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Food for Living: How Experience and Mentors Shape Growth
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By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Experience, by every standard, is a prerequisite for any human to move to the next stage of growth and existence. Experience comes in different forms as one journeys through life, covering health, finance, relationship, marriage, family, personal development or spirituality. We gain valuable experiences that help us see life or understand it in more ways than one.
It is right to say, we are shaped by the experiences life gives to us. It is always advisable to look at life more wholistically as opposed to concentrating on its negative aspects. Sometimes, our experience can serve as the game-changer we need to move to the next phase of our life, but before that can be done, we have to appreciate the experience.
For instance, when we go through turmoil, we experience discomfort, no doubt, but the inherent lessons lie in humility, prudence, patience, and even leadership. In some cases, the experience might be for someone else whom the universe might bring our way for us to teach them how to navigate the problem.
It is generally said that a smart man learns from his mistakes, but a smarter man learns from another person’s mistakes, and this is where the experience of life comes in. As progressive minds, we need the experience of mentors and those who have gone before us to teach us what we don’t know.
In business, an apprentice needs the tutelage of their boss to understand how to succeed in a particular industry or business. A mentee needs the experience of their mentors to succeed. A newly married couple needs the experience of seasoned couples to navigate the challenges of marriage. Even adults need the experience of their parents to know how to raise their children. The list is endless.
To understand how experience works, consider the story of a young man whose car broke down along the road. All efforts to fix the car proved abortive. While he was wondering what to do, an elderly man who was driving by stopped beside him, and inquired if there was a challenge. He stated that his car broke down and he’s having a hard time trying to fix it.
The old man offered to help. Though the young man hesitated, wondering what an old man could do, he yielded on second thought, and gave the old man a chance. After all, he had done all in his capacity, and yet, no solution. The old man opened the bonnet, hit a knob, and told the young man to restart the car. To his amazement, the car buzzed into life. In excitement, he asked the old man, ‘who are you?’, and he replied, ‘I’m Mr. Ford, the owner of Ford Motors’. The young man was humbled.
Now this is what I call experience. You can’t beat a man with experience. If Henry Ford didn’t have experience with his products, he wouldn’t have been able to fix the car.
There’s another story where a mentor was teaching a mentee about the importance of experience. According to the mentor, when the man with experience meets the man with money, the man with money will have to lose his money to gain experience, and the man with experience will have to use his experience to gain money.
According to Abraham Lincoln, “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four of them sharpening my axe”. A man without experience might spend the entire six hours cutting down the tree, and that alone can be exhausting and draining. This goes to tell you the importance of mentors. Without the experience of mentors, one may work harder, but with the influence of mentors, one will work smarter.
In the course of life, many people think they can navigate life hurdles on their own. This set of people gets burned out; they fail to understand that mentors are lifesavers.
According to an African proverb, ‘if one wants to go fast, he will go alone, but if he wants to go far, he must go with a team’. Another African proverb states that “What an old man sees while sitting down on a tree, no matter how tall a child grows, he won’t see it”. These two quotes emphasize the importance of mentors in the life of a progressive mind.
One of the most uncharitable disservices I can do in life is to attribute my success to myself as a result of my hard work. My life has literally been shaped by the role of mentors and elders whom I hold in high esteem. In some cases, I seek the counsel of younger people who are knowledgeable than me in a particular area, and their suggestions have worked like magic.
Sometimes, I laugh at people who attribute their success to their personal development. In some cases, they say they are self-made. Don’t get me wrong, personal development and hard work contribute to the success of human beings because even if you have mentors and elders, who guide and support you, if you are not determined to succeed, success will definitely elude you.
Let me share a practical experience with you. I was given an opportunity to publish my weekly articles on a notable platform by one of my mentors. This mentor of mine is not responsible for writing the articles; he just gave me a platform, and each time I write, I have an editor who reviews my work before it gets published. Now, somebody reading my work will think I’m a smart man, but the truth is that I’m not just smart; rather, I am smart by association because I have a team that assists in shaping my work. Do you see that nobody is self-made?
Furthermore, there are opportunities and doors I know for a fact I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to penetrate if not for the role of mentors and elders in my life, whom I occasionally seek their advice. They serve as a strong support system to me both in my personal and professional development.
As you journey through life and experience, please don’t take it personal. Sometimes, the trials, setbacks, and challenges we go through are targeted and structured in such a way that God is positioning you to use them to counsel or assist someone in the near future. In some cases, it might be to strengthen or benefit you.
In summary, we all need the experience of life and mentors to navigate through life.
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 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.
