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Food for Living: Change Your Mindset
By Henry Ukazu
Greeting Destiny Friends,
According to Buddha, “Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” This is a very deep saying. Everyday we rise from the bed, we are given opportunities to succeed by creating new vision and products, but what we do with our time is what literally makes the difference. It’s very easy to blame others for our misfortunes, but the truth is if we look inward, no one can insult you without your consent.
One of the greatest powers we have as human beings is our choice. Just like we all have different taste buds, we also have different preferences in life. The difference between a great mind and a shallow mind is how they reason and understand life. Both of them have different visions and understandings. While one is thinking of leaving the comfort zone by taking a rational risk, the other is thinking of maintaining the status quo.
If we take the discussion a little bit further, the human mind is the second most powerful force or power. This is because if the world is telling you, you can succeed on a task, and you know, you can’t accomplish the task, you’ll definitely fail, but if the world is telling you, you’ll fail on the task and you are determined to succeed, you’ll definitely succeed because he that is in you is greater and stronger than he that is in the world.
In medicine, we were taught about different parts of the brains, for the case of this article, we shall limit our to four parts namely” the frontal lobe which performs cognitive functions. It controls our voluntary movement or activity. The parietal lobe processes information about temperature, taste, touch, and movement, while the occipital lobe is primarily responsible for vision. The temporal lobe is largely responsible for creating and preserving both conscious and long-term memory
Each of the lobes is controlled by the mind. Your success and failure in life can be attributed to many factors such as your thinking faculty, network, exposure, knowledge, and God factor amongst other factors. Amongst all this, the mind stands out because regardless of how other attributes work if our mind is not in alignment with our faith, knowledge, and network, we’ll fail.
The human mind is capable of achieving anything is desires if it plays by the rules. This is because our success and failure start in our minds. It’s quite unfortunate many of us have limited the power of the mind. If you believe you can achieve a particular task, you’ll achieve it, setbacks will only act as energizer to you.
To appreciate the how the mindset work, imagine wearing a pig a gold or jewel, the pig won’t appreciate it, rather it will make a mess of it, but give that jewel or gold to a rational mind who knows the value, you’ll see how the person will treasure it. That’s simply how mindset work.
The question we have to ask ourselves is how can we change our mindset? Changing our mindset is not hard, rather what is hard is remaining focused. You can change your mindset every now and then, but are you ready to commit to the new target? Every year, we make a new resolution to live a better life, stop procrastination, kick out negative habits and live a disciplined life, but within a couple of weeks and months, we see ourselves going back to the old habits.
The difference between a poor man and a wealthy mind is their mindset. A great man doesn’t limit his thoughts and vision towards life, but a poor man has no problem beclouding his mentality with lots of negative reasons or factors why a task can’t be done. Let’s share some examples of how we can change our mindset.
Learn to meditate
When you meditate, you develop your mind to opportunities. You see what other people can’t see. Very few people know how to meditate. There’s uncommon power in meditation. When you medicate right, your mind opens up many opportunities.
Focus on your long-term vision.
Always have the end in sight. It is the vision you have about life, that will inspire you to forge ahead when you face challenges.
Keep Your Circle Close:
Your network is your net worth, don’t associate with low minds who don’t have the vision of an eagle, rather associate with people who are smarter than you. Find people who reflect the values you want to adopt. As your own mind starts to change, it’ll become easier to connect with more positive people.
Challenge your thoughts.
You cannot change your mindset without changing your thoughts. Whenever you are faced with negative thoughts, always look for positive thoughts to counter it. Thoughts have power, if they are not uprooted, they have the tendency to grow and germinate and bear fruits which can kill your vision. Kick our negative thoughts from your mind. Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start thinking about what could go right!
Affirm and Visualize:
Tap into the power of affirmations by daily affirming positive words into your life. I can’t overemphasize the power of affirmations. You can do it every day by speaking into your life when you wake up every morning. Whenever you wake up or each time you experience a challenge, affirm and visualize by saying, it too shall pass, it’s a matter of time. Creating a strong mental picture of where you want to be, reinforces the message in your brain. Nike has a logo that says “Just do it”. To them, all you need is the belief factor, don’t look at the reasons why it can’t be done, rather focus your mind on why it can be done. In order to affirm and visualize, dream it, think it, speak it, affirm it, and act it. When you affirm, you visualize yourself in the dreamland. You can a take tour, travel, or even chat with your idol just to have an experience of what it feels like being in the desired place or position.
In conclusion, it should be noted, you can’t give what you don’t have, neither can you achieve what you didn’t visualize. True success is by luck neither is it accidental, rather it’s a deliberate and intentional effort to succeed.
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 and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Federal government has declared Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28, 2026 as public holidays to mark the celebration of Eid ul Adha.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the announcement on behalf of the government.
The declaration was contained in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani.
It said the declaration affirms the Federal government’s profound respect for the faith and spiritual heritage of millions of Nigerian Muslims who join the global Islamic community in observing this sacred occasion.
“The minister conveys the warm felicitations of the Federal government to all Muslim faithful in Nigeria and throughout the Diaspora. Eid ul Adha is a festival of deep spiritual significance, grounded in the values of sacrifice, obedience to God, and compassion for one’s fellow man.
“The Federal government urges all Nigerians to use this period for prayer and sober reflection, asking for divine guidance upon the country as it continues its pursuit of peace, security, and prosperity for every citizen,” Ajani said.
“It is in the spirit of brotherhood, shared humanity, and national unity that the Federal government wishes all Muslims a peaceful, blessed, and joyous celebration,” the Permanent Secretary added.
Africa’s biggest corporate supporter of culture, Globacom, is commemorating the life and legacy of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, at this year’s Ojude Oba Festival, marking the 21st consecutive year of its sponsorship of the cultural event.
This year’s edition, themed “Ojude Oba 2026: Celebrating the Legacy of Oba Sikiru Adetona,” is taking place at the Festival Pavilion opposite the royal palace in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
The celebration pays glowing tribute to the remarkable accomplishments of the late monarch, who transited on Sunday, July 13, 2025, after an illustrious reign spanning 65 years.
The departed monarch ascended the throne on April 2, 1960, and during his reign, the profile and prestige of the Ojude Oba Festival grew tremendously, making it one of Africa’s most celebrated cultural events.
In a statement issued in Lagos, Globacom posited that Oba Adetona’s unwavering dedication to preserving and promoting Ijebu culture, traditions, and values was a major factor behind the company’s continued support for the festival.
According to the company, “This year’s celebration goes beyond our traditional role as sponsor over the past two decades. It is an opportunity to honour the exceptional legacy of the revered monarch, Oba Adetona, whose vision and commitment elevated Ojude Oba to its present status.”
Globacom recalled that the late Awujale played a pivotal role in transforming the festival into a unifying platform that brought together Ijebu sons and daughters from across the world, regardless of religious affiliation.
This inclusive vision and royal leadership, said Glo, inspired the company to begin sponsoring the festival 21 years ago. Over the years of Globacom’s sponsorship, Ojude Oba has evolved into a globally recognized cultural celebration, attracting thousands of visitors and dignitaries from within and outside Nigeria.
The company reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining its support for the festival as part of its broader objective of showcasing Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage to the world.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Everyone experiences life in different ways. There’s absolutely nobody on planet earth who hasn’t encountered situations or circumstances that shaped them or gave them different perceptions of life. No matter how we try, we can’t run away from problems. A friend once jokingly said, problems are like women; they are the “necessary evil” you can’t avoid, especially when they have an interest in you.
We all experience life in our families, relationships, academics, spiritual life, careers, health, and even personal life. But what makes the ultimate difference is how we’ll react to it.
Let me explain a little bit using a case study of family, health, career, academic, spiritual, and personal aspects.
Family
It’s instructive to note that what makes a family is secret, so imagine a case where the secret of a family is divulged. There’s bound to be problems that will arise. Another scenario is when a family experiences the death of a loved one. I think that’s one of the most painful experiences one can ever experience because losing a loved one is no joke. The death of a family member can shatter a family if not properly managed.
Imagine a case where the head of the family, say a father, passes to glory and his wife is not financially stable to manage the family. The children will experience challenges that will shape their future. The question we need to ask ourselves is, how do we manage death when it happens?
Health
Another scenario that can shape us is our health. Health is so important that without it, one will not be able to function properly. There have been life-threatening health cases that lead to the untimely death of a sick patient. The question we need to ask ourselves is: how do we respond to these health challenges when it comes to us?
Career
Do you know your career can serve as an encounter which can shape you? Yes, an encounter is like an experience which can make one not remain the same. Do you also know that your career can make or mar you? Yes, while one’s career can serve as an instrument to one’s success, it can also lead to the demise of someone, especially if it’s not a purposeful career befitting the person.
Academic
Some schools of thought say that examination is not the true test of knowledge. There have been situations where one’s academic background can metamorphose them in the right direction, especially when one is intentional and purposeful in their chosen academic pursuit, and there have been scenarios when someone ventured into academic pursuits that are not suitable for them.
I was once a victim of this ugly experience when I ventured into Taxation Law at New York Law School. Despite earning a scholarship in the program, I knew for a fact, assuming I got a job, it won’t be fulfilling because I will be a victim of defective success.
Spiritual
One of the most defining moments of one’s life can be seen in their spiritual life. It’s sad to see most people playing with their spiritual life. They fail to realize that spirituality controls the physical. When we talk of spirituality, there are two types. Those for God and those for gods. It’s always good for one to align to one side, but as a matter of advice, it’s always good for one to stay on the side of God.
There are many situations that would have ended one’s life, but due to one’s neglect of one’s spiritual life, the life can be cut short. Question: How do you respond to spiritual things when spiritual forces push you around?
Personal
Last but not least is our personal life. How we respond to life challenges in our academic, health, finance, relationship, career, or even spiritual life can determine how far we go in life. Remember, it’s instructive to note that it is our attitude and not aptitude that will determine our altitude to life.
The big question we need to ask ourselves now is: how do we respond to these challenging circumstances or issues? The answer is attitude. You’ll agree with me, you may not always be able to choose your circumstances, but you can choose to respond to them.
There was a touching story about a man who was unjustly and wrongfully convicted for murder, and he spent many years in prison awaiting trial, another fifteen years for final judgment to be delivered, and yet another ten years on death row. In all this travail, he managed to keep his sanity.
Finally, on the day he was to be executed, fresh evidence indicating his innocence prompted the governor to order his immediate release. At the prison gates he sad “ all a man can be taken from him, except the last form of the human freedoms, -the power to choose one’s attitude in all circumstances”.
Do you see, life is not really about what happens to us, but how we react. That’s what will make the difference.
In conclusion, regardless of how life challenges, circumstances, and situations push you around, just have a good attitude and outlook to life. Don’t allow it to weigh you down.
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
