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Food for Living: Bless the World to Receive More Blessings
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
While in college, I learnt one of the best skills in human relationship, and that’s communication. When you know how to communicate with the right words, you will literally get whatever you want in life. This is a universal principle.
Let me explain a little; when you pray the right way by using the right words your request will be given attention by God. As a man, when you have the right words for a lady, she’ll easily be attracted to you, especially if word affirmation is her love language; as an entrepreneur, if you can articulate a good proposal, you stand a better chance of getting a grant or funding for your business. As a student, if you can use the right diction, you stand a better chance of passing your exams.
According to Les Brown, if you want to succeed, you must change your mindset, practice only quality people and develop your communication skills because when you open your mouth to speak, you tell the world who you are. This goes to tell you communication is one of the most important skills if not the most important skill one needs in our contemporary society. Your ability to write and speak clearly will set you apart from your contemporaries.
Why is human relationship very important? Human beings are the people who will bless you. If you don’t have a good personal and professional relationship with people, it will be difficult to get whatever you want. Social skills is a currency, if properly utilized, one can attract goodwill. If you will agree with me, the joy of life is not how happy you are, but how happy others can be because of you. When you touch people selflessly, they will be attracted to you.
To receive blessing from anyone, you must have value. This value might be a service, a product or even an attitude. In our contemporary society, many people complain of lack as the reason they haven’t been able to make an impact in the world. These ignorant minds think money, connections, academic qualifications etc are necessary factors to attract influence and money in the society, yes, they are part of the requirements, but not necessarily the main substance.
There are certain qualities and values one can have that’s more valuable and important than money. A typical example is attitude. No matter how smart, connected, rich and resourceful one might be, if you have a funny or nasty attitude, no serious-minded person would take you seriously. According to Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Everyone is blessed with a skill, talent/gift, or has some form of certificate. Even if you don’t have any, you have common sense, wisdom, humility, kindness, gratitude, loyalty, or a heart of volunteerism. When you showcase these traits to the right people with a genuine heart, there’s a tendency to attract opportunity because people see those who participate.
When you bless the world with what you have, the world will in turn bless you with money and opportunities. It’s instructive to note that no gift, skill, or virtue is more important than the other. What’s important is knowing how to make use of it.
In the business world, one must know what works for anyone to attract an opportunity. Did you know your humility, kindness, words, volunteerism, and honesty can make someone invest in you?
Most times, some uniformed minds complain of being poor. However, they fail to understand that if one doesn’t have money, the reason is often because he is not solving a problem, or not solving enough problems, or not solving the right problem or not solving problems for the right people.
Generally, we make money because we have something unique to offer to the world. So again, I will ask you, what do you have in your hands or personality to offer the world?
The major reason most people fail in life is because they don’t really discover themselves. Self-discovery is a life-long career because you can never fully comprehend yourself. When you discover who you are, your gift, talent, skill, and the academic qualification you have been blessed with, you will be properly positioned to bless others.
It should be noted that you can’t bless others if you haven’t been able to bless yourself. To know if one is blessed, investigate your life to see if you have received any form of favour from people; this favour might not necessarily be money, it can be opportunity or appreciation.
When people invest in you, it’s simply because they have seen value in you. Someone made the way for you by giving you an opportunity, the best you can do is to pay it forward by being a blessing to another person. Did you know you are blessed to bless other people? When you develop your skills, talents and gifts, the world will in turn celebrate you.
When you are good in what you do, people can see through you, especially when you are consistent for a just cause. When you solve a problem with your value, people notice. Your greatest gift to the world is to make an impact with what you have.
According to Hans Urs Von Balthasar, what you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.
In conclusion, I will strongly admonish you to stop complaining and start practicing gratitude with what your have. Let me ask you; are you a good singer, dancer, artist, footballer, athlete, writer, speaker, etc.? If yes, horn and develop them to the best of your ability, and see if the world won’t celebrate you. Trust me, there are literally people waiting to pay you for the gifts you are giving the world for free if only you know how to pitch your ideas to the right people, organizations in addition to monetizing it. Remember, the day you discover your gift, that’s the day you become a millionaire.
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
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the winner of the just concluded Ondo State governorship election, held on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
The Returning Officer for the election Olayemi Akinwumi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State declared Aiyedatiwa winner of the election on Sunday, extending the governor’s stay at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure.
Governor Aiyedatiwa polled 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival and a former deputy governor of the state Ajayi Agboola who flew the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag. He scored 117,845 votes, more than twice lower than the APC candidate.
“That Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of the APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” the returning officer said at exactly 2:30 pm at the INEC collation centre in Akure.
The declaration came hours after the collation of results for the election began in the early hours of Sunday. Although the collation centre went on breaks, the APC took a commanding lead with over 200,000 votes ahead of the PDP.
The final results showed that the APC won the election in a landslide, clearing all 18 local government areas.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
There is no gainsaying the fact that everyone desirous of making impact in life must live a life of purpose. This is where knowledge and information come to play. It is these knowledge and information that will set an individual apart from his contemporaries.
I strongly believe, if one is not informed, they are ill-informed, and when they are ill-informed, they can’t perform well in any given endeavour. This is because information leads to reformation and transformation. We can therefore, confidently say that information leads to formation because everyone is a product of what they know.
Knowledge acquisition is one of the best things that can happen to anyone. People with knowledge are revered, and highly respected. Having knowledge is like having money. People from all walks of life will seek you.
There are different kinds of knowledge, and they include Revealed Knowledge, which comes from those who wrote the Bible and Intuitive Knowledge, which comes from the mind. It is the ability to gain knowledge without conscious reason or explanation.
Others are Empirical Knowledge, which is information gained through observation, experimentation, and direct experience, rather than through theoretical reason or intuition; Authoritative Knowledge, which is the knowledge a man has because of his expertise in a particular field; and finally but not the least, Rational Knowledge, which is a form of knowledge that uses reasoning and philosophy to understand the world.
From this illustration, a decisive mind can see that knowledge is priceless. Knowledge is like education. It can provide security and access. Even the Book of life says in Proverbs 4:13, “your education is your life, guard it very well”; and in Hosea 4:6 that “my people perish for lack of knowledge”.
From my personal experience in life, apart from death, one of the greatest levelers of all time is education. This is because the child of a certified pauper can become a man of means tomorrow if properly educated. That explains why children from humble backgrounds ought to take their education very seriously, especially if they don’t have affluence.
On a personal note, I come from a very humble background, my late parents didn’t have the opportunity of acquiring a decent education, but they knew the value of education and endeavored to give me and my siblings a decent education. In retrospect, when I look back and see some of my contemporaries whose parents couldn’t give them a decent education, I bless my late parents because education has exposed me to lots of opportunities in the United States, and the global world in addition to granting me an audience with the high and mighty in society.
Sometimes, when I look at my modest achievement, I’m deeply humbled because I know it is the grace of God. Who am I to author two amazing trailblazers’ books, get featured and profiled by the New York Times, engage in high level conversation with leaders of thought and captains of industries. Apart from the grace of God, intentional seeking of knowledge, and wise counsel from mentors and strategically positioning myself have been some of the cornerstone to my success.
Imagine if my late parents didn’t give me a decent education and opportunity of travelling to the United States, most of these opportunities and exposure wouldn’t have been readily available.
When one is decently enlightened, educated and informed about life, their level of reasoning and understanding differ from an ordinary man. If one desires to go far in life, one must seek knowledge.
It is your knowledge that sets you apart from others.
According to Dr. Yomi Garnett, an accomplished Ghostwriter, “If you are a man of great knowledge, people will have great respect for you. If you are a man of great wisdom, people will have great reverence for you. And if you are a man of both, great knowledge and great wisdom, you will be the most eminent of men. But in real terms, people don’t care how much you know, or how much wisdom you have, unless they know how much you care.”
The moral of this quote is that despite the knowledge and information at one’s disposal, if one lacks empathy, their knowledge, experience and whatever they have mean nothing.
The importance of knowledge cannot be overemphasized. In our contemporary society, a fast way of attracting opportunities is by showcasing the knowledge at one’s disposal. It is so sad that many people don’t take time to read, research and learn new trends applicable in their industry, and in the world generally and as such, they find it difficult to fit in and grow.
It is instructive to note that when you seek knowledge, opportunities will seek for you. A major reason people are poor is simply because they are not solving problems and to solve problems, one ought to have understanding. Do you know that if you don’t have money, the reason is often because you are not solving a problem, or you are not solving enough problems, or you are not solving the right problem or you are not solving problems for the right people. Generally, we make money because we have something unique to offer to the world. Therefore, to solve problems, one must have knowledge and information.
We currently live in an age of technological, where skills, talent and creativity are in high demand. Any progressive being that desires to go far must be intentional in seeking knowledge. Successful acquisition of knowledge, information and understanding can lead to discernment and wisdom.
In conclusion, as you journey towards life, if you want to make an impact, seek opportunities, and earn more money, do yourself a favour by endeavoring to seek knowledge, wisdom, and information. You can’t get these by sitting on your sofa or staying in your comfort zone.
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
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Daniel Bwala as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications (State House).
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced this in a statement, on Thursday.
A former aide of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Bwala worked actively for his former principal who lost to Tinubu.
However, after the elections, he worked his way into the camp of Tinubu, sparking controversy.
Onanuga also announced the appointments of three directors-general of various agencies.
They are:
(1) Mr. Olawale Olopade — Director-General, National Sports Commission
(2) Dr. Abisoye Fagade — Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism
(3) Dr. Adebowale Adedokun — Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement
Olopade, the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission, is a sports administrator with many years of experience in the sector.
He served as commissioner of youth and sports in Ogun state and was chairman of the local organising committee of the 2024 National Sports Festival.
The new Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Dr. Abisoye Fagade is a marketing communication professional. He is the founder and managing director of Sodium Brand Solutions.
Adedokun, the new helmsman of the Bureau of Public Procurement, was the director of Research/Training and Strategic Planning at the bureau before his appointment.
Daily Trust
