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Food for Living: Be Intentional with Learning
By Henry Ukazu
Dear destiny Friends,
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn” – Alvin
One of the beauties of life is its ability to humble anyone. Nobody truly knows it all. We all learn, and need one another to succeed. That’s why it’s important for one to thread softly. It is however, sad to see people who have lost golden opportunities to learn due to pride. Most ignoramus feel because they are mentors, rich, older etc., they can’t stoop to conquer; I have a simple message for them, as Per Michel Legrand, “The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”
Still on humility, an energy entrepreneur, Mr. Kola Adesina, once stated, that “one thing I like about tomorrow is, you will not know who will truly be relevant, available, alive, bigger, and mostly needed. Tread softly”, and I concur with this quote because life is so dynamic, it will teach you a lesson if you refuse to learn the experience of life.
One of the unique traits of all great men is their ability to learn, relearn and unlearn. Most people who have truly succeeded are great learners. These set of people learnt from their failed businesses, relationship/marriages, personal and professional lives. If you truly want to make an impact, you must be intentional in learning.
Learning is not limited to the four walls of education, one can learn from friends, parents, family members, colleagues, partners, mentors, mentees, social media etc. According to a sage, the wise man learns from his mistake, but a wiser man learns from other people’s mistake.
We live in a digital world, where the internet is the new currency for people who truly know how to take advantage of the opportunity it provides. Everyone is literally on social media. You can connect and learn from resourceful people if you have a good product, service, skill, gift/talent, knowledge or attitude and seek either mentorship, internship or support.
However, it is sad seeing some uninformed and poverty-stricken minds gallivanting on social media instead of learning from resourceful minds.
The good thing about learning is that it never goes out of fashion, and no one can take it away from you. Whatever you have, lives with you unless you desire to share. We will continue to learn until we leave this sinful world.
According to Henry Ford, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”
The sad thing in our contemporary society is the prevalence of young minds and advanced adults looking for handouts as opposed to looking for opportunities to learn how to fish. Learning is a posture of the heart. If your heart is willing to learn, you will have the eagerness to explore different learning styles to help you discover new things.
Just as life comes with challenges, learning is not an exception. According to Albert Einstein, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving”.
To navigate the tough terrain of learning, one must always improvise new ways of learning-by-learning new skills, techniques, and principles. This is because when you look at most of the successful people in the world, they understand these ideologies. For example, Warren Buffet and Henry Ukazu spend most of their time reading and researching. Today, be motivated to heavily invest in yourself.
It’s instructive to know that knowledge will not come to you, you must be intentional and strategic in seeking knowledge. On a personal note, I spend time to read; I read voraciously on almost anything I find valuable. This is because when you know more, you will be paid more. This is why the “top” is always scanty while the button is crowded. Dr. Seuss was right when he stated “the more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Nothing will teach you a lesson in life more than life experience. Tom Bodett once stated, “the difference between school and life – In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.”. The beauty of school is that it will give you theoretical knowledge, provide security for you and maybe connect you to resource persons if you are able to network well, but life will give you the pragmatic and practical answers to apply all you have learnt in school.
Nobody will give you an opportunity to learn or thrive unless you show interest in the opportunity. As the Buddhist will always say, “when the student is ready, the master will appear.”
Below are some of the advantages of learning. Learning will open your brain; it will keep you abreast of recent information globally by keeping your mind young and sharp; you’ll gain new insight and perspective to life. Learning will make you to think out of the box; it will make you more creative; learning can humble you when you become aware of what you don’t know; learning will make you have value and respect.
In conclusion, in 2024, and beyond, be intentional in seeking information and opportunity to learn. Remember, if you are not informed, you are deformed, and once you are deformed, you can’t perform because information will lead to reformation and transformation.
In a nutshell, information leads to formation. Regardless of what you have learned, make it a habit to continually develop yourself adding value to the world while practicing humility because life will humble you.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer Design Your Destiny and Unleash Your Destiny. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed that the North will, in the next six months, take a stand on who to support for the presidency in 2027.
He boasted that no politician can win the presidency in 2027 without the support of the region.
In a video interview he granted in Hausa language, Baba-Ahmed, who appeared alongside a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, lamented the state of the nation and urged northerners to resist divisive and deceptive politicians ahead of the next general elections.
He said: “In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands. If the rest of the country wants to join us, fine. If not, we will go our own way. One thing is clear: nobody can become president of Nigeria without northern support.
“We want a government that understands our problems and can address them. After Buhari’s eight years, we became wiser. Now, we are in another government, and we are still crying. Is crying all we know how to do?” Baba-Ahmed asked.
According to the former presidential aide, the North has suffered greatly during the Boko Haram insurgency, which affected all groups, Muslims, Christians, Fulani, Baju, and others, highlighting the need for unity.
“Before Buhari became president, Boko Haram was bombing mosques, churches, Abuja, and Lagos. That was a time Northerners had to unite. Today, no politician can just show up and expect Northerners to fall in line. Who are you?” he questioned.
He therefore warned against further marginalization of the North, noting that continued disregard for the region would have consequences.
“If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria. The North is watching, elders, masses, and interest groups will soon say “enough is enough ‘. The injustice and sidelining must stop.
Baba-Ahmed urged the northern region to look beyond identity politics, stressing that competence and integrity should guide voter decisions.
“We are tired of being deceived into voting based on religion or ethnicity. That era is over. We just want a right leader, we just want someone who will solve our problems,” he said.
Telecommunications giant, Globacom, has charged Christians to embrace the virtues that Christ preached as the 2025 Easter celebrations hold this weekend.
While congratulating Christians in Nigeria in a goodwill message released from its Lagos Head Office on Thursday, Globacom admonished them to imbibe the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
According to Glo, “Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”
Globacom charged all Nigerians to espouse the lessons of selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society and called on all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
The company praised their perseverance through the 40-day Lenten period which comes before Easter as it emphasized the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
Easter comes yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of unhindered voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
Dear Destiny Friends,
Every human being loves to get approval, either for the great work they have done or the ones they are doing. They love to be appreciated and admired. They also love to be given attention when they have something valuable to say or do. In all of these, one thing is certain, there is something special about us, and this special thing makes one unique, and ultimately attracts people to us.
Let’s face it, nobody will admire you, appreciate you, approve you and give you attention if you don’t have anything to offer. The reason most people associate with someone is because they feel or know there’s something they can gain from the person. It’s hard for someone to relate closely with someone who they don’t see potential value in.
There is no doubt each and everyone of us is unique, yes, there’s something unique about you. You can sing, you can write, you can dance, you can lead, you can serve, you can cook, etc. One can even be a good actor, athlete, comedian, or preacher. The list is literally endless. Now, what’s unique about you?
When you discover what’s unique about you, please do all within your reach to nurture and develop it. One day, the right person, who truly appreciates and knows your value will celebrate you.
I have a friend who is exceptionally skilled in writing and developing creative contents. I call him a genius because he can literally write a book within a week. How he does it is what I don’t understand. I was surprised when he once told me he wrote a book and manuscript in one week. According to him, he has been developing the contents mentally, but hasn’t found time to put his thoughts together, and when he finally gets his thoughts together, he was able to write the book and manuscript. This is a typical way of knowing a unique being.
Many, however, do not know what’s unique about them. We focus our energy chasing what is not chasing us instead of focusing on developing what we already have. It’s sad to see young and old people living their lives in an unintentional manner with a belief that somehow lines, favour or opportunities will fall in place for them.
Sometimes, we rely on other people’s affirmation and opinion, and accept it as our fate. For instance, just because one is tall, he might be told he will be a great fit for basketball without considering if the athlete loves basketball; again, just because someone is very intelligent, his parents will encourage him to major in a particular discipline, which is perceived as lucrative without considering if the person likes it pr not.
I once experienced this fate when my late dad inspired me to study taxation law in New York Law School, a major I detest with passion. It was like a suicidal mission for me because I do know, it will take miracle to graduate from the program. How I was able to get a scholarship for my grades and graduate in record time is a story for another day. I’m not wired as a finance person, I will better serve humanity in the social and developmental space where my skills, talents, gift and passion will be better utilized. And ever since I joined the space, I have seen results.
There are many cases where many people lose their identities without knowing they are unique. We are all unique in our individual ways. Just like there are several gifts and talents, we have different skills. When you know what’s unique about you, you will stand out and the world will not only appreciate you, but will celebrate you.
When one discovers the power of their uniqueness, we will gather strength to unleash it to the world. Uniqueness works in several ways. For instance, the mere fact that ten people are genius, talented, skillful or valuable in a particular work, the person with the unique gift is the person who will not only stand out, but will be called upon to do the work.
Let me share more insight. If ten people sing a particular song with a great voice, the person who is called to be a singer will receive a unique appreciation because he/she is working on purpose. That is why it is easy to see a lot of people venturing into a particular form of business, but the favour of the business will not locate them because they are not uniquely destined to do business.
Few years ago, one of my mentors shared a deep insight with me. He said that, as a trained medical doctor, he once observed that despite the fact there are hundreds and thousands of medical doctors practicing their profession. One fateful day, he noticed a particular patient was not responding to treatment despite all the medication that had been given to him by a nurse, his health was deteriorating, then another nurse came and administered the same pill a nurse gave the patient, and the patient began to feel better. What does that tell you? The second nurse was probably working in her purpose which aligns with her profession, and as such the corresponding success. This goes to show that when one is unique, it has a way of robbing off on their work.
Furthermore, he stated that Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and Beyonce are some of the gifted singers and dancers the world has ever celebrated. He went on to say that we have hundreds and thousands of musicians, but only a few have got the spotlight.
What does that tell you? When you are unique, the world will celebrate you. I have understood that the fastest way to get recognition in life is to work in areas where one’s strength and unique gift will better serve the purpose. This is simply because the world does not celebrate one’s weakness, rather, the world celebrates one’s strength.
In recent times, I have seen myself as a counselor and human inspiration. My counseling skills have enabled me to influence people to live positive lives. Overtime, I have realized that when people share their burden with me, they feel relieved after speaking with me. What amazes me most is the fact that even my elders feel comfortable to relate with me on a cordial basis. Maybe, I have a unique gift for counseling and educating.
Today, I am going to charge you to focus your energy and time on whatever will bring you the highest satisfaction. Even if you are looking for a job, applying for school, or seeking any opportunity, your focus should be centered on what you have that the job, school or opportunity will amplify. When you do so, you will be in high demand.
In conclusion, please affirm to yourself today, I am a unique being with a unique personality, purpose and gift.
Say to yourself, ‘I am original’, and refuse to be fake.
Again confess that your originality, authenticity and uniqueness will attract favours, blessings, opportunities from leaders and queens to you, and you will be celebrated.
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
