Metro
Food for Living: Just Do Your Best!
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Friends,
The desire of every rational and progressive human being is to be successful. Succeeding in life can be very challenging because of the hassles that come with success. It is really hard forging ahead in life when the odds are really against you especially when you have done your best by investing time and resources in your business, project or work. The frustration can be humbling. It takes a man with sound judgmental and positive discretion to continue to forge ahead in life when he/she faces setbacks. Imagine the life of an entrepreneur who wakes up daily and invest his time and resources in his/ her business only to find out, he needs to start all over again due to a mistake or new development. Whenever you feel this way, one of your strongest arsenal to keep your sanity of mind is to stay strong by having a strong mental positive attitude.
Giving your best in life entails a lot of meanings. Depending on the context in which you are using it for, it can mean giving your best by doing your best in any work/situation you find yourself. It can also mean good luck, you’ll be fine. I wish you the best. It is what it is. It’s also mean a subtle way of letting you off the hook. It also means being sincere about wanting to do anything you promise to do.
Regardless of which pendulum you belong to, one thing is certain only you can define your “best no one can fully describe what “just do your best” means because it means different things for every person. I belong to the school of thought which believe that he that is in you is greater and stronger than he that is in the world. This is because if the whole world is telling you can’t do it and you know you can do it, you’ll definitely succeed. But if the whole world is telling you can do it and you know you can’t do it, you’ll fail. This simply goes to tell you that you are the architect and masterpiece of your life who understands your strength, weakness, and limitations. In a simple and general term, doing your best literally means giving your best in any endeavor you find yourself. When you do your best, you get a lasting impression and peace of mind even when the odds are against you because you have sincerely done your best based on your ability and disposition.
True success is not an overnight victory, it takes several works which can be sleeping late at night, waking up early, going the extra mile, networking, learning a trade, reading, and researching, etc. Sometimes with all these factors at play, we still don’t break even. Truly, it can truly be frustrating.
Today, I charge you, give your best in your business, school work, athletic competition, fashion, entertainment and in whatever you are passionate and skillful at. Believe it will work out in due time if it’s destined for you, and if it doesn’t workout our as planned, just know it’s either, it’s not for you; your time has not come yet, or you’re are not doing the right thing by networking/meeting with the right people, you’re not being strategic by learning the rope, etc.
Sometimes in life, it is better to work smart as opposed to working hard. You can achieve more in life if you are very strategic. According to Abraham Lincoln, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the ax”. Abraham Lincoln was merely speaking on how to be smart and strategic as opposed to working hard. However, the best approach will be working both hard and smart. Doing your best entails appreciating the challenges and disappointments that come with the work. These challenges can turn out to be a turning point if you rightly apply the laws of gratitude.
Being consistent is one of the ways of doing your best. When you are consistent in your craft, you’ll separate yourself from the regular crowd. I recently watched a short presentation by Olufela Durotoye, a leadership expert, and motivational speaker. According to him, Consistency is what separates winners from champions. He went further to state that if you want to know the best in any industry ask for the champions. For example, if you are asked to name the best talk show, Oprah Winfrey’s name might be the first to pop out, in tennis, Serena Williams; in soccer, Ronaldo, Messi, Maradona, Abedi Pele, or even Augustine Jay jay Okocha might come to mind. One thing is certain among this set of creative, talented and industrious individuals- they gave their best and it worked out for them. They became champions by winning consistently and giving their best in what they do every day. It should be noted that winners win matches, while champions win tournaments, competitions, and seasons
A great way of doing or giving your best is by being great at what you do. This is because when you become great at what you do, you will not only attract value, you’ll gain respect/expertise, money and authority. You can succeed and be excellent at what you do, but you will be excellent and greater at what you are gifted at. In order to attain true perfection, you must give your best. As a word of advice, give your best in what you are naturally good at and you’ll be celebrated.
In conclusion, don’t be the best among your contemporaries, but be your best.
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 Senate has brought forward the screening of newly appointed Service Chiefs to Wednesday, October 29, reversing its earlier decision to conduct the exercise next week.
The announcement came shortly after Senate President, Godwill Akpabio, read a separate correspondence from President Bola Tinubu, seeking the confirmation of appointment of Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede.
Akpabio said the change was necessary to enable the military chiefs to assume their duties immediately.
President Bola Tinubu had urged the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the confirmation process to ensure continuity and effective coordination of the nation’s security architecture.
Following the new schedule, the Committee of the Whole is expected to conduct the screening exercise during plenary on Wednesday.
A few days ago, Tinubu reshuffled the military hierarchy. Tinubu removed General Christopher Musa, with Oluyede (a former Chief of Army Staff) replacing him as the Chief of Defence Staff.
He, however, retained Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye as the Chief of Defence Intelligence.
The rejigging, according to presidential aide Sunday Dare, was due to “the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture”.
“All appointments take immediate effect,” he wrote.
But critics have faulted the rejig of the military hierarchy, with the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC “as an opposition political party, our interest remains the stability of our country and our democracy. In the light of developments in our neighbourhood of Chad and the Sahel States, we are gravely concerned”) asking President Tinubu to come out clean on the reason for the move.
“Our position remains, therefore, that the Federal Government owes Nigerians a categorical explanation about what truly happened,” the ADC wrote in a statement by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi.
Senator Ned Nwoko on Sunday said he feels sorry for men with one wife, insisting that polygamy provides men greater stability and balance.
The lawmaker representing Delta North, who made the comment while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, also addressed recent allegations of domestic violence against him by his actress wife, Regina Daniels.
When asked how he copes with managing four wives—something many men find nearly impossible- Nwoko hesitated for a while before reacting.
“That is a different topic for discussion on another day. Yes, every man should do that. The example I give is this: just imagine telling you to stand on one foot or leg. You know how difficult it is.
“But to stand on two, three, four is much more balanced. That’s just the example I give. So I feel sorry for those who have one wife because it’s difficult to stand on one leg,” he stated.
When reminded that the Holy Bible does not endorse polygamy, Nwoko countered, “The Old Testament does. I am a man of faith. But that’s not what we are here for.”
Asked whether he had any regrets about his marital choices, the senator shook his head.
“No, I don’t have any regret. I will do the same thing again. Of course, that’s the way it should be. You should marry who you want to marry,” he defended stoutly.
On the domestic violence allegations trailing him, Nwoko dismissed them outright, saying, “No, come on. You know I am not a violent person. I respect my wives. I love them and my kids.”
His comments came just hours after Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, his estranged wife, flaunted a newly acquired mansion on social media amid reports of a marital crisis.
In a post on her Instagram page, Daniels shared photos and videos of the property with the caption, “In my house, I am a Queen! I needed a roof over my head, so I got this for me and my family.”
The post followed a viral video from October 18 showing the actress in tears outside her Abuja residence, lamenting alleged abuse.
“In Ned Nwoko’s house, I am nothing, but in my own house, I am a Queen. Not again. I can’t stand the violence, it’s too much,” she said in the footage.
The couple’s six-year marriage, once the subject of public fascination due to their wide age gap, has recently degenerated into a full-blown crisis now playing out before millions of Nigerians on social media.
The Punch
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, raided Proxy Night club at 7, Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where a drug party was going on, and arrested over 100 suspects.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, while making this known, said the suspects arrested include the owner of the club, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, alias Pretty Mike, who was taken into custody for interrogation.
“Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.
“The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11 pm on Saturday, 25th October, however, disrupted the gathering at 3 am on Sunday, 26th October, in line with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
