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Food for Living: Learning from the Experiences of Life
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
A wise man learns from his mistakes, a wiser name learns from other people’s mistakes – John Maxwell
As a progressive mind, one will continuously learn to improve himself. The only time we stop learning in life is when we give up the ghost. It is worthy of note that one of the beauties of learning is that it opens new layers and doors of opportunities, and comes with lessons, which in turn comes with experience, that makes one mature.
One of the sad realities of life however, is that we don’t want to die, but we want to go to heaven, and so do some people would like to succeed without making mistakes. They fail to understand that mistakes are part of life.
It’s instructive to note that when you are making mistakes, you are learning something new. I understand some people are perfectionists; they like to do things in certain ways, even if they can’t get it right hundred percent. I have news for such people; the best they can get is near perfection. Nobody’s life is perfect, except the creator of heaven and earth.
In the journey of life, everyone of us will surely experience life in one way or another. For instance, lessons and experience come to us via our career, marriage, academics, business, personal and even spiritual. Whenever life teaches you an experience, the best way to live through it is by seeing it as an experience. By doing so, you will be learning from it.
The mistake most people make is sulking whenever they have adversaries. Adversaries are not bad as some people see it. Sometimes they help to prevent bigger calamities from hurting you.
The lessons and experiences of life come to us in several ways. But one of the worst things that happen to anyone is to live in regret. Whenever you have made a mistake or life has taught you a strong lesson, don’t dwell on it for so long. What’s important is to learn from the experience and move on.
As a Human Capacity coach, I have had so many experiences relating with different people both younger and older people, and some of these people have one thing in common; mistakes. They recount the wrong choice and decisions they made many years ago, and it either hindered their growth or made them lose opportunities.
Let’s talk about the missed opportunities for a minute – sometimes, we meet influential people in the society or people who can assist us to get to our destination, but due to poverty mentality, bad attitude, not knowing what they want, or their inability to manage friendship and relationship, they fail to tap into the opportunities.
On a personal note, many people have reached out to me via emails, calls, messages, etc. to mentor them. The request has been so much for me to manage to the extent I have lost count. I decided to use my birthday to officially launch my free mentorship program for interested persons.
I had to put up a post during my birthday last week on all my social media requesting interested persons to state reasons they would love to be selected and mentored by me, so they will know the seriousness of what they are requesting and my time. Unfortunately, no single person reached out to me except via my WhatsApp where one person reached out. Though a friend reached out via Facebook messenger, I advised him to state his reasons via Facebook, but I’m yet to see it.
The moral here is that most of these young persons have lost valuable opportunities to learn and grow. Most of them are fine with asking for resources as opposed to learning how to fish. Well, that’s one of the lessons and experiences they will learn in life. This experience is not only applicable to young people, it has happened to older people, who have lost opportunities because of their positions on certain issues either online or in-person, lack of gratitude and appreciation, inability to build and manage valuable and strategic relationships.
Life has so many dynamic perspectives. To fully appreciate life, one must have the right mindset, understanding of life principles and skills of life. This is because principles are universal and don’t change, but methods do change.
According to Kenny Rogers, in his hittrack “the gambler” “One must know how to hold them, when to fold them, when to walk away and know when to run”. I believe Kenny Rogers must have experienced life in so many ways and learnt many lessons to release this hit track that’s filled with practical wisdom. So, the ability to understand how time changes and adapt to situations will help one to adjust to life because such is life.
Some of the practical life lessons and experience one will need to know as one move along life is that money will not solve all your problems. No matter how much one has, one will still need human beings because there are certain things money can’t buy or do for you regardless of the narrative out there about money. Sometimes, you need people because nobody can live and do life alone.
For instance, money can make you have friends who can make you laugh, money can buy you nice bed, but it can’t give you sleep or peace of mind; money can buy you a nice home, a luxury car, provide you security, but it cannot fix a broken relationship, or cure loneliness. The “happiness” money brings is only fleeting and not the kind that really and truly matters.
Nothing is permanent in life. No matter your situation in life, say to yourself, this too shall pass because nothing is permanent. If you have lost an opportunity, made a mistake, failed an examination etc., do not fret…just have at the back of your mind that this too shall pass as nothing is permanent.
Another great lesson about life is that people change. Nobody remains the same forever, they either change for good or bad.
Always listen to your instincts. Your instincts cannot deceive you. Your instincts are like conscience. It speaks to you in uncommon and spontaneous ways. Whenever you don’t feel good about anything, it’s advisable to reconsider your actions. According to a sage, “in doubt, do not act”.
In conclusion, one needs to reflect about life, mistakes, actions, and more importantly, the experiences they have had over time, and either learn to adjust or stand their ground irrespective of circumstances.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer Design Your Destiny and Unleash Your Destiny. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Telecommunications giant, Globacom, has charged Christians to embrace the virtues that Christ preached as the 2025 Easter celebrations hold this weekend.
While congratulating Christians in Nigeria in a goodwill message released from its Lagos Head Office on Thursday, Globacom admonished them to imbibe the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
According to Glo, “Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”
Globacom charged all Nigerians to espouse the lessons of selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society and called on all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
The company praised their perseverance through the 40-day Lenten period which comes before Easter as it emphasized the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
Easter comes yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of unhindered voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
Dear Destiny Friends,
Every human being loves to get approval, either for the great work they have done or the ones they are doing. They love to be appreciated and admired. They also love to be given attention when they have something valuable to say or do. In all of these, one thing is certain, there is something special about us, and this special thing makes one unique, and ultimately attracts people to us.
Let’s face it, nobody will admire you, appreciate you, approve you and give you attention if you don’t have anything to offer. The reason most people associate with someone is because they feel or know there’s something they can gain from the person. It’s hard for someone to relate closely with someone who they don’t see potential value in.
There is no doubt each and everyone of us is unique, yes, there’s something unique about you. You can sing, you can write, you can dance, you can lead, you can serve, you can cook, etc. One can even be a good actor, athlete, comedian, or preacher. The list is literally endless. Now, what’s unique about you?
When you discover what’s unique about you, please do all within your reach to nurture and develop it. One day, the right person, who truly appreciates and knows your value will celebrate you.
I have a friend who is exceptionally skilled in writing and developing creative contents. I call him a genius because he can literally write a book within a week. How he does it is what I don’t understand. I was surprised when he once told me he wrote a book and manuscript in one week. According to him, he has been developing the contents mentally, but hasn’t found time to put his thoughts together, and when he finally gets his thoughts together, he was able to write the book and manuscript. This is a typical way of knowing a unique being.
Many, however, do not know what’s unique about them. We focus our energy chasing what is not chasing us instead of focusing on developing what we already have. It’s sad to see young and old people living their lives in an unintentional manner with a belief that somehow lines, favour or opportunities will fall in place for them.
Sometimes, we rely on other people’s affirmation and opinion, and accept it as our fate. For instance, just because one is tall, he might be told he will be a great fit for basketball without considering if the athlete loves basketball; again, just because someone is very intelligent, his parents will encourage him to major in a particular discipline, which is perceived as lucrative without considering if the person likes it pr not.
I once experienced this fate when my late dad inspired me to study taxation law in New York Law School, a major I detest with passion. It was like a suicidal mission for me because I do know, it will take miracle to graduate from the program. How I was able to get a scholarship for my grades and graduate in record time is a story for another day. I’m not wired as a finance person, I will better serve humanity in the social and developmental space where my skills, talents, gift and passion will be better utilized. And ever since I joined the space, I have seen results.
There are many cases where many people lose their identities without knowing they are unique. We are all unique in our individual ways. Just like there are several gifts and talents, we have different skills. When you know what’s unique about you, you will stand out and the world will not only appreciate you, but will celebrate you.
When one discovers the power of their uniqueness, we will gather strength to unleash it to the world. Uniqueness works in several ways. For instance, the mere fact that ten people are genius, talented, skillful or valuable in a particular work, the person with the unique gift is the person who will not only stand out, but will be called upon to do the work.
Let me share more insight. If ten people sing a particular song with a great voice, the person who is called to be a singer will receive a unique appreciation because he/she is working on purpose. That is why it is easy to see a lot of people venturing into a particular form of business, but the favour of the business will not locate them because they are not uniquely destined to do business.
Few years ago, one of my mentors shared a deep insight with me. He said that, as a trained medical doctor, he once observed that despite the fact there are hundreds and thousands of medical doctors practicing their profession. One fateful day, he noticed a particular patient was not responding to treatment despite all the medication that had been given to him by a nurse, his health was deteriorating, then another nurse came and administered the same pill a nurse gave the patient, and the patient began to feel better. What does that tell you? The second nurse was probably working in her purpose which aligns with her profession, and as such the corresponding success. This goes to show that when one is unique, it has a way of robbing off on their work.
Furthermore, he stated that Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and Beyonce are some of the gifted singers and dancers the world has ever celebrated. He went on to say that we have hundreds and thousands of musicians, but only a few have got the spotlight.
What does that tell you? When you are unique, the world will celebrate you. I have understood that the fastest way to get recognition in life is to work in areas where one’s strength and unique gift will better serve the purpose. This is simply because the world does not celebrate one’s weakness, rather, the world celebrates one’s strength.
In recent times, I have seen myself as a counselor and human inspiration. My counseling skills have enabled me to influence people to live positive lives. Overtime, I have realized that when people share their burden with me, they feel relieved after speaking with me. What amazes me most is the fact that even my elders feel comfortable to relate with me on a cordial basis. Maybe, I have a unique gift for counseling and educating.
Today, I am going to charge you to focus your energy and time on whatever will bring you the highest satisfaction. Even if you are looking for a job, applying for school, or seeking any opportunity, your focus should be centered on what you have that the job, school or opportunity will amplify. When you do so, you will be in high demand.
In conclusion, please affirm to yourself today, I am a unique being with a unique personality, purpose and gift.
Say to yourself, ‘I am original’, and refuse to be fake.
Again confess that your originality, authenticity and uniqueness will attract favours, blessings, opportunities from leaders and queens to you, and you will be celebrated.
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
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has emerged as the Best Road Safety Agency in Africa. This monumental achievement corroborates the Corps’ almost four decades of dedication, resilience and passion towards safeguarding lives on Nigerian roads.
The Corps, according to a statement made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), received the award at the 3rd edition of the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award held in Elzuwini in the Kingdom of Eswatini, South Africa between 14th and 15th of April 2025.
You may recall that Kofi Annan Road Safety Award was initiated by the Office of the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Road Safety in collaboration with Kofi Annan Foundation to immortalize the contributions of African illustrious son Kofi Annan who served as the Secretary General of the United Nations.
The prestigious Road Safety Management Award represents a badge of honour for Nigeria, and a pure testament of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to unflinching support for the Federal Road Safety Corps and his believe in the Corps’ potential to serve as a model for other African nations. Indeed, FRSC’s tireless efforts to reduce road crashes and promote safe driving practices have paid off, earning recognition across the continent.
The recognition further speaks volume, as well as justifies the giant strides Nigeria has made in ensuring safety of road users and her leadership role in the Sub-region.
Reacting to the recognition, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed said that it is a testament to FRSC’s unrelenting passion for road safety. He thanked the entire community of the motoring public, stakeholders, partners, and the Nigerian people for their support. Emphasising that together, the Corps was able to achieve the enviable feat because of the collective energy and all round support received from the motoring public.
The Corps Marshal also revealed that FRSC’s winning formula includes, innovative strategies, implementing cutting-edge road safety initiatives that drive results, collaboration, fostering partnerships with stakeholders to promote road safety awareness, community engagement, educating the public on safe driving practices, full deployment of technology and road safety protocols.
The award was received on behalf of the Corps and the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the Principal Staff Officer to the Corps Marshal ACM Meshach Adigizi Jatau.
