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Food for Living: Elevate Your Game
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friend,
In the journey of life, everyone’s goal and desire is to constantly elevate their game. Elevating games means several things to different persons. To some, it is going up the ladder of success, while to others, it can be stepping up their game plan by scaling it up. Most of us are driven to succeed, yet it is amazing how many of us view the process of getting to where we want to go as a chore, rather than as the greatest, most fulfilling adventure of a lifetime.
The pursuit of success is our greatest gift, as it is exactly what develops our character and makes our lives extraordinary. When we have a goal in mind, we are instantly purposed. Succeeding comes down our mindset. Our mindset must be driven to succeed, to sacrifice and to have the resiliency and patience to chart our path.
In today’s business world, the only entities that will stay relevant are businesses and people who are willing go the extra mile to gain not only theoretical knowledge, but practical knowledge through learning, unlearning and relearning. In an evolutionary point of view, those who are not adaptable to change will not survive. This is the most reliable way of elevating your game. It’s quite unfortunate many corporate organizations don’t take time to learn contemporary skills and certification which will enable them to be ahead of their competitors. The same philosophy is applicable to progressive beings who don’t take time to improve themselves. When you elevate your game plan, opportunities will locate you. This is because you have set yourself apart from your contemporaries.
In elevating your game, it is important to mind who you spend time with, your network of friends, the books you read, the associations/organizations you relate with, and most especially, your mindset. It is instructive to note that you cannot achieve more than your imaginations can assimilate. According to Henry Ford, if you think you can and if you think you can’t, either way you’re right. It is pertinent to note that who you spend your life with will determine how your life will be. You cannot hang out with chicken and expect to soar. Isn’t it true that your friends can make or mar you? It is widely believed that, if you hang out with nine millionaires, you’ll be the next millionaire. Therefore, today, I charge you to look at your friends and see where you are likely to be in five years.
You can’t be doing the same thing over and over again and expect to get a different result. Always make it a point of duty to set new record for yourself. In setting a record, you have to be on the lookout for certain qualities you’ll like to learn. You can also check out the qualities you can learn from your friends. Whatever qualities your friends have is likely going to rub off on you. Just like spirits are transferable, bad friends can influence you with their character
Set Boundaries
In order for you to elevate your game, you need to set boundaries. For instance, If you’re going to reach your highest potential, you have to step up your game by raising the bar for only a select group of people who identify and share in your vision. You need to ask yourself hard questions on what you really want. Inferior minds are always concerned with what they’ll lose if they cut off from certain boundaries/person. They fail to ask themselves, like what is important to them? Money, fame, value or vision. If you are among these categories of people, who always ask what if I lose my business? I have a simple question for you, what if you miss your destiny?
When you’re in the process of elevating your game, what you’re unwilling to separate from, will continue to follow you. The law of the group says, we associate with people with the way we see ourselves. Happy people hangout out with happy people. What most people don’t know and understand is that twenty years from now nobody will care about your friends. It’s not about quantity if your friends but quality. A one loyal and impactful friend is better than ten general friends.
You shouldn’t apply sentiment in business. Don’t mix family and business together. It’s not a good business idea to do business with only people associated/connected with you, because they may not have the same spirit unlike strangers. Treat them with respect but relate from a distance.
In the journey of life, your joy is your joy, none can share it with you. What this really means is that your success and failure lies with you. If you don’t get the wrong people out, the right people won’t come.
How Can We Elevate Our Game
It is generally believed that one’s entrepreneurial journey won’t be such a grind if they learn to take joy in your growth along the way.
1. Start a personal project. Define a specific goal/project to realize in a specific period. It should be something that you absolutely feel is yours.
2. Get trusted advisors. It is time for you to stop taking suggestions from anyone who has an opinion. Search for a mentor who has the expertise in the industry you are passionate about.
3. Read as vast as you can. Trying to have knowledge about almost every aspect of life. In that way, it makes you to position yourself very well.
4. Run Your Race
To get to our next level we must focus on our own race. We must not succeed for anyone but ourselves. We must not pursue success to show up, get revenge, or take someone down that we fear is better. The reason race horses have blinders on their eyes is so they don’t get distracted by the other horses when they’re racing. The blinders do not allow the horse to see anything but what is in front of them. It forces the horse to stay focused on their own race. We must do the same thing. We all saw what happened in the Olympics with the South African swimmer and Michael Phelps. The South African was watching Phelps, and Phelps was watching the finish line. It’s no wonder Phelps won. We must each focus on our own finish line.
5. Keep the faith.
To elevate our game, we must always hold a vision of the next step in our process. The vision we hold is the picture of success we chase. We must drive, dig, grind and then let go, and have faith, as we witness how the results of our actions land. Every single day our eyes open in the morning, we must make sure we’re clear about what we want. We each have control over how hard and how smart we work; the rest comes down to having the faith that our efforts will pay off in the ways we want. The large majority of successful people work from faith. Faith is the energy that funds belief. Without belief, success isn’t a possibility.
6. You must believe.
The more we push ourselves beyond our perceived limits, the more we expand our belief in ourselves. This is exactly how we elevate to the next level. If we see a door that has a sign that says “limit,” “fear,” “I can’t,” “its not possible,” or “who are you kidding?” on it, we must take it upon ourselves to push through every single one of those doors. The majority of the time we will find that the signs on those doors were lies we’ve been telling ourselves. When we walk through them and achieve the “impossible,” we build our character and greatly increase the confidence we have in ourselves. The more confident we are, the more we elevate our game.
7. Be a team player.
One of the most important ways to elevate our game is to be inclusive. Success is a team sport. There’s an African proverb that says if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to far, go with a team. If we are selfish, and we try and hoard or hide our success, we won’t get nearly as far as when we choose to include others in achieving our goals. It’s teamwork that makes the dream work. When we’re on our mission and we see anyone on our team wearing thin, we must partner up and bring them along, and expect the same in return. We must drop our egos, and ask for help whenever and wherever necessary. We are much more resilient when we have a community of support to turn to.
What are you doing to elevate your game?
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
Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Yusuf announced his defection on Monday at an event held at the coronation hall of the Kano state government house, noting that the decision was taken “in the best interest of the people of Kano state”.
The governor resigned from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Friday, citing “deepening internal crises” and “prolonged leadership disputes” as reasons for his exit.
Yusuf said his priority remains delivering good governance and the dividends of democracy to Kano residents.
Abdullahi Ganduje, former national chairman of the APC and Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; and Kawu Sumaila, alongside members of the Kano state executive council, party stakeholders, and other government officials, were in attendance.
The move comes hours after 21 members of the Kano state house of assembly defected from the NNPP to the APC.
In reaction to Yusuf’s defection, Rabiu Kwankwaso, national leader of the NNPP, declared January 23 as “World Betrayal Day”.
News
Fubara: APC, Other Professional Groups Ask NASS to Take Over Rivers Assembly’s Legislative Functions
Civil society organisations, media professionals and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have called on the National Assembly to take over the legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly, citing an escalating constitutional crisis in the State.
The groups said the demand is pursuant to Section 11 (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The press statement was jointly signed by civil society leaders, including Ifeanyi Okorie (Convener), Dr. Maryann Douglas (Director of Programmes) and Collins Akpofure (Chairman) for media professionals. Also, those who signed on behalf of the APC Leaders Forum are Engr. Ibrahim Danjuma (National Leader) and Akpan Ekpeyong (National Secretary).
According to the statement they spoke during a one-week non-stop rally at the APC Secretariat, where they declared that the Rivers State House of Assembly had lost credibility, legitimacy, and public trust due to persistent abuse of legislative powers and a reckless attempt to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
They warned that Rivers State was sliding into a dangerous constitutional crisis, stressing that the ongoing impeachment process was no longer about legislative oversight but a deliberate effort to destabilise democratic governance.
Democracy in the State, they stressed, is under serious threat and silence at this point would amount to complicity.
The groups commended the Rivers State Chief Judge for refusing to constitute a probe panel and for respecting existing court orders, describing the decision as a clear affirmation of the rule of law and a rejection of illegality.
They insisted that no evidence of gross misconduct, as required by the Constitution, had been presented against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, adding that the allegations were unsubstantiated and politically motivated.
They further accused the Rivers State House of Assembly of procedural lawlessness, vendetta politics, and disregard for judicial authority, arguing that such conduct rendered the Assembly incapable of performing its constitutional duties.
Consequently, they urged the National Assembly to invoke Section 11(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and assume the legislative functions of the state assembly to restore order and democratic stability.
The coalition vowed to sustain the protests until decisive constitutional action was taken, including the takeover of legislative functions by the National Assembly. They called on Nigerians of goodwill to peacefully mobilise, maintain civic presence around the National Assembly, and resist what they described as legislative anarchy.
They maintained that Governor Fubara has shown prudence and commitment to the welfare of Rivers people, warning that Rivers State must not be sacrificed on the altar of political desperation.
The groups concluded with a call for unity in defence of democracy, declaring their resolve to continue the struggle until constitutional order is fully restored in the State.
The Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, has warned that Section One of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway may be closed to traffic if indiscipline by motorists continues to endanger lives and disrupt construction work.
Umahi spoke in Lagos while parading suspected vandals of cat’s-eye reflective lights on the Third Mainland Bridge.
The minister said the temporary opening was meant to provide relief for road users while construction work continued on the project.
However, he said the situation deteriorated due to traffic indiscipline, including driving against traffic and excessive speeding.
“You will recall what happened during the Christmas period when motorists drove against traffic. We recorded one death and experienced serious traffic congestion due to indiscipline,” Umahi said.
He said that what was intended to reduce congestion became a nightmare, stressing that both the leadership and the citizens shared responsibility for national development.
Umahi disclosed that the ministry considered closing the road in December but President Bola Tinubu directed that it should remain open.
The minister said the situation worsened recently when a contractor’s worker was killed by a speeding vehicle while working on the shoulder of the road, which was off the main carriageway.
According to him, a vehicle travelling at high speed knocked down two concrete solar poles, veered off the road, and killed the worker instantly.
Umahi said he is meeting with the contractor to address safety concerns, noting that construction work could be suspended if the lives of workers would not be adequately protected.
He said the Federal Ministry of Works would work with the Lagos State Government, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and security agencies to deploy personnel to control traffic and secure the construction area.
The minister warned that if wrong-way driving and excessive speeding would persist after one week, the Federal government would have no option but to close Section One of the highway until completion of construction.
“The choice is for all of us to make,” he said.
On marked buildings, Umahi clarified reports that buildings were marked for demolition on the completed corridor of the coastal road.
He apologised to affected residents, saying that the markings were done in error and not by the federal ministry of works.
According to him, land acquisition for public interest is the responsibility of the Office of the Surveyor-General.
He gave the assurance that the error had been corrected.
Umahi said only empty Federal government lands, including areas within 250 metres of the shoreline and approved road corridors, are being processed for acquisition through the Lagos State Government.
He added that the Surveyor-General of the Federation had directed that any wrongful markings on completed buildings should be removed immediately, assuring residents that there is no instruction to demolish their houses.
NAN
