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Food for Living: Exuding the Aura of Confidence
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Resolve to communicate your confidence to others. After all, the source for this confidence is the divine. -Dr. Yomi Garnett.
Confidence is a currency many people don’t literally know. It is attractive, magnetic, compelling and magical. Confidence revolves around knowing who you are; the traits that make you special; the value you provide, and the ability to convey the positive you to others.
Confidence is all about the aura one exudes when they enter a room. Several things, it is worthy of note, give people confidence, and they include money, knowledge, value, connection, influence, skill and even spiritual ability. When there’s confidence, boasting and too much are set aside just as distraction occasioned by the noise outside is rendered impotent.
Self confidence is an offshoot of the overall confidence. While it is a self generated ability to be yourself irrespective of negative signals, it is also a fundamental aspect of our lives that plays a significant role in shaping our actions, decisions, and overall well-being. Self-confidence, as well, is not a fixed trait that some people are born with. It is also generally an acquired trait.
There are several ways to attract confidence, and the first step is knowing yourself. When you know yourself, you will know your strength, weakness, what works for you and what doesn’t work for you. It’s said that many people don’t know themselves; they just accept life challenges as victims, not knowing that if they had been diligent in focusing on what really matters, they would have done much better. These sets of people are merely existing as opposed to living.
Another way to attract confidence is by being knowledgeable in a subject matter. When you are knowledgeable about a particular field of life, you’ll be highly respected, revered and sought after. You can tell that someone has confidence based on how they speak, their carriage, poise, and how they dress.
When we have confidence in ourselves, we will be more willing to take risks, step outside of our comfort zones, and embrace new opportunities.
With self-confidence, we will become fully aware of our environment, ourselves and become more resilient in the face of adversity. Confidence makes us better equipped to handle setbacks and failures, as this will make us see them as stepping stones to success rather than insurmountable barriers. This resilience enables us to bounce back from challenges and continue moving forward, undeterred by temporary setbacks.
In the academic space, confidence comes with preparation. The lack of preparation for something can make one vulnerable. When you have confidence, you will have a class of your own.
Confidence can come in two ways. It can be internal or external. When it’s internal, one is self inspired and doesn’t need external influence to radiate. External influence can be because of music, human beings, money etc. They determine how resourceful one can be.
External confidence is the image we portray before others and that includes our facial expression, body posture, movements, and stillness. Internal confidence is more powerful than external influence because it doesn’t need any extra factor to operate, but when your confidence is external, it can be manipulated because other variables can determine its influence. It’s better therefore, to have internal confidence than external confidence because internal confidence is self-inspired.
Our external and internal worlds are interconnected. When we feel very strong inside, it makes us feel relaxed outside. And when we are physically comfortable, it also leads to happiness mentally. This is why our external demeanor and comportment can also influence our internal sense of confidence.
The blessings of confidence are priceless. One needs confidence to approach the right people. In whatever positive act a progressive mind engages in life, they must have confidence to strategically execute the task. Whether you are a student, entrepreneur, parent, pastor, teacher, entertainer, athlete, soccer player, and more, one must exhibit a certain level of confidence if one is desiring to make an impact. This also involves risk taking.
Even if a man wants to woo a lady, he must have confidence to approach the lady and speak the right words. Confidence is a skill of the 21st century. In my calculated opinion, confidence is the bedrock and foundation of all social skills because without confidence, one might not have the courage to write, speak or even articulate his thoughts in a convincing manner.
Confidence works with the mind. Our mindset plays a significant role in cultivating self-confidence. For instance, a growth mindset, which is the belief that our abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, is essential for building confidence.
Perception also works with the mindset. How we perceive ourselves has a direct impact on our confidence levels. If we perceive ourselves as capable and competent, we are more likely to have higher self-confidence. On the other hand, negative self-perception can hinder our confidence.
To improve your confidence level, one must practice self affirmative positive talks, visualize his future and begin to work on the vision. One can also engage in physical exercise to boost both their physique and fitness, not forgetting the art of continuous learning, which helps to boost confidence. Note as well that surrounding yourself with a strong support system is very critical to enhancing your confidence. You can do this by seeking out relationships and communities that uplift and inspire you.
In conclusion, self-confidence is very attractive and contagious because it reflects a deep sense of peace, sureness, and stability. To cultivate self confidence, be mindful of external expressions such as the people you associate with, body language and environment, while also developing your inner virtues such as peace, humility, forgiveness, acceptance, patience, and gratitude.
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 and Unleash Your Destiny. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Two members of the Rivers House of Assembly, who are loyalists of former Governor Nyesom Wike, have withdrawn from the impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers.
The Minority Leader of the assembly, Sylvanus Enyinna Nwankwo, and Peter Abbey, who represents Degema State Constituency, urged their colleagues to exercise restraint and allow for dialogue to maintain stability in the state
In a video widely circulated on Facebook and an excerpt published by Rivers State Television, the lawmakers urged their colleagues to prioritise the overall interest and stability of Rivers above partisan disagreements.
Call for ‘cooling-off period’
The legislators stressed that the prevailing political climate demands calm, dialogue and a “cooling-off period” within the assembly to allow, in their words, “wisdom and truth to prevail” in the legislative chambers.
Background to impeachment moves
The Rivers assembly parted ways with Mr Fubara because of the feud between the governor and Mr Wike, who is the FCT minister.
The current impeachment notice on Mr Fubara is the third attempt in less than three years to remove the governor. The previous efforts had split the legislature into two factions, causing President Bola Tinubu to declare a six-month state of emergency in the oil-rich state and suspend the governor, the deputy governor, and the lawmakers.
The lawmakers accused the governor of constitutional breaches and administrative misconduct, allegations his supporters have dismissed as politically motivated.
Source: Premium Times
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Food is an integral component for living and existence because among other things, it provides energy and nourishment to the physical body. However, it must be consciously selected in other not to run into crisis.
Different kinds of food serve different purposes to the human body depending on the immediate and remote needs. That explains the reason doctors and health practitioners have advised on certain meals to be taken for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And because these serve different purposes, one must therefore, be intentional in selecting the food they eat. It is worthy of note that when one eats a heavy meal at breakfast which is supposedly meant for lunch, there’s the tendency they might not be able to function optimally.
The importance of choosing what goes into the human system as food cannot be overemphasized taking into cognizance that different foods work for different people. This is because they have different taste buds and distinct preferences.
For me, I love having breakfast. As a matter of fact, breakfast for me is the most important meal of the day. If I have have my breakfast, I can practically ‘stay woke’ the whole day.
Again, I love fruits with passion, especially when it’s organic. I can take fruits all day and be fine. This again means, I know what works for me, and so I am intentional in selecting the kind of fruits and food I eat.
Making choices of this nature however, does not relate to food alone. When metaphorically use, food can refer to every facet of living to contributes to growth. An average human being is therefore, expected to choose and dictate the directions of their relationships, professions/business, lifestyle, spiritual life, academic life, health routine, family outlook, and even outfit. It should be noted that anything one does in life, is a function of selection. Every area of our life is centered on choice.
Back to the literal food; while there are different options of food, an individual can decide to stick to a particular one. This is applicable to all other aspects of life. So, before one wears any cloth, it is believed that he must have made the choice out of many options.
As a living being, it’s not all kinds of food that must be eaten, the tantalizing appearance notwithstanding. There are some foods one will eat, and one’s body will react to it. That’s why it’s important for one to determine what works for them. Selecting the food we eat is like selecting the lifestyle we intend to live.
In the journey of life, we must select the kind of lifestyle we would like to live, if we select a bad lifestyle, we’ll have to live with the consequences. There’s no human action without a corresponding consequence. If you do good for someone, it has a way of coming back to you soon directly or indirectly. If you do bad, you will understand the meaning of actions that have consequences.
A case of action with consequences can be likened to the now trending story of a Nigerian Pastor, Chris Okafor, who was alleged to have committed sexual immorality with many ladies while legally married, in addition to living a lifestyle that is unbecoming of a pastor. All his acts were not publicly known until he offended one of his numerous sex partners, one Ms. Doris Ogala.
According to the lady, Okafor promised her marriage, but chose to abandon her after numerous sexual escapades with her. Due to the pain she experienced, she began to expose him on all fronts. The public shame following the ‘pastor’ is the consequence of the action of sinful life he chose.
As an observer on the street, I realized one thing, it’s not all food one is supposed to eat. As a man, sometimes, you are supposed to fast from some food no matter how appetizing it may appear. Sometimes, act like you didn’t see the food just to preserve your sanity, and sometimes, dignity.
Pastor Chris has allegedly tested many foods, unfortunately there was a meal he tasted, and he began to purge. That single meal has exposed and unearthed a lot which was not publicly available and many interested persons, especially ladies, who have been victims have begun to share their personal experiences with pastor Chris, and this has led the security agencies to wade into the allegations against him. Again, this goes to tell you, it’s not every food one must eat.
As a cultural Igbo man from Nigeria, we have an adage that says, nobody knows the womb that will bore a king tomorrow. This adage insinuates that, as human beings, nobody knows where the next opportunity will come from, and in the same manner nobody knows the allegation or challenge that may lead to their downfall. So, it’s important for one to be intentional about how they live their life.
As a man, one must have a certain level of decency, especially if they want to go far. One must also be intentional with their life. Once it’s screwed, it will be hard to fix.
As a career and life coach, there are many opportunities flying all over the space, and it’s normal for one to jump into any industry because it seems to be paying well, or it appears to have lots of growth opportunities. But most people fail to understand that just like there are sands everywhere, opportunities abound everywhere.
When faced with such temptation, what a rational mind must do is to determine whether that opportunity is right for them. It’s always good for one to do what’s best for them, and that entails working on their God given purpose. Failure to do this might make one to work like an elephant and eat like an ant. Even if one is lucky to succeed in that career/business, if they decide to change careers, they might not be happy in addition to having a fulfilling life.
One may have a different attitude to this because they will prefer to cry in a limousine than to cry in a bike or bus, but the truth must be stated, there’s a stage one will get in life and they will realize that if money is the only thing they have, they are poor.
There are many people who married because of money, looks and social status, and today they are either divorced or not happy. Money does not solve all the problems in marriage, neither does looks, faithfulness and sex solve all the problems. What’s important is the shared beliefs in alignment and purpose when two partners are committed to make the relationship work.
In summary, selecting your food is a hypothetical way of informing everyone that we must be intentional with our life. If you see something you like whether it relates to business, education, career, relationship, spirituality or personal, please commit to it regardless of the distractions and detractions that will come in the form of challenges and obstacles. If one can stay strong, they will smile at the end of the day.
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
The Chairman of Dangote Industries, Aliko Dangote, through his legal representative, has filed a formal corruption petition against the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
This was disclosed in a statement made available to our correspondent by the Dangote Group media team on Friday.
Recall that Dangote had earlier petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate Ahmed for allegedly spending $5 million on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland. He withdrew the petition a few days ago, even as the ICPC vowed to continue with its investigation.
The statement on Friday said Dangote’s petition to the EFCC followed “The withdrawal of the same petition from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, a strategic decision aimed at accelerating the prosecution process.”
In the petition, signed by Lead Counsel Dr O.J. Onoja, Dangote urged the EFCC to investigate allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment against Ahmed, and to prosecute him if found culpable.
The petition further stated that Dangote would provide evidence to substantiate claims of financial misconduct and impunity.
“We make bold to state that the commission is strategically positioned, along with sister agencies, to prosecute financial crimes and corruption-related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the courts do not hesitate to punish offenders. See Lawan v. F.R.N (2024) 12 NWLR (Pt. 1953) 501 and Shema v. F.R.N. (2018) 9 NWLR (Pt.1624) 337,” the petition read.
Onoja further urged the commission, under the leadership of Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, “To investigate the complaint of abuse of office and corruption against Engr. Farouk Ahmed and to accordingly prosecute him if found wanting.”
