News
Food for Living: Define Your Purpose
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
Today, I would like to ask some simple but intriguing questions. Who are you? Who do people say you are? What do you want from life? Be as honest as possible to tell yourself the truth. Remember, the worst thing you can ever do to yourself is to tell yourself lies. This is because you can lie to others but you can never lie to yourself.
Everyone one of us wants to live a life of purpose, but in actual sense, living a life of purpose can be challenging but fulfilling. Most times, we ask what should I do with my life? What is my life purpose?” It’s quite unfortunate to not note that many people don’t know really know themselves until they get to their 40s and 50s and still some of them have no clue what they want to do with themselves. The answers to some of these questions are what we shall be discussing today.
If you ask a million and one person what they want for themselves, trust me, you’ll get a million and one interesting and amazing answers. The reason is quite simple, just like we all have several taste buds, so also do we all have different choice and aspirations towards life.
The journey of life is such an interesting one that makes one to really ask what is the meaning of life? The meaning of life can simply be found inside you. Whatever you decide and value in addition to giving attention can be used as a perception guide to know what someone appreciates. For example, while some people care more about money, some others might have a preference for fulfillment in a career, or alternatively joy and peace of mind. In a relationship, a man and woman need various qualities in each partner before they make up their mind if they can either tolerate or outright reject the person. In business, every rational and informed mind chooses a business of interest he/she likes or is passionate about. Failure to do so might limit your motivation to forge ahead especially when the return of investment is not coming through.
I believe that every person on the planet is born with intrinsic value. I believe you were put on this earth for a specific purpose. So, regardless of where you are in life, I have a question: What’s the ultimate goal behind what you do every day?
What’s your mission, your calling, your purpose? Are you achieving it? Probably not. So, consider this one simple piece of advice that could change everything and help you live the life you’ve always desired.
We shall be exploring several areas of interest to elaborate how you can not only define yourself, but at the same time, how you can distinguish yourself. Many people suffer from indecision and this has contributed to a lot of failures in their personal and professional lives.
The first step in deciding what you want in life is by defining yourself. Defining oneself might be a little bit challenging. It is worthy to note that you’ll have a hard time defining yourself if you don’t know yourself.
Let’s share some practical examples of how we can shape our future.
What Are You Passionate About?
The question can be framed to be what are your values and interests to life. In our contemporary society, the world is in dire need of visionaries with great innovative thoughts and actions. Your values and interest can be used to define you. What most people don’t understand is that passion is the result of action, not the cause of it. Discovering what you are passionate is a lifetime adventure because it’s like a trial and error process. Some of us don’t really know what we like until we actually engage in that activity.
Who you are is defined by the struggles and values you stand for in the pursuit of success. For example, the people who enjoy the struggles of a gym are the ones who get in good shape.
Furthermore, since most people find it hard to know what they want in life, it is always better to ask them a simple but intriguing question- If you have everything you need in life, what will you do with your time? Alternatively, it can be framed to be if you are to live your house voluntarily to anywhere on planet earth, where will you go and what will you do? Whatever response anyone gives can be used to know their values, interest and what they are passionate about life.
In defining your life, it is imperative to ask yourself questions like, What change will you will like to see in the world, how will you like the world to remember you? How will you like to save the world? What are you going to do to save the world? These are some of the questions you can use to define oneself.
Employers are not left out in this struggle, in their pursuit to get the best employee to hire for a position of interest, they always look at the values, sacrifice and time a candidate has invested both theoretical and practical terms to show interest and passion in the industry.
Furthermore, people want an amazing physique but don’t want to put the pain and physical exercise that comes with it. People want to start up a business but are not willing to take a worthy risk. People want an amazing partner but are not willing to deal with the stress that comes with it-rejection and patience to get it right. We desire an amazing job, but yet we find it hard to put in the necessary work, skills, knowledge and associated networking that comes with it.
What Are Your Goals
Goals help to define us. One of the key ways to know what a person likes in life is by looking at where they spend their time on. If you have the desire to be on the television, you must do the work by learning the skills and profession very well. If you have a passion for fashion, you ought to be dressing to impress, if you want to be a great public speaker, you have to read great books and practice public speaking by joining local clubs in your neighborhood like Toastmasters International. Settings goals is not an easy feat, it is following through that makes the difference. An athlete, a vegetarian a lady or man looking for a particular shape know they have to work on their diet and also engage in physical exercise to get their desired goal. It is imperative to note that goals are necessary in order for you up to have a happy future. Do you have goals; career goals; family goals; spiritual goals? If yes, what are they? What determines your success is the pain and sacrifice you are willing to invest. You definitely have to know why you are pursuing your goals.
The secret to Success:
An indisputable definition of a genuine success is achieving success itself. Nothing defines a man than what he was to overcome in order to achieve success. Success truly defines us in many fashions. However, this success did not come on its own, it has many feathers such as focus, perseverance, determination, hard and smart work amongst other factors. For the sake of this topic, we shall concentrate on focus. No doubt there are many secrets to success, but one of the outstanding secrets of secret is focus. When you are as focused as an eagle, you see nothing else but the endpoint of your vision. One of the most powerful techniques you can use to ensure your immediate and continued success is to stay focused on what you want and don’t give in to worry doubt, or to the temporary circumstances or even set back that might be happening right now in your life.
In the light of the above points, can you in all sincerity define or say what you want in life?
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
News
After Calling CAN ‘Conflict Entrepreneurs’, Police Make U-turn, Confirm Mass Abduction of Kaduna Churchgoers
Bare 24 hours after denying reports of the abduction of worshippers from three churches in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the police have reversed their position, admitting that the attack “did occur” and many people were kidnapped.
The police admitted the incident in a Tuesday night statement issued by their spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin. This followed a public condemnation of the police’s initial stance.
Recall that terrorists, loosely referred to as “bandits,” invaded the area on Sunday, 18 January, kidnapping over 160 worshippers.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) told this newspaper that 172 people were initially abducted but nine escaped and the remaining were marched into a nearby forest.
The statement signed by its spokesperson, Reuben Buhari, listed the affected churches to include the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Albarka Cherubim and Seraphim 1 and Haske Cherubim and Seraphim 2.
Both the Kaduna State government and the police disagreed with CAN, challenging it to present evidence that there was an abduction.
Addressing reporters on Monday after a security meeting with state authorities, the police commissioner in Kaduna, Muhammad Rabiu, described the incident as a “falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos in Kaduna State.”
Also the chairperson of Kajuru Local Government, Dauda Madaki, denied the attack, citing local authorities in the area.
But in the Tuesday night statement, the police said their new position on the incident followed subsequent verification from operational units and intelligence sources.
The Police said efforts were underway to “safely” rescue the victims and restore normalcy to the area.
The Police said the incident generated widespread fear and anxiety, leading the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, to convene a meeting of the State Security Council at the Government House in Kaduna.
During the meeting, some individuals from the affected local government reportedly disputed earlier reports of the abduction, describing them as false, a development the police said created uncertainty and necessitated further verification.
According to the statement, the abduction had earlier been confirmed by the police, but the conflicting accounts led security agencies to exercise caution before making “conclusive” public statements.
The police explained that comments made by the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna were aimed at preventing “unnecessary panic” while investigations were ongoing.
The remarks, the police added, were not a denial but a response pending confirmation of details, such as the identities and number of those affected.
According to the statement, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the deployment of additional operational and intelligence assets to the area.
The Police said the response includes the deployment of tactical units, intensified patrols, and targeted search-and-rescue operations.
The Police appealed to the public and the media to rely on official communications for verified information, warning that sensational reporting could “jeopardise ongoing operations or heighten public anxiety.”
Premium Times
The Nigerian Army has dismissed as false and misleading an online report alleging threats of mutiny by soldiers over salaries and allowances, describing the claim as sensational and detrimental to national security.
The acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, said there has been no threat of mutiny within the Nigerian Army.
Anele said that such conduct is alien to its ethos, discipline and professionalism.
She said mutiny is a grave offence under military law and incompatible with the loyalty of Nigerian Army personnel to the Constitution and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Anele explained that the report relied on anonymous and unverifiable claims circulated through non-official channels, which did not reflect the views or disposition of officers and soldiers who were trained to address grievances through established military procedures.
Anele clarified that promotion increments is only one component of military pay and should not be misrepresented as total earnings.
According to her, military remuneration includes consolidated salaries, rank-based allowances, operational, field and hardship allowances, as well as other entitlements that vary based on deployment, qualifications and responsibilities.
She said the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria and relevant government authorities, is implementing structured welfare reforms, including periodic reviews of salaries and allowances, enhanced operational incentives, improved accommodation, medical care and insurance packages for troops and their families.
The army spokesperson added that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, had, since assuming office, initiated constructive engagements with relevant authorities on troop welfare, with positive outcomes already emerging.
Anele reaffirmed that the Federal government, under President Bola Tinubu, remains committed to the welfare and operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces amid evolving security challenges.
She urged the public to disregard unfounded reports and rely on official communication channels for accurate information on the Nigerian Army.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
To survive, everyone must work irrespective of creed or cadre. Work defines an individual, and sets them apart.
Working as a human being is however, relative. A student’s main work is to read and pass examination. A parent’s main work is to train their children. An employee’s main work is do the job they have been paid to do. A pastor’s job is to preach the gospel of Christ in addition to leading people to God. An athlete’s main work is to train and compete at global events in addition to winning laurels. The list is endless.
It’s the job every living being does that attracts opportunities to them, and so, staying docile and expecting opportunities to come your way is another way of encouraging poverty, lack and want in your life. In fact, docile people derive a certain level of joy from begging. Some even love freebies, free lunch and introduction for job opportunities just because they think they have the connection to make it work without them necessarily doing the corresponding work or have the requisite skill.
I personally believe it’s only lazy minds, who think that way. Life doesn’t work that way. I have since discovered that the more work one does the more doors and opportunities that come his way.
Speaking from experience, I have observed that some of the opportunities and favours I am currently receiving and enjoying are consequences of the foundation I laid many years ago. One might be wondering how that works. Let me explain a little, the day you sow a seed is not the day you will reap the fruits. Let me be more direct, as an author, it wasn’t an easy feat writing, researching, editing, doing the layout, publishing and printing the manuscript. It was lots of work, and I didn’t know my book would connect me to resourceful persons today.
In addition, the book generated royalties that humbled me to say the least. The moral of this analysis lies in the fact that when I was spending hours doing the work, I didn’t know it would attract the kind of global attention and news interviews that came to me. Now, you see why it’s good to work. Even the Bible states in Luke 10:7, that every laborer deserves fair compensation.
Did you know that if anyone wants to bless you, they will bless you with the work you do. That’s why the book of life states; God will bless the works of your hands. Nobody likes to give out free money. They like their money to work for them. It’s sad and very unfortunate to see people who pray for opportunities, favours, and blessings without doing any work. These lesser minds think money and opportunities will fall from heaven; they fail to realize that it is their work that heaven is waiting to use to bless them.
Did you know that there are things which God has enabled us to do for ourselves, and there are things we need to depend on Him to assist us. Let me explain further; if all your prayer requests are things men can provide, why are you really praying? Isn’t prayer meant for things you can’t do yourself? You pray to pass an exam that your friend read to pass. You pray to get a job that your friend got on merit. You appeal to God for a car that your friend worked for. It looks as if you are abusing prayer, and you want God to give you the things He has equipped you to provide for yourself. It is high time we understood that prayer is not the solution to laziness.
My late dad, Chief Lazarus Ukazu, advised my siblings and I to always work. As a matter of fact, each time he feels we are oversleeping, he’ll wake us up and say we have many years to sleep in the grave when we die, but as we are alive, we must work.
This instructive advice has been one of the best inspirational lessons I have received in my life. That advice made me feel like setting another goal each time I accomplish a major feat.
The importance of working cannot be overemphasized. The difference between high achievers and docile people is the work they do. While high achievers are very intentional with their life, docile people live by chance. While high achievers are determined to break records, and set new records, docile people are always comfortable living in their comfort zone.
In our contemporary society, we literally have no reason to fail because there’s the availability technology and social media to boost the work we do. It’s easy for one to know what we represent by just surfing the internet. So, imagine when frivolities are seen on your page, it will greatly affect you. Then contrast it with when good information is seen of you on the internet. Like I always say, why be local when we can be global?
Did you know that working is like taking a risk, the more work and risk someone engages in, the more opportunities and experience come their way.
In summary, if you are asked, what’s your work or what project are you working on, what will be your response?
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
