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Food for Living: Let’s Raise a Glass As GLOEMI Celebrates First Anniversary
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
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
