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Food for Living: Guard Your Secret
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
As human beings, we have different character traits, personalities, gifts/talents, skills and abilities. These are what makes us unique beings, but at the top of this different genes lies our secrets. It should be noted that your secret is what makes you strong and probably successful. Your secret is basically your life. A person without secret can simply be regarded as half dead. During the course of this article, we shall be discussing how our secrets can impact our lives, and how we can use our secrets to empower ourselves.
In every sphere of life, there’s a place called Holy of Holies. This can be black room, black box, vault etc. where the secret or power of the organization is kept. Even the book of life stated, wherever your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be. Even in government offices, there’s always a secret place. As a student, your secret place might your academic certificates.
Depending on your lifestyle and profession, everyone has a secret place; where they take time to relax, re-energize and re-ignite with their inner being. This secret place can serve as antibodies to our immune system. Your secret place is where you allow your peace of mind to reign supreme. Your secret place is devoid of bitterness and stress, but peace and love. If you allow negativity to fill your mind, you’ll experience bitterness, stress, anxiety, worry, and negative traits that will drain you.
Your secret place should be a place of peace and stability. Secret place is the core value of who you are. Your secret place should be regarded as your guard room. Only permitted people are allowed to come inside. When you allow unguarded minds into your secret peace, you give them the opportunity to deposit negative traits which drains positive energy.
Every great person experience so many challenges in their lives ranging from health, relationship to finance among others. But the good thing about them is that they keep their eyes on the prize. They don’t allow negativity to affect them. They remain focused on their goal. Your secret place can be regarded as your powerhouse which can only be destroyed when you allow outside forces to penetrate inside. For instance, no matter the waves that might make a ship to sink, the ship will not sink unless the water is able to find itself inside the ship. Moral: You can’t stop the storm from coming, but you can stop it from letting it affect you.
When you face opposition that’s when your inner strength gets tested. Your ability to stand your ground can be groundbreaking to overcoming any challenge that may pose as a threat to you. As a way of advice, be careful about the kind people you let into your inner life. If you allow negative minds, they may change the tune, especially if they have any idea about what your secret place looks like.
In the journey of life, you don’t need everyone to ride the boat with you. You need to select your friends, associates, mentors, partners, etc. This is more so when you are dealing with business or have a great idea you’ll like to implement. Your greatest power and strength will be to tap into your subconscious minds to birth your pet project.
When you allow Tom, Dick, and Harry into the arena of your master plan, you might be surprised to know that they may either tap your idea and creatively implement it, or they pose negative voices into your project to either discourage or make you see reasons why it won’t work. Don’t get carried away by what people say, keep your head high by keeping valuable information close to your heart.
Furthermore, people may gossip about you at work, they may even throw several fallacious rumors in public areas just to dent your name, keep forging ahead, knowing fully well, this too shall pass. etc. Don’t allow little thing to distract you from the big things. Remember, when they go low, you go high. Nobody will talk about you if you’re nobody. You have to come to the simple realization that not everyone will like you and that’s perfectly fine. What you play in your mind is what you allow in your secret place. If you know who you are, you don’t need the affirmation of anyone because he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. Only insecure minds need the affirmation of people.
Business:
Every business has a secret, this secret can be regarded as trade secrets. Trade secrets are secrets that only the principal actors in the business know. it is this secret that makes them successful. As an entrepreneur or corporate entity, it is imperative for you to know how to deliver your products to your target audience in such a way it will be appealing to them. In business, packaging is very important, your ability to understand the market, your competitors and creative way to give values to your customers can be a deciding factor in your business. According to Robin Sharma, the business of business is human relations, but the business of life is human connection.
What many people fail to understand is that every business is different, and every business has a secret. That’s why two people may be having the same products but one of them is able to outsmart the other by improving his/her business style. If you let out the secret of your business, nobody will come to you, especially if they know how you do what you do. For instance, Coca-Cola has been in business since 1886 and no one seems to know the actual contents of the drink except the family. That’s trade secret. You may be wondering how and why it is so. This is simple logic, people come to you because they believe you can solve their problems or you have value to offer. Once the ordinary man on the secret is able to decipher the secret contents that makes up Coca-Cola, he/she will simply produce Cocoa cola thereby limiting the sales of the actual manufacturers.
Family
The greatest and strongest unit in the world is family. Every family has a secret; for instance, Coco-Cola. The secret to a family might be their name, love, understanding, peace, sacrifice, love or even knowledge. All this helps to address problems facing the family. Once the secret is let out, the family will be empty. What works for one family might not work for another family. You can only know what works for a particular family when you live/interact with them.
Relationship
Every marriage, relationship or friendship has a secret. This secret can be love, understanding, humility, sacrifice, peace, and wisdom. Every case is different. As popularly opined by some schools of thought, behind every successful man, there’s a lady. In the same vein, behind every successful marriage, there’s a secret. It is this secret that makes the marriage stronger. Relationship play a major role in defining the future of any progressive mind. It is interesting to note that during dating, intending couples normally hide a part of their character from their partner. It is only when both parties officially marry that they start to show their true characters.
Even married couple is not exempted from this bliss; they always have what binds them together. In fact, what binds them together is more than what separates them. The interesting thing about happily married couples is that, they have come to the sublime realization of what works for them by understanding themselves. Despite been married, these married couples also have their own personal secrets.
It’s okay to feel down when people disappoint you, but it’s not okay to make it affect you otherwise it will poison your life. See disappointment as a ship; a ship can be turned around due to waves and yet not sink, but the moment it allows the water from outside to come in, it begins to sink.
Furthermore, people may think you don’t have difficulties, the difference is that we don’t allow outside things to affect what we have inside us. For instance, the medical report might not look good, marriage isn’t working out well, finance might be low, your ability to tap into your subconscious secret power can make the difference in your life.
Success
So many factors bring success and joy to our minds. Before one can be termed a success, a lot of factors might have played significant roles. It could be health, academics, family, friends, or even your significant other half. As mentioned earlier, every business has a secret. In the same manner, every work of life has a secret. As a prolific writer, I write from a unique perspective that no one can hardly reproduce. For instance, one of the secrets to a healthy lifestyle might be taking two cups of water daily, exercising, and having a strong positive mindset with an attitude of appreciating life’s challenges while seeing them as experiences.
In conclusion, above everything, I will strongly encourage you to protect your secret place and treasure it like gold because that’s all you have. Therefore, treat it like a priceless material, It will, in turn, affect everything around you, your attitude, joy and peace of mind.
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
A federal judge in the United States, on Thursday, put a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
The ruling imposes a 14-day halt on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed hours after being sworn into office for a second term.
It comes after lawsuits were filed by a total of 22 states, two cities and numerous civil rights groups.
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” senior US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington State.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Coughenour, who was appointed to the bench by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan.
Birthright citizenship is fundamental to America’s national identity, with the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution decreeing that anyone born on US soil is a citizen.
It says, in part: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump’s order was premised on the idea that anyone in the US illegally, or on a visa, was not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country, and therefore excluded from this category.
AFP
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital has upheld the death sentence of Ramon Adedoyin, a prominent businessman and hotelier, for his involvement in the murder of one Timothy Adegoke, a former postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the court affirmed the earlier verdict of the Osun State High Court, which had sentenced Adedoyin to death.
“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part,” the court declared in part.
The Court of Appeal, however, set aside some aspects of the lower court’s orders, including the forfeiture of the Hilton Hotel and the order for Adedoyin to pay for the education of Adegoke’s children.
Furthermore, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to impose penalties outside the statutory provisions
Adegoke’s death was reported in November 2021 after his corpse was found at the Hilton Honours Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he had lodged.
The hotelier had travelled from Abuja for an examination at a distance learning centre in Moro, Osun State on November 5 of that year.
He had checked into the hotel but was reported missing after two days. However, Adegoke’s body was found days later, leading to a probe that linked his death to Adedoyin and others.
In May 2023, Adedoyin and others were sentenced to death after they were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder.
But dissatisfied with the judgement, Adedoyin approached the Appeal court to dismiss the sentence and conviction.
The court of appeal, on Thursday, however, upheld the conviction and death sentence of the hotelier.
The Nigeria Police have announced that their operatives have rescued Mrs Folasade Odumosu, the wife of a former Assistant Inspector General, Hakeem Odumosu, who was last Thursday, kidnapped at the entrance of her home in Arepo, Ogun State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, noting that two of the kidnappers were killed while four others escaped without their weapons.
Adejobi said with the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged Odumosu’s abductors in a gun duel and neutralized the criminals in the swampy area of Ikorodu on Wednesday.
The police spokesman added that Mrs Odumosu is currently undergoing a medical evaluation and has since been reunited with her family.
The statement read, “In a commendable display of teamwork and swift action, police operatives attached to the Ogun State Command have successfully neutralized the kidnappers of Mrs. Odumosu, wife of Retired Assistant-Inspector General, AIG Hakeem Odumosu, and rescued her unharmed.
“On January 16, 2025, at approximately 9:45 PM, four masked gunmen forcibly abducted Mrs. Odumosu from her Lexus Jeep outside her residence in Arepo, Ogun State. The abduction sparked an immediate response from the anti-kidnapping unit of the Ogun State Police Command, who commenced a thorough investigation and targeted pursuit of the kidnappers.
“With the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged in extensive surveillance of the creeks surrounding Arepo, gathering crucial information to track down the assailants. Their efforts culminated in a raid on January 23, 2025, at around 06:45 AM. The intelligence-led operation took the police to a creek in the swampy area of Ikorodu, where the kidnappers were reportedly planning their next attack.
“Upon arrival, the operatives encountered the kidnappers, who opened fire. In the ensuing confrontation, two of the gunmen were neutralized, while four others fled the scene, abandoning their operational weapons.”
Adejobi said the police operatives recovered N10m initially paid to the kidnappers, four Ak-47 rifles, three locally made single barrel rifles, and ammunition of various calibres.
He added, “The victim, Mrs Odumosu was rescued within the swampy creeks during the operation, unharmed. She is currently undergoing medical evaluation as a precautionary measure and has since been reunited with her family. The police also recovered 4 Ak-47 rifles, 3 locally made single barrel rifles, ammunition of various calibres, and the sum of N10,000,000 ransom previously demanded by the kidnappers, further ensuring that justice is served.”
Adejobi said the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the police operatives and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, for the rescue operation.
He asserted that the Police Force is committed to safeguarding the citizens and combat kidnapping and other violent crimes.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., has commended the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, and his operatives for their displayed gallantry in this successful operation.
“This operation exemplifies the dedication and resilience of our Police officers. The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mission to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes, providing safety and security to all citizens,” he added.
