By Henry Ukazu

Dear Destiny Friends,

Today, I crave your indulgence to take you through the journey of one of the best things that have happened to me in the last one year; I mean the conception of Global Empowerment and Mentoring Initiative (GLOEMI) Inc, the Initiative which I founded and presently preside over its affairs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when the whole world was distressed and unsettled, I spent my own lockdown period to invent an idea which every time I think about it or look at how fair we are navigating the path, I am always delighted with the world I am building.

Many people are still counting their losses orchestrated by the lockdowns that accompanied the pandemic. But for me, I am celebrating a global greatness; a conception that becomes the incipience to living a life that will outlive me, extend my own little sense of worth to illuminate hope in the broken youth, and the mature, who need alignment and fulfillment by helping them to fashion their dreams in order to unleash their potentials.

Several times, I have been asked how I was able to create a global brand that communicates hope and simplicity. My response is just that I am a person that dwells too much on my intuitive strength, and I don’t think it has ever failed me. The combinations of colors – White, Black and Green – you will find on GLOEMI’s logo are sometimes misconceived to represent Africa and Nigeria. For the purpose of clarity, the colors represent what GLOEMI stands for – transforming people’s mind – the motives for GLOEMI’s birth – inspiring people to live a worthy and exemplary life – and the values GLOEMI holds – to bring ease to the process of how people discover themselves.

The Green colour on the logo represents progress, life, energy, youth, service, and generosity. The Black colour symbolizes power and hope when the feeling of despair sets in; while the White colour depicts reverence, birth, light, inspiration and hope. Is it not true that no one can match the depth of your mind if you can use the power of your youth to birth wealth and fertility? It is true because, in your own growth process, you always appear renewed and reformed for others to admire.

I started GLOEMI on my own, running it on my own terms, but with the aspirations to meet the terms that have made the young generations hopeless, hapless and helpless. I envisaged how disadvantaged the youth will be left behind after the lockdowns occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. So, in my own humble response, I started my weekly Webinar titled “Design Your Destiny Series.” The Webinar has gone viral because it has captured the problems facing the youth and some other portion of the global population, through topics in various aspects of life, ranging from business, marriage, mindset, spiritual and empowerment with a focus to transform and renew the human mind.

GLOEMI centrals are programmed on Mindset Coaching, Counseling, Motivation and Mentoring, Public Speaking, Corporate Training and Empowerment, to train and equip the youth and adults on identifying their purpose in life. Our programmes have had positive effects on people’s lives in larger measure. With the feedback I have on ground, more than half of the percentage of the audience of the Design Your Destiny Series have attested to the impact the Series has made in transforming their lives.

To be sincere, those positive feedbacks gladdened my heart. But in real terms, as a rational mind, it spurs me to keep raising the bar because I always wondered how I managed to achieve that feat during an unprecedented time. It prompts me to question how far I can go during a normal time. However, I take courage in the words of Paulo Coelho, which affirmed that “God mixes shadow and light to see if the Earth has the courage to go on turning. If the Earth is not frightened by the darkness, night passes – a new sun shines the next day.”

It is the spark to live in the light of the next day, as Paulo Coelho posited, that drives me to always play my roles in my own terms when the time demands, most especially when it has to do with making people discover themselves and give them reasons to live and make a difference with their lives. I took a clue from the abject status of Nigerians, where I originated. And to consider my status as a global leader, I know then and ever that no one deserves to be referred to as a leader if he/she failed to stand out among the dubious leaders. I draw inspiration from Sulaimon Olanrewaju’s words that “…great leaders don’t kick those who are down, they help them back to their feet.”

Lifting people off the ground to rise on their feet and make their own feats in their desired fashion always gives me joy. It has become my reserved inclination to the extent that I find it difficult to turn people down when they directly make a request to me for support or when I am the one that noticed that lending my hands in support of other people’s causes can enhance the manifestation of their desired results. This is a belief drawn from Shakhti Gawain’s submission in her book titled “Living in the Light,” that “The people and things around you will reflect you in increasingly positive ways. The more light you allow within you, the brighter the world you live in will be.”

During this one-year period, GLOEMI has had her own taste of failures, too. I know some people will be glad to hear that. We have tried different approaches that couldn’t work out may be due to inadequate skills or sound knowledge of the processes which has resulted in choosing the right approach for the wrong problems. But all in all, we keep improvising by becoming more strategic and practical in our dealings. We gain more strength from Robert Kiyosaki’s allusion that “…the reason so many people fail to achieve success is because they fail to fail enough times.” We believe that when we have exhausted all failures, we will be shown our own path to monumental excellence.

Without being an ingrate, I must not end this enticing piece without appreciating every individual who has been there for us, both in cash and kinds. Despite their hectic schedules, they are always there to cheer me on my different social media platforms, and they energized GLOEMI on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @globalempowerm6. I will always appreciate you. Your presence and support are what proved to me that the human soul shines brighter when it discovers its essence. Thank you, all.

Even though I started Gloemi, the vision is to make it an institution that will outlive the founder. I will like to specially appreciate our Chief Operating Officer of Gloemi, Mr Sulyman Sodeeq Abdulakeem, who is the author The Path to Greatness. Without him and the other members who have been supporting us, we wouldn’t have attained this feat. But my greatest thanks goes to God because apart from him, we wouldn’t have the strength, wisdom and opportunity to come this far

Before I round up this glittering write-up, I want to advise you that you will encounter challenges in the quest of changing the world you have known to the world you will be renowned. Don’t give up, dare to dream, work on your dream and be the reason other people will want to live the life they have dreamed.

Let me fuel your desire through the words of my Mentor, Dr. Yomi Garnett, “Today, I dare you to dream, and then fly on the wings of your dream. I dare you to ignite that flame of attainment in you that cannot be extinguished by the mocking laughter, or the derisive snickers of even those close to you. It is only that unquenchable fire that will, in turn, ignite your hidden reserves to give you new impetus for learning, living and growing.”

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