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Food for Living: Be Intentional in Your Purpose
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Much as one can’t rule out an element of luck, it is imperative to understand that success is never accidental, it is rather an aggregation of articulated, strategical, and smart steps. Yes, luck may play a minute role, but the ultimate factor responsible for success is hard work laced with intention. Nobody succeeds without hard work. It is only when you put in the hard work that luck favours you. This is because the more risk and opportunities you intentionally explore, the more luck shines your way.
Succeeding in life entails a lot of principles and factors. In the course of this article, we shall discuss how being intentional can be the icing on the cake that will catapult one to success. Being intentional can mean different things. You can be intentional in the way you show positive gratitude, the way you communicate, the way you work, the way you assist people or even the manner you serve.
Being intentional means you must be deliberate in taking actions and decisions about what is important to you. When you are intentional, you will be deliberate on how you live your life daily, you will be clear on the result you want, and how you want to use your time. You may be wondering what intention means. According to a philosopher, “Intentions are fundamental to focus and direct your energy towards your desired life outcomes.”
To understand how intentional people work, just imagine a driver driving a car, who you may not be privileged to know what their intentions are; all you can see is how they use their indicator lights to show their next direction. Some reckless drivers might even signal moving left and end up going on the right side of the road. What does that tell you? Nobody knows the heart of a man, just the actions they show you. The heart of a man can be deceitful. The same feeling is applicable when you are working on purpose, nobody might understand your vision or even believe in your work. All you need to be is to be intentional and focused because the revelation, inspiration and intuition are yours, not theirs. At the tail end, they will all come back and celebrate your accomplishments and success.
It should be noted that all great men who succeed were not only focused, but they were also intentional about their purpose in life. Purpose in this context can be business, academic, relationship/marriage, or whatever project one is working on.
In every sphere of life, one must be intentional, and when you are intentional, you will know what you want, and won’t be distracted by the error messages, negative energy and distractions that may pose as a challenge to you. Being intentional works best when you know yourself. The truth remains that the self-discovery form of leadership helps you to understand yourself first before you can be able to serve others.
It is generally stated that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step; yes, a step in the right direction. When you are passionate about a cause or have an uncommon inspiration or vision to begin a project, it may sound outrageous or impossible in the sight of many people, but the reality of life is that if the inspiration and vision was given to you, all you need to succeed will accompany the vision. All you need to do is believe in yourself.
The beauty of being focused is that it sets your mind on the things that are important. To know how focused one is, look at how the person invests his time and resources. When you are laser-focused like an eagle, you will dedicate your mind, body, soul, and heart to the work at hand. Take for example, someone who has an online business that might be experiencing slowness, whereby the website or social media page might not be attracting the desired traffic; this can be demoralizing. However, I have a word of encouragement for you, stay focused on the vision and goal at hand. One day, you will share your experience to the next generation on what it means to be patient on a cause you are passionate about.
Let me share a personal experience with you, during the COVID-19 crisis, I started an online business where I use Instagram and Facebook to attract customers to my business. I did this by going Live on Facebook and Instagram simultaneously, some of my friends and family members couldn’t imagine me doing a Live video with no audience. In some cases, my outfit, composure, content, and public speaking skills weren’t attractive, I didn’t bother, because I know I have a good message the world needs to hear. I learned along the way and gradually improved where necessary. Fast forward to two years time, Facebook acknowledged me as Digital creator and started paying due to the number of visits on my page.
Why am I sharing this with you? It’s just to encourage you to be strong and focused on your vision. In conclusion, regardless of the setbacks and challenges you may have experienced in life, if you truly want to succeed in life, you must be intentional, focused and purposeful.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer. 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 and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has described the corruption allegations against him as “fictitious and unsubstantiated”.
Speaking during a welcome rally at his residence in GRA, Ikeja on Saturday, Obasa maintained that he was not afraid of being impeached but emphasised that due process was not followed.
The former Speaker alleged that his removal was orchestrated while he was away, and accused the state commissioner of police of aiding the process.
He claimed security agents, led by the police commissioner, invaded the assembly complex and his homes in Agege and Ikeja, locking his family indoors with over 200 officers present.
Obasa dismissed allegations of misappropriation.
He mocked claims that a gate construction had cost N16 billion, saying, “Is it the wall of Jericho?”
He said: “I am not afraid of being removed, after all, it is not my father’s chieftaincy title. I am representing my people and they have returned me six times. If you want to do anything, do it well.
“They did the removal all because I was out of the country. Lagos is a special place, we cannot denigrate the state.
The former Speaker cited the case of the former speaker, Rt. Hon Jokotola Pelumi.
He said when Pelumi was removed, he was in the assembly and “we did not invite policemen.
“When my sister, former deputy speaker of the House, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho was removed, we did not invite the police.”
Obasa said an innocent person should not be discredited, and there must be proof of allegations showing exactly what he has done.
“The Lagos State House of Assembly is above common standard of excellence.
“I appreciate the members of the governance advisory council and Governor Babajide Olusola Aanwo-Olu of the state. He is my brother and he always calls me his younger brother.”
Obasa was impeached on January 13 by more than two-thirds of the 40-member legislative house over alleged misconduct and sundry offences.
His Deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was immediately elected the new speaker, becoming the first female to take charge of the legislative body in the State.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has confirmed that 38 persons, including seven crew members, were injured when a United Airlines plane made an emergency landing in Lagos on Friday morning.
The Boeing 787-8 flight with 245 passengers was en route to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), in the United States, from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, when it developed problems midair and was forced to return to the airport.
There were also 11 crew members – eight attendants and three pilots – on the plane.
The FAAN Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, who confirmed the incident through a statement, said all passengers and crew disembarked safely.
She, however, said four passengers and two crew members sustained serious injuries.
According to her, 27 passengers and five crew members had minor injuries.
The statement read: “The United Airlines Boeing 787-800 departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, at 11:59pm on Thursday, but made air return and landed safely at 3.22am on Friday.
“On board were 245 adults and 11 crew members.
“The team of Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Aviation Medical, and Aviation Security were already at the gate when the aeroplane parked for deboarding at D31 without incident, and the door was opened at 3:37am.
“While all passengers and crew disembarked safely, four passengers and two crew members sustained serious injuries, and an additional 27 passengers and five crew members had minor injuries.
“The rescue team responded swiftly and effectively, having been on alert and standby.
“Aviation medical ambulances transported the injured passengers, some to the MMA Clinic and others to the headquarters clinic.”
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
There’s no doubt that human beings by nature are insatiable. When we get one opportunity, we always look for another. When we attain one height, we always look for another accomplishment. Isn’t it true that the end of one mountain is the beginning of another.
However, I don’t think it’s selfish for anyone to dare to succeed.
Being ambitious doesn’t make one an opportunist or disloyal. It all depends on one’s perception or outlook to life. It’s just natural for one to dream big. It’s only ugly when the process one chooses to achieve his desires becomes dirty and nasty.
According to a former Nigerian presidential candidate and seasoned Economist, Mr. Peter Obi, “if you must be referred to as “Your Excellency”, then the process through which you arrived in office must be excellent”.
If you desire to be reckoned with on the journey of existence, you must be legitimately hungry for success. One’s hunger for success will facilitate the drive to accomplish great tasks despite daunting obstacles posing as challenges.
When one has this mindset, one will not be bothered by the noise which serves as obstacles and challenges along the way. Negative and weak minds are always concerned on why something won’t work. They tend to focus their energy and reasons on the obstacles facing them. But great and productive minds always focus their energy on the reasons why it will work. This is the spirit of an insatiable mind who is a goal- getter.
It’s instructive to note that we can’t please everyone. According to Bill Cosby, a famous actor, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.” Isn’t it true that when you talk, people will still talk about you, when you don’t talk, people will talk about you, so whether you talk or not, people will still judge you, so, do what’s best for you. There’s nothing you can do to please human beings. Your best option is to live your best life.
To understand how the insatiable nature of man works, one must be oneself. You don’t have to “please” anyone. Be yourself, and don’t try to be like anyone just to curry favour. It’s important to note that when you are yourself, the people that matter will come through for you, and the people that don’t matter will gradually find the bearing in another space because those that truly care don’t bother and those that bother don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Life has truly taught me to focus on the important things of life as opposed to the mundane things. It’s truly sad to see people spending more time on the little things of life, and spending little time on the important things of life. That’s just a misplaced priority.
When you are yourself, the best people can do is to copy or imitate your style. They can never imitate your creativity nor can take your originality from you.
We live in a world or society where people don’t generally care or show empathy. Most people tend to live around themselves, their family, and close associates. They generally find it hard to lift a finger to assist others for reasons best known to them. Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka once said, “we live in a wicked generation”, re-echoing the voices of a lot of people of the world. Some people in authority just have criminal expertise in amassing wealth of opportunities meant for the citizens without thinking of the citizens they are meant to serve.
It’s worthy of note that not everyone will like you nor support your work, but when you find people who truly care about you; please hold them tight. This is because despite having family members you have shown love and compassion, they might not still appreciate you even if you lay your life for them, they will still find something to say. Again, this is the insatiable nature of man.
It’s okay for everyone not to like you, normalize living your life for God, yourself, family and those that care about you. If everyone likes you, you have a problem.
Did you know that you can get a new family from friends, strangers, and acquaintances? These sets of people might appreciate you more than your own family members. They might not demand or under appreciate you like your family members and close friends or associates. Any little support you give them will be highly appreciated. Their focus is to see you do better.
In conclusion, as you desire to succeed in life, never give in to failure until you have made your last attempt, and never make your last attempt until you succeed. This literally means whatever you desire, dream it, think it, say it, and believe you can achieve it. This principle is generally applicable to relationships, businesses, family, personal and professional development.
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 Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
