will not sink unless the water is able to find itself inside the ship. Moral: You can’t stop the storm from coming, but you can stop it from letting it affect you.

When you face opposition that’s when your inner strength gets tested. Your ability to stand your ground can be groundbreaking to overcoming any challenge that may pose as a threat to you. As a way of advice, be careful about the kind people you let into your inner life. If you allow negative minds, they may change the tune, especially if they have any idea about what your secret place looks like.

In the journey of life, you don’t need everyone to ride the boat with you. You need to select your friends, associates, mentors, partners, etc. This is more so when you are dealing with business or have a great idea you’ll like to implement. Your greatest power and strength will be to tap into your subconscious minds to birth your pet project.

When you allow Tom, Dick, and Harry into the arena of your master plan, you might be surprised to know that they may either tap your idea and creatively implement it, or they pose negative voices into your project to either discourage or make you see reasons why it won’t work.  Don’t get carried away by what people say, keep your head high by keeping valuable information close to your heart.

Furthermore, people may gossip about you at work, they may even throw several fallacious rumors in public areas just to dent your name, keep forging ahead, knowing fully well, this too shall pass. etc. Don’t allow little thing to distract you from the big things. Remember, when they go low, you go high. Nobody will talk about you if you’re nobody. You have to come to the simple realization that not everyone will like you and that’s perfectly fine. What you play in your mind is what you allow in your secret place. If you know who you are, you don’t need the affirmation of anyone because he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. Only insecure minds need the affirmation of people.

Business:

Every business has a secret, this secret can be regarded as trade secrets. Trade secrets are secrets that only the principal actors in the business know. it is this secret that makes them successful. As an entrepreneur or corporate entity, it is imperative for you to know how to deliver your products to your target audience in such a way it will be appealing to them. In business, packaging is very important, your ability to understand the market, your competitors and creative way to give values to your customers can be a deciding factor in your business.  According to Robin Sharma, the business of business is human relations, but the business of life is human connection.

What many people fail to understand is that every business is different, and every business has a secret. That’s why two people may be having the same products but one of them is able to outsmart the other by improving his/her business style. If you let out the secret of your business, nobody will come to you, especially if they know how you do what you do. For instance, Coca-Cola has been in business since 1886 and no one seems to know the actual contents of the drink except the family. That’s trade secret. You may be wondering how and why it is so. This is simple logic, people come to you because they believe you can solve their problems or you have value to offer. Once the ordinary man on the secret is able to decipher the secret contents that makes up Coca-Cola, he/she will simply produce Cocoa cola thereby limiting the sales of the actual manufacturers.

Family

The greatest and strongest unit in the world is family. Every family has a secret; for instance, Coco-Cola. The secret to a family might be their name, love, understanding, peace, sacrifice, love or even knowledge. All this helps to address problems facing the family. Once the secret is let out, the family will be empty. What works for one family might not work for another family. You can only know what works for a particular family when you live/interact with them.

Relationship

Every marriage, relationship or friendship has a secret. This secret can be love, understanding, humility, sacrifice, peace, and wisdom. Every case is different. As popularly opined by some schools of thought, behind every successful man, there’s a lady. In the same vein, behind every successful marriage, there’s a secret. It is this secret that makes the marriage stronger. Relationship play a major role in defining the future of any progressive mind. It is interesting to note that during dating, intending couples normally hide a part of their character from their partner. It is only when both parties officially marry that they start to show their true characters.

Even married couple is not exempted from this bliss; they always have what binds them together. In fact, what binds them together is more than what separates them. The interesting thing about happily married couples is that, they have come to the sublime realization of what works for them by understanding themselves. Despite been married, these married couples also have their own personal secrets.

It’s okay to feel down when people disappoint you, but it’s not okay to make it affect you otherwise it will poison your life. See disappointment as a ship; a ship can be turned around due to waves and yet not sink, but the moment it allows the water from outside to come in, it begins to sink.

Furthermore, people may think you don’t have difficulties, the difference is that we don’t allow outside things to affect what we have inside us. For instance, the medical report might not look good, marriage isn’t working out well, finance might be low, your ability to tap into your subconscious secret power can make the difference in your life.

Success

So many factors bring success and joy to our minds. Before one can be termed a success, a lot of factors might have played significant roles. It could be health, academics, family, friends, or even your significant other half. As mentioned earlier, every business has a secret. In the same manner, every work of life has a secret. As a prolific writer, I write from a unique perspective that no one can hardly reproduce. For instance, one of the secrets to a healthy lifestyle might be taking two cups of water daily, exercising, and having a strong positive mindset with an attitude of appreciating life’s challenges while seeing them as experiences.

In conclusion, above everything, I will strongly encourage you to protect your secret place and treasure it like gold because that’s all you have. Therefore, treat it like a priceless material, It will, in turn, affect everything around you, your attitude, joy and peace of mind.

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright To Success. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com