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Food for Living: Develop Your Craft
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By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Dear Friends,
It is an indisputable fact that succeeding in life can be a very challenging feat. Whether you are in business, school, church, corporate organizations, sports or even politics, you need an element of luck, hard and smart work, God factor (which I call grace), great network and both theoretical and practical knowledge amongst other factors in order for you to succeed. Just like the parable of the sower, on the journey to success, some of us fell along the way, some germinated, but weren’t strong enough to withstand the storms of life, while some were able to bear the much-desired fruits with the right nutrients needed for growth. In all these, one thing is certain; to attain any particular level of success, it is important for one to understand or master the art required. This is an uncommon skill which most people don’t have and therefore, it has contributed to some of the challenges militating against their success.
In the course of this article, we shall be discussing how we can develop or master our craft with the mindset of succeeding in any field of endeavor one is passionate about. It’s quite unfortunate to note that a lot of people desire success, but they are not willing to pay the price. Developing or mastering your craft is very critical to succeeding in any endeavor. In civilized climes, most people learn before they earn. Even the word learn confirms the saying by encouraging us to (L)earn before we (E)arn or develop the skill before we can earn.
Developing or learning a skill can be difficult and rewarding at the same time if we are diligent enough to pay the price. We all have the capacity to master any skill, but many of us succumb to pitfalls such as impatience, uncertainty, and fear which cripple our learning and halt progress. In a similar way, we all have the potential to succeed, but we don’t take time to understand and develop our selves/ businesses.
WAYS TO MASTER/SUCCEED IN YOUR CRAFT
Reconnect to Your Roots — Discover Your Calling
The first key to succeeding in life is by knowing yourself and what you are passionate about. In one of my articles which I published a couple of months ago, titled Passion is Stronger than Power, I opined that there’s more to success and life if we focus on passion and value as opposed to focusing on money and material things. I also stated that you’ll get more in life in addition to succeeding if you love what you do more than what you are paid for. Therefore, identifying your areas of interest is a critical part of self-discovery. According to Robert Greene, “The first move toward mastery is always inward — learning who you really are and reconnecting with that innate force. Knowing it with clarity, you will find your way to the proper career path and everything else will fall into place.” It’s worthy of mention that some of us discovered this as children, but it couldn’t see the light of the day as a result of parental or societal pressures which suppressed our ambition.
The Mentor Dynamic
In our contemporary society, we cannot underestimate the power of mentorship in the lives of a progressive-minded person. In one of my most informed articles titled Mentors Are Life Savers, I stressed the importance and role of mentors in fast-tracking the success of any person or organization. Mastering and developing your craft requires mentorship. You cannot underestimate the power of mentors. It is important to note that mentors will not work for you, but they’ll be instrumental in facilitating a smarter way of achieving your vision in a more realistic and dynamic manner. I am a product of mentorship. In the words of Robert Greene, “To learn requires a sense of humility. We must admit that there are people out there who know our field much more deeply than we do. Their superiority is not a function of natural talent or privilege, but rather of time and experience.” According to Greene, he advised four Strategies for finding the perfect Mentor:
1. Choose a mentor according to your needs and inclination: It is important to really know what you want in life. Most people choose mentors for the fun or just to associate with the name. It For instance if you are interested in politics, governance, leadership, academics, writing, sports, entertainment, religion etc., it will be of your own best interest to know the role each of them will play for you as opposed to having one mentor and generalizing him/her. In choosing your a mentor, it’s important to note that, the more specific you are the better for you to get what you need or desire or what output you are looking for. Mentors do provide informal training such as support, confidence, direction, space to discover things on your own.”
2. Gaze deep into the mentor’s mirror: There’s a big difference between a mentor and a role model. In simplest terms, a mentor is someone who teaches and guides you in your area of interest. He/she must be an expert in his/her chosen field of practice. You can have several mentors for several projects. Your mentors can be online or offline. Your mentor can also serve as a role model to you depending on your mission and vision in life. On the other hand, a role model is someone you definitely want to be like. In this sense, you imitate the works of the person, you reading about the person and his/her works in addition to the philosophy and lifestyles. The person can also serve as an inspiration to you. You may not have access to the person like you do for mentors because the person may be far from reach (dead or alive), but the works of the being in question warms your heart. Mentors will point out your weakness, embrace it like constructive because you will gain more confidence through objective feedback.
3. Transfigure their ideas: As you continually learn concepts from your mentor, apply them with your own creative spin. As mentioned, mentors won’t do the work for you, they’ll guide you on the most rational and informed way of succeeding or expanding your vision or business.
4. Create a back and forth dynamic: This isn’t a one-sided relationship. Be very clear about what you want to learn and adjust their instruction to fit your needs. You can appreciate your mentor by adding value to their work. In that way, it becomes a mutualistic friendship as opposed to a symbiotic relationship.
Practice
A sense of purpose amplifies grit, ambition, focus and virtually every other characteristic that is needed to achieve mastery. A person could have all of the natural talents in the world, but without practice, that talent will never enable them to achieve mastery. The hallmark of deliberate practice is that you try to do something that you cannot do- that takes you out of your comfort zone. According to Durant “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Isn’t it true that practice makes perfect.? Developing your craft entails practicing. Continuous practice horns your skill. With continuous practicing, you develop more insight into your craft. The interesting thing about hard work is that it doesn’t kill, rather it is lack of work that can kill.We rarely see what went into when we practice, we only see the results. Practice leads to proficiency and determines performance. Practice can be likened to performance: This is because We practice an instrument to play in front of an audience. An athlete practices his sport to play in a game. An actor rehearses to film a movie. A writer writes every day to publish a book. Continuous practice leads to performance, and this is where your level of mastery gets tested and measured.
Purpose:
Discovering your purpose is probably one of the most important decisions to make. When you know your purpose, it will be hard for you to lose interest when you fail. This is because your desire for success should always outweigh your fear of failure. Studies have shown that purpose, autonomy, and mastery are among three forces that drive people to do what they do. It’s instructive to note that passion follows engagement.
Failure
You can never master or develop your craft without experiencing failure. Failure is necessary for our growth. So, if you have not experienced failure yet, wait for it and if it comes, turn it into your friend. In the words of Robert Greene, Masters are those who by nature have suffered to get to where they are. They have experienced endless criticisms of their work, doubts about their progress, and setbacks along the way.
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
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for 2027 general elections, Peter Obi, says that Nigerians across all walks of life are suffering under President Bola Tinubu’s administration due to worsening hunger, widespread insecurity, and systemic harassment.
Speaking with journalists at St Fintan’s Catholic Church in Onicha Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, on Friday, Obi urged citizens to stand firm and resist further hardship imposed by the country’s current leadership.
Obi was in Ebonyi State to attend the burial ceremony of Okaji Okorie, father of the NDC senatorial candidate for the Ebonyi South Zone, Linus Okorie. Responding to questions regarding the alleged harassment of NDC supporters by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Obi said that the current hardship transcends political affiliations.
“For me, every Nigerian is already being harassed, not just my supporters,” Obi said. “Hunger is harassing everybody. The worsening economic situation is affecting everyone. Go to any village, and you will see that people are suffering. It is time for Nigerians to tell those governing us that enough is enough.”
Addressing concerns over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) ability to conduct free and fair elections in 2027, Obi urged citizens to focus on collective action rather than institutional trust.
“It is not really about confidence in INEC; it is about having confidence in the people. The people will determine what INEC does. If Nigerians insist that their votes must count, then their votes will count,” he asserted.
“The people should look at what is happening in Nigeria and ask themselves: What is the future of our children in this enterprise called Nigeria? Are we going to continue in this direction?”
Obi noted that advocating for real change in the current political climate requires tremendous courage.
“Anyone talking about change in Nigeria today is making the ultimate sacrifice because we cannot continue like this. Every single day, poverty is increasing; every single day, hunger is increasing,” he noted.
“The World Bank recently reported that poverty has risen to almost 79 per cent from about 51 per cent when this government came into office. But you do not even need a World Bank report to know what is happening. Go to the villages and see for yourself.”
“Millions more Nigerians are facing hunger. So, what are we going to do about it? Are we going to continue like this? No.”
Turning to his host, Obi described Okorie as a steadfast ally and dependable partner, highlighting their shared political journey across party lines.
“This is not the first time Hon. Linus Okorie and I are working together. We worked together in the Labour Party, and now we are together in the NDC. That underscores the strength of our relationship,” Obi said.
“However, we are here today to pay our last respects to his late father. We pray that God Almighty, who blessed Papa with a long and fruitful life, will grant him eternal rest in His kingdom and give the family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
The beginning of any journey is usually the hardest part. It is usually hard to take the bold step. Whether you are applying for a job, writing a book, starting a new business, getting married or even applying for school, there’s always the tendency to ask yourself mind-boggling questions such as; Will I succeed? Will I be accepted? This is among many others.
When progressive minds encounter this challenge, they are not afraid of taking the first step, they are merely concerned about the big picture, and not what they are currently experiencing. One of the big differences between great people and lesser minds is the ability for great people to take strategic risks, while lesser minds stay in their comfort zone.
On a personal note, I can relate to the journey of greatness when I began writing my first book. In all sincerity, I didn’t know what I was writing. All I knew was that I was putting down whatever comes to my mind provided I found it reasonable and relatable. At the end of the day, I found a proficient and efficient editor who was kind enough to work on the book and it became a trailblazer.
The moral is that I doubted myself many times if I had the capacity to write a book. I was literally afraid of beginning, but immediately I began writing, the universe began to conspire with me to make the work fruitful. Today, when I look back, I’m glad I took the bold step. I say this because just because of one book, I received national and global attention in addition to appearing on television and meeting gatekeepers and resource people.
The same principle is applicable when I began my first business. I didn’t know what to focus on and how to develop bossiness. All I knew was that I’m a motivator and counselor who likes to help youths and career professionals on proactive ways to succeed in their personal and professional lives. After attending a series of training courses, workshops, webinars, and several conferences, I began to have clarity about my business. I remember when I first started, I told the world that I can build a website just because my uncle assisted in using a free tool to build my website.
Why am I sharing this information? The same business I didn’t know how to structure is now registered with the highest certification from the Office of the Governor of New York to do business with any New York City agency. It now has a Chief Operating Officer, Social media manager, IT personnel and an exceptional Director of Partnership who works as a consultant. The company has also partnered with the United Nations Development Programme and has received awards.
All this is because I took the bold step to start a business. Sometimes in life, you don’t know what lies ahead when one takes the bold step.
According to Dr. Yomi Garnet, a proficient Ghost Writer, “If a book is tiled A synopsis of successful living were to be written, it would in all probability contain the following chapters:
1. Identify your talents, (use then to glory God and to benefit of humanity)
2. Have faith in the favor of God,
3. Engage in proper planning
4. 10% belongs to God
5. Give, give and keep in giving
Let’s take a minute to elaborate on this chapter:
1. Identify your talent: Before you begin any project, one must know who they are, what they have and what problems they want to solve. They also must take into consideration whether they have the capacity, competence and capability of doing the business. One thing is certain, they are using their skills, talent, and knowledge to solve a problem
2. Have faith in God:
Taking the first step entails having faith in yourself, in your business and most importantly in God. Without faith in oneself, in the business and in God, it will be difficult for one to succeed. Taking the first set entails believing in the possibility of the future.
3. Engaging in Proper planning:
It’s instructive to note that failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Before anyone begins any task, it’s important for one to sit back and ask oneself if they have all they need to set up the business. This entails setting up a structure for the business, getting the right people, offering services and setting up the mission and vision statement of the company
4. 10% belongs to God
This is Biblical instruction which is part of the spiritual blessings of doing business. No one succeeds on their own. They either have an altar working for them or they have human beings as networks, benefactors, and resource persons recommending them for opportunities. Alternatively, these acts of tithe giving can also refer to Corporate Social Responsibility which is tantamount to giving back to society.
5. Give, give and keep giving.
This is another spiritual blessing. We are quite familiar with the saying, the giver never lacks, however, it’s important to note that when one gives without wisdom and accountability, one might run dry. So, it’s imperatively important for one to give with discretion, otherwise, one will be exhausted. It’s instructive to note that nobody receives with a clenched fist and the giver’s hand is always on top. If you want to receive it, please give. This giving aspect is made possible because someone took the first step to start a business which made it possible for the art of giving to take place.
In conclusion, if you desire to start a business, or have inspiration, just start, the universe has a way of conspiring with the world to support you to birth your passion, idea or vision. I say this because the worst you’ll want to do towards the end of life is to live in regret. So, I say, just begin. Whether you fail, it’s irrelevant because you are gaining and showing perseverance for the cause you believe in. At the end of theer day, we shall all tell our stories.
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, Unleash Your Destiny and The Six Pillars of Succes . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Supreme Court has prohibited lawyers, court registrars, litigation staff and all legal practitioners dealing with the apex court from using the title “Barrister” as a prefix to their names in official correspondence and court-related engagements.
The directive was conveyed in an internal circular dated July 13, 2026, issued by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir E. Akanbi, on the instruction of the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
The circular, titled “Prohibition of the Use of the Title ‘Barrister’ as a Prefix to Names,” was addressed to legal practitioners, litigation staff, court registrars and other lawyers interacting with the apex court.
According to the memo, the continued use of the title “Barrister” before names is inconsistent with the professional standards expected in official dealings with the Supreme Court.
It stated that the Chief Justice had directed that the practice be discontinued with immediate effect.
Part of the circular reads: “The use of the title ‘Barrister’ as a prefix to names is inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards of professionalism expected within the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”
The court further directed that the title should no longer appear in official correspondence, court processes, legal documents, identity materials or any other official communication with the Supreme Court.
Heads of departments and unit heads were also instructed to ensure strict compliance by officers under their supervision.
However, the directive is limited to official interactions with the Supreme Court and does not prevent legal practitioners from identifying themselves as barristers in academic, professional or other non-court-related settings.
