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Food for Living: Keep Hope Alive
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
One of the major causes of death in the world is frustration. When we are frustrated, we become so uneasy that so many thoughts come to our minds. Frustration can lead to suicide, and according to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is the leading cause of death in America.
As a Human Capacity Coach, I have seen and heard a thousand and one cases of the pain and psychological trauma most people go through. Some could be from failed relationships/marriages, businesses, academics, professions, or even personal issues. Many people are going through so many challenges, and in some cases, they are helpless about the situation.
It’s very easy for anyone to give up on life after exhausting all options. It could be more challenging when there is little or no hope to overcome the challenge. Imagine having a child who is sick or hungry and you can’t help the situation. Imagine being nominated for a lifetime dream opportunity of your choice and you were denied for no justifiable reason; imagine having all the right systems and structures in place in your business, and it still failed. These reasons are capable of sending one to the grave if proper care is not applied. That’s why I’m here today to tell you to keep hope alive.
What’s hope? Hope can positively mean: Hold on pain ends. Every pain has an expiry date. It is instructive to note that if you keep hope alive, it will keep you alive. Keeping hope alive entails having faith, believing in your work, having optimism that all will work out well. Above all however, it is the feeling that constantly reminds you that the universe will work in your favour. It is important to note that you will get everything you need when you have developed the capacity to receive it.
Regardless of any situation or challenge you may have faced, just keep hope alive. You may have been working on a project either with a team or personally. You may have wondered if your project will see the light of the day after investing so much time and resources, in addition to having numerous rejections, and the future appears bleak and insecure. Don’t give up. You may have many thoughts and concerns running through your mind on how to approach a plan. Listen, you don’t have to have a perfect environment before you hit the ground running. Whenever you feel the prompting in your mind, just move. Your conscience can never deceive you. You may not see it, but all that is expected from you is to keep hope alive and believe in your work.
There was a story of two men who went out to dig for gold. Mr. A dug halfway and found gold and left, Mr. B seeing what has happened thought to himself, am I doing anything wrong? I have dug digger than Mr. A, why haven’t I made any progress, or is there something am I missing? After much thought, he decided to leave his site and go to Mr. A’s position with the hope he may find gold, he didn’t realize he needed just a strike to get gold. This is what impatience and not having belief in oneself can cause.
As a leader, you must inspire hope in your subordinates. The first and last task of a leader is to keep hope alive. If you must lose all options, don’t lose hope. To keep hope alive is not easy, especially when the odds are against you. But then, that’s why we are human beings. To make hope work for you, you must be engaged in a business. Either you’re offering a service or selling a product. It is sad to note that there are some people who just believe things will work out by themselves without any effort on their part. It is instructive to note that during the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama said, things won’t change if we don’t fix the problem.
Irrespective of your age, or any category you belong in life. I have just one clear message for you, don’t give up, regardless of what life offers to you. Hope is the last resort you have as a human being. If you lose all options in life, never lose hope.
How to keep hope alive
You must express your feelings
As human beings, we all have emotions in us. Your ability to express your thoughts and feelings in such an authentic way that makes you feel good is highly recommended. Do you know that sometimes, sharing our pains with others can be therapeutic, healing, and soothing to the heart? Caveat: Be aware of the people you share your personal information to, they may be wolves in sheep clothing. This set of human beings are not interested in your progress. They like it when you have challenges or even fail in life. It wouldn’t be bad if you call them chameleon
If you don’t communicate your intentions, it will be hard for people to know how to assist you. Some may even hurt you without knowing. In expressing your feelings, you can decide to cry, stay aloof, sleep, watch movies, etc. provided it makes you feel good.
Play music
Music is one of the healing therapies on planet earth. Music has a way of relaxing our pains regardless of any setback you may have faced. Depending on the issue, playing a spiritual song, healing song, rhythm & blues, etc. can instantly revive you.
Leave Your Comfort zone
When stressed or after experiencing a devastating disappointment, it’s advisable to leave your comfort zone, you can travel to another country or look for hope in unexpected parlance.
Be Grateful
Gratitude is a rare practice that is being practiced in our society. Grateful people are happy people. In our society, we are used to celebrating our wins without showcasing our failures. We fail to remember, it’s our failures that humble and inspire us to work harder. To keep hope alive, you have to bee grateful for the experience because it will make you strong in addition to giving you a story tomorrow.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a public speaker. 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 and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Defence Headquarters has said the recent kidnap incident in Oyo State was carried out by terrorists displaced from other parts of the country following intensified military operations.
The military high command stated this on Thursday while reacting to what it described as “mischievous and misleading publications” surrounding comments credited to the Defence Headquarters on the classification of terrorists and criminal elements operating in the South-West.
In a statement signed by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Michael Onoja, the DHQ said the attackers behind the Oyo abduction were members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad terrorist group displaced by sustained military offensives across the country.
“The recent incidence of kidnap in Oyo State was clearly perpetrated by terrorists of the JAS Group that have been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high-intensity operations being conducted all over,” the statement read.
The DHQ denied reports suggesting it referred to terrorists operating in the South-West as ordinary criminals, insisting that such interpretations were inaccurate and misleading.
“It is, therefore, inaccurate and misleading to suggest that the Defence Headquarters, at any point, referred to vicious and violent terrorists as criminals,” Onoja stated.
The military said its earlier clarification on security developments in the South-West was aimed at providing an intelligence-based context to avoid misinformation and unnecessary panic among residents.
It also stressed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remained committed to supporting constitutional governance and protecting democratic institutions.
“At no time did the Defence Headquarters undermine the authority of any democratically elected leader or seek to diminish the gravity of the heinous crime committed against innocent citizens by terrorist elements,” the statement added.
The DHQ further disclosed that troops remained actively deployed across affected areas in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks threatening national peace and stability.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain resolute in dismantling all criminal and terrorist networks threatening the peace, stability and unity of the nation,” the statement said.
The clarification followed recent attacks on communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where armed terrorists abducted pupils, teachers and other residents from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle.
The incident also left several persons dead, while one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed after a video linked to the attack surfaced online.
Fresh facts have emerged over the abduction of school pupils and the killing of two teachers alongside an okada rider in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as investigators uncovered how suspected informants allegedly maintained communication with the abductors through telephone conversations.
The Oyo State Police Command disclosed that investigators tracked the suspects through calls believed to have been exchanged with the bandits during and after the operation.
According to the police, the conversations allegedly contained details on how the criminals could successfully navigate routes within the National Park to hidden locations used as safe havens.
The breakthrough led to the arrest of no fewer than six suspects, who are currently in police custody and assisting security agencies with ongoing investigations into the gruesome incident.
Confirming the development on Tuesday morning, the State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the suspects were apprehended during coordinated security operations across different locations in the State.
“We have six suspects in custody and they are assisting the investigation,” Ayanlade said.
He added that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly served as informants to the bandits responsible for the abduction and killings.
“Our findings showed that some of the suspects were in contact with the abductors through telephone conversations and investigators are analysing those communications as part of efforts to uncover the full network behind the crime,” he stated.
Ayanlade further disclosed that security agencies uncovered discussions allegedly centred on routes through the National Park and locations believed to have been used by the criminals as hideouts.
“The conversations contained information on how the abductors could move through the National Park undetected and reach safe locations,” he added.
The police spokesman explained that the suspects were arrested during joint operations involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Agro-Rangers.
“The arrests were made possible through intelligence-driven operations carried out by joint security operatives working collaboratively to dismantle the criminal network,” Ayanlade said.
He assured residents that security agencies were intensifying efforts to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate linked to the attack.
“We are committed to ensuring that every individual connected to this criminal act is identified, arrested and brought to justice. Investigations are still ongoing,” he said.
The incident, which claimed the lives of two teachers and an Okada rider while school pupils were abducted last Friday, has continued to generate concern among residents of the affected communities and neighbouring areas in Oyo State.
Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has confirmed that one of the teachers abducted during the recent terrorist attack on schools in Oriire LGA of the state, has been killed in captivity.
Speaking on Sunday during a press briefing on the incident, Makinde described the situation as “difficult and challenging”, saying the state government is intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining victims.
On Friday, gunmen riding motorcycles invaded communities within the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis of Oriire, Ogbomoso, and abducted students and staff members of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, L.A. Primary School, Esiele, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.
The attack left an assistant headmaster, identified as Joel Adesiyan, and a commercial motorcyclist dead.
According to Makinde, a video received by the state government confirmed the killing of one of the abductees identified as a mathematics teacher.
“What we know is that seven teachers in all were abducted and unfortunately, we got a video this morning that one of the teachers, the maths teacher, was killed by the terrorists this morning,” Makinde said.
Authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of schoolchildren abducted.
In the aftermath of the incident, videos recorded from captivity began circulating on social media, showing abducted teachers pleading with the government and Nigerians for urgent intervention.
One of the viral videos featured Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, Esiele, appealing to the government to help secure the release of the victims before they are killed.
Makinde detailed that six persons had been arrested within the affected locality over alleged links to the attackers, and that another three “persons of interest” were also arrested in connection with the attack.
“The information available from the Commissioner of Police is that six individuals have been arrested within the locality. Some of them were believed to perhaps be informants to people running logistics for the terrorists,” he said.
Following the attack, the Oyo Police Command announced the commencement of an intensive manhunt and rescue operation involving multiple security agencies.
Makinde said personnel of the police, military, the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun, and local hunters were mobilised immediately to pursue the attackers.
The governor said, however, some Amotekun operatives sustained injuries after encountering improvised explosive devices planted by the terrorists during the operation.
“After the incident, Amotekun, the police, military and hunters were mobilised to go after the terrorists and it was along that line that they ran into IEDs and some of the Amotekun operatives were wounded,” he said.
Sources told TheCable that the terrorists had initially opened fire on the security operatives who were approaching the Old Oyo national park on motorcycles, causing them to flee.
“When the shooting subsided, the operatives decided to go for their motorbikes. Unfortunately, a dynamite exploded against one Amotekun corps member and he was wounded. He has been taken to the hospital for medical attention,” a source said.
“Apart from air raid, the Old Oyo National Park Area can’t be easily accessed through infantry. It’s a long distance from the Oowe River which forms a natural landmark boundary for the park. Motorcycles would have to be used for the journey, but the noise of the approaching motorcycles alerted the terrorists.”
Makinde linked the attack to increasing pressure being mounted on terrorist groups in the north-east, warning that fleeing armed groups are moving into other parts of the country, including the south-west.
“With the pressure on the terrorists in the north-east theatre, they will keep moving southwards. Today, the governor of Kwara state has spoken to me. But the problem we have is that when you have pressure in one place, we must be prepared on this side to either repel or neutralise any terrorists fleeing the pressure,” he said.
The governor harped on the need for sustained government and security presence in vulnerable communities, warning that temporary military operations without long-term security measures could leave residents exposed to future attacks.
“If all we can do is clearance operations for a week or two and leave that place, the terrorists will come back and the people will become vulnerable,” he said.
He assured residents that the state government would be deploying military and non-military strategies to secure the release of the abducted victims and tackle the growing security threat.
“We have decided that we will adopt not just the kinetic approach. We have not taken this lightly,” he added.
Makinde also appealed for calm and patience from residents, acknowledging the complexity of the operation.
“I want to appeal to everyone that we are doing everything within our power to ensure that this would be resolved quickly and we bring our children back safely, but it is a very difficult and challenging situation so there may not be quick fixes,” he added.
Source: TheCable
