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Food for Living: Knowledge is the New Gold
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
In contemporary times, the world has come to the realization of a new type of education that is different from the formal knowledge we are exposed to. Ordinarily, there are two types of education: formal education and informal information. Formal education is the education we receive in the classroom which is well-structured while informal education is the education we receive from our parents, friends, peers, community, etc. This kind of knowledge is not structured.
But amidst this form of knowledge, there’s a new form of knowledge called personal development, which I call the new gold. To me, this is the highest form of knowledge. You may be wondering why I said, so. With other forms of knowledge, it’s either taught or acquired, and earned with conscious and deliberate effort. But with the personal development knowledge, you are not only intentional in acquiring it, you are also deliberate in acquiring the knowledge. This is because nobody is teaching you, neither are you learning indirectly from your parents or environment, but rather you have made a decision not to remain where you are. You decided it’s high time, you took your destiny into your hands.
With personal development knowledge, you go all out. You don’t wait for the information or knowledge to come to your doorstep, rather you step out of your comfort zone because you have the passion and interest in the industry. With this form of education, you’re able to create opportunities where there is none.
There are many examples of great people who have experienced this form of knowledge. For example, Abraham Lincoln, a lawyer, and former U.S. president who finished one year of formal schooling, self-taught himself trigonometry, and read on his own to become a lawyer; Andrew Carnegie, an industrialist and philanthropist, and one of the first mega-billionaires in the US, who was an elementary school dropout; Andrew Jackson, former U.S. president, general, attorney, judge, congressman, who was home-schooled and became a practicing attorney by the age of 35; Justin Moskovitz, multi-millionaire co-founder of Facebook, who was a Harvard dropout. Mark Zuckerberg, also a co-founder of Facebook, dropped out of Harvard University.
Henry Ford, the billionaire founder of Ford Motor Company, did not attend college. Francois Pinault, the third-richest man in France quit high school in 1947 to work at his father’s lumber mill. One reason he quit school was because his classmates made fun of his poor background. Billy Joel once said, “If I’m not going to Columbia University, I’m going to Columbia Records and you don’t need a high school diploma over there.” He said this after learning he had fallen one credit short of his high school graduation requirement in 1967. The six-time Grammy Award winner has sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) may have “99 problems,” but not having a high school diploma isn’t one. The American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur is one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists in America. In May 2016, Forbes estimated Jay Z’s net worth at $610 million. He is one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, having sold more than 100 million records while receiving 21 Grammy Awards for his musical works, as well as numerous additional nominations.
Carter grew up in one of Brooklyn’s roughest housing projects, dealing drugs before turning to hip hop. In 1995, Carter took his first single to Def Jam Records, the company he ended up running from 2004 until 2007. In 2008, he signed a 10-year, $150 million deal with Live Nation that gave him control over his records, tours, and endorsement deals with companies like Dell and Budweiser.
Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Atlantic Airline is the son of a barrister and a flight attendant. He dropped out of Stowe School at age 16 to start an arts and culture magazine called Student. In 1970, at age 20, he founded a mail-order record retailer called Virgin. He later opened a record shop and recording studio, which became a retail chain, Virgin Records, and record company, Virgin Music. His Virgin Group empire now includes 200 companies in 30 countries, spanning airlines, music festivals, mobile companies, and other businesses. Today Branson owns two private Caribbean islands, Necker and Mosquito, and has an estimated net worth of $5.8 billion as of 2021, according to Forbes.
Do you notice anything about these successful people, they were all self-taught, they didn’t wait for anyone to give them an opportunity, rather they did what they have to do in order to acquire the kind of knowledge, wealth, or position they were aiming for. But the most interesting part of them is that they acquired knowledge which made a difference for them. That’s why I call personal development knowledge the new gold.
The truth is that knowledge is priceless. In philosophy, we are taught there are five types of knowledge; Revealed knowledge, which is the type of knowledge that was revealed to those who wrote the Bible; Empirical knowledge, which is knowledge based on investigation, observation, experimentation or experience, as opposed to Theoretical knowledge, which is based on logical or mathematical assumptions; Rational knowledge, which is the kind of knowledge that is normally used in solving rational problems like logical reasoning; Authoritative knowledge, which is the knowledge one is normally exposed to due to the expertise a person has attained in a particular field of life, and Intuitive knowledge, which is the knowledge one gets from his innate nature which is devoid of reason or logic. It springs up spontaneously when you are faced with an unexpected situation like an accident or a crisis that needs a quick response.
Why am I saying these? When you spend your time acquiring knowledge, you are opening up yourself for new opportunities. The more you know, the more you earn, and the more you earn, the more you are respected. Do you see why knowledge is the new gold?
Acquiring this form of knowledge is not really hard, all that is necessary is for you to decide and then take action. With the advent of technology, knowledge is literally at our disposal. We can learn anything on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, google plus, Pinterest, Udemy Skillshare Coursera EdX Udacity Pluralsight, etc. Despite the availability of these learning platforms, it’s quite unfortunate to see that many people have failed to take advantage of this learning opportunity to change their lives.
According to Anne Scavotto, Knowledge is power. Without a goal, it is only an idea. Without a plan, it is only information. Without implementation, it is only a resource for the future! We have a choice: to be complacent with our present situation or to be temporarily uncomfortable with the unknown and institute change in our lives! “
Even when we agree that knowledge is power, knowledge is information in the real sense, it is the application of this knowledge that gives you the power. If you know something, but don’t make conscious effort to apply it, there will be no change.
In conclusion, I charge you today, to be intentional and deliberate in making a conscious effort to acquire knowledge, and information that will add value to your life. This type of knowledge must be the one that appeals to you. In order to acquire this knowledge, you can get mentors, coaches, or even peers who can play resourceful roles in this area because at the end of the day, knowledge is the new gold.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a mindset coach and 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 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the winner of the just concluded Ondo State governorship election, held on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
The Returning Officer for the election Olayemi Akinwumi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State declared Aiyedatiwa winner of the election on Sunday, extending the governor’s stay at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure.
Governor Aiyedatiwa polled 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival and a former deputy governor of the state Ajayi Agboola who flew the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag. He scored 117,845 votes, more than twice lower than the APC candidate.
“That Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of the APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” the returning officer said at exactly 2:30 pm at the INEC collation centre in Akure.
The declaration came hours after the collation of results for the election began in the early hours of Sunday. Although the collation centre went on breaks, the APC took a commanding lead with over 200,000 votes ahead of the PDP.
The final results showed that the APC won the election in a landslide, clearing all 18 local government areas.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
There is no gainsaying the fact that everyone desirous of making impact in life must live a life of purpose. This is where knowledge and information come to play. It is these knowledge and information that will set an individual apart from his contemporaries.
I strongly believe, if one is not informed, they are ill-informed, and when they are ill-informed, they can’t perform well in any given endeavour. This is because information leads to reformation and transformation. We can therefore, confidently say that information leads to formation because everyone is a product of what they know.
Knowledge acquisition is one of the best things that can happen to anyone. People with knowledge are revered, and highly respected. Having knowledge is like having money. People from all walks of life will seek you.
There are different kinds of knowledge, and they include Revealed Knowledge, which comes from those who wrote the Bible and Intuitive Knowledge, which comes from the mind. It is the ability to gain knowledge without conscious reason or explanation.
Others are Empirical Knowledge, which is information gained through observation, experimentation, and direct experience, rather than through theoretical reason or intuition; Authoritative Knowledge, which is the knowledge a man has because of his expertise in a particular field; and finally but not the least, Rational Knowledge, which is a form of knowledge that uses reasoning and philosophy to understand the world.
From this illustration, a decisive mind can see that knowledge is priceless. Knowledge is like education. It can provide security and access. Even the Book of life says in Proverbs 4:13, “your education is your life, guard it very well”; and in Hosea 4:6 that “my people perish for lack of knowledge”.
From my personal experience in life, apart from death, one of the greatest levelers of all time is education. This is because the child of a certified pauper can become a man of means tomorrow if properly educated. That explains why children from humble backgrounds ought to take their education very seriously, especially if they don’t have affluence.
On a personal note, I come from a very humble background, my late parents didn’t have the opportunity of acquiring a decent education, but they knew the value of education and endeavored to give me and my siblings a decent education. In retrospect, when I look back and see some of my contemporaries whose parents couldn’t give them a decent education, I bless my late parents because education has exposed me to lots of opportunities in the United States, and the global world in addition to granting me an audience with the high and mighty in society.
Sometimes, when I look at my modest achievement, I’m deeply humbled because I know it is the grace of God. Who am I to author two amazing trailblazers’ books, get featured and profiled by the New York Times, engage in high level conversation with leaders of thought and captains of industries. Apart from the grace of God, intentional seeking of knowledge, and wise counsel from mentors and strategically positioning myself have been some of the cornerstone to my success.
Imagine if my late parents didn’t give me a decent education and opportunity of travelling to the United States, most of these opportunities and exposure wouldn’t have been readily available.
When one is decently enlightened, educated and informed about life, their level of reasoning and understanding differ from an ordinary man. If one desires to go far in life, one must seek knowledge.
It is your knowledge that sets you apart from others.
According to Dr. Yomi Garnett, an accomplished Ghostwriter, “If you are a man of great knowledge, people will have great respect for you. If you are a man of great wisdom, people will have great reverence for you. And if you are a man of both, great knowledge and great wisdom, you will be the most eminent of men. But in real terms, people don’t care how much you know, or how much wisdom you have, unless they know how much you care.”
The moral of this quote is that despite the knowledge and information at one’s disposal, if one lacks empathy, their knowledge, experience and whatever they have mean nothing.
The importance of knowledge cannot be overemphasized. In our contemporary society, a fast way of attracting opportunities is by showcasing the knowledge at one’s disposal. It is so sad that many people don’t take time to read, research and learn new trends applicable in their industry, and in the world generally and as such, they find it difficult to fit in and grow.
It is instructive to note that when you seek knowledge, opportunities will seek for you. A major reason people are poor is simply because they are not solving problems and to solve problems, one ought to have understanding. Do you know that if you don’t have money, the reason is often because you are not solving a problem, or you are not solving enough problems, or you are not solving the right problem or you are not solving problems for the right people. Generally, we make money because we have something unique to offer to the world. Therefore, to solve problems, one must have knowledge and information.
We currently live in an age of technological, where skills, talent and creativity are in high demand. Any progressive being that desires to go far must be intentional in seeking knowledge. Successful acquisition of knowledge, information and understanding can lead to discernment and wisdom.
In conclusion, as you journey towards life, if you want to make an impact, seek opportunities, and earn more money, do yourself a favour by endeavoring to seek knowledge, wisdom, and information. You can’t get these by sitting on your sofa or staying in your comfort zone.
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 Your and Unleash Your Destiny. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Daniel Bwala as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications (State House).
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced this in a statement, on Thursday.
A former aide of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Bwala worked actively for his former principal who lost to Tinubu.
However, after the elections, he worked his way into the camp of Tinubu, sparking controversy.
Onanuga also announced the appointments of three directors-general of various agencies.
They are:
(1) Mr. Olawale Olopade — Director-General, National Sports Commission
(2) Dr. Abisoye Fagade — Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism
(3) Dr. Adebowale Adedokun — Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement
Olopade, the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission, is a sports administrator with many years of experience in the sector.
He served as commissioner of youth and sports in Ogun state and was chairman of the local organising committee of the 2024 National Sports Festival.
The new Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Dr. Abisoye Fagade is a marketing communication professional. He is the founder and managing director of Sodium Brand Solutions.
Adedokun, the new helmsman of the Bureau of Public Procurement, was the director of Research/Training and Strategic Planning at the bureau before his appointment.
Daily Trust
