News
Food for Living: Life with a Purpose
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
This is one topic I am most passionate about. I can write about purpose a thousand and one times without blinking an eye. Even while I am in deep sleep, I can speak about purpose. This is because I have come to the sublime realization of who I am. The centerline of purpose, without equivocation, is self-discovery, and self-discovery is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today. Many people; students, parents, politicians, leaders, and businesses fail in life because they don’t understand the concept of purpose. Many of them are victims of defective success. Many people don’t know themselves. Many of them are just existing as opposed to living. Therefore, the topic of purpose is very important.
Purpose determines how we live our life. It is the reason you get up in the morning. Purpose influences the decisions we make; it determines how we behave, and it gives us a sense of direction.
As a human capacity coach, one of my strengths is centered on purpose and self self-discovery. Every being on earth has a purpose. Every animal, innovation, business, food, cloth, bag, remote, box, game, etc. have a purpose. Without purpose, it won’t be in existence. For instance, if you are thirsty, depending on how you feel, you might decide to take warm water or cold water. If you are traveling, you can decide to either go by road, water, rail or air. The choice is utterly yours to decide, and your decision will depend on the need-factor that will best suit your journey.
It should be noted that your life was given to you to accomplish a purpose, and a breath was give to you to accomplish that purpose. Everything you do outside purpose defeats purpose. When you work on your purpose, you will receive grace to accomplish the assignment. You can’t receive glory outside the place of your assignment Glory is what happens when people see your good work and appreciate your God/creator who made it possible. We are all global citizens, and as such, we are expected to shine.
Living a life of purpose is the most important thing. Any life without purpose is life in futility. Without purpose, there’s no value, and when there’s no value, there’s no life. Purpose determines function.
When you live your purpose on purpose, you’ll be intentional in whatever you are doing. When you’re living your life on purpose, the universe will align with you, and you won’t need to struggle to survive. In fact, you’ll find joy and peace of mind.
Purpose seems to be misunderstood and misinterpreted by so many people. It has been defined in many ways a particular author deems fit for his/her mission. To a student in college, purpose means something else; to an entrepreneur, purpose means something else; to a medical doctor, academic, writer, athlete, comedian, or Minster of God, it means also means something else. It basically means different things depending on the mission and goa they need to accomplish.
It might not seem rosy most times, when you work on purpose. There is a tendency that people will laugh at you if you don’t have anything to show for it and if you are not able to monetize the business part of your purpose. Every productive venture we engage in has a productive side, it is up to you to decipher by looking deep in addition to exploring other options, systems, structures, funnels, and strategies on how you can monetize your purpose.
It’s instructive to note that everyone you meet on the street is a potential client, because the challenge most people have is how to find a solution to the problem they have. Once you can create value for them, you will be handsomely rewarded. To that extent, you need guidance on how to apply this knowledge, and so I will strongly recommend you ask a coach or if you feel comfortable, you can reach out to me to assist you.
Purpose is very dynamic; many people have been wondering how can they discover their purpose. I will share some insight on how you can discover your purpose. To know your purpose, if you are spiritually inclined like me, you’ll believe in God or the creator, you’ll look up to him via prayers, or meditation to reveal your purpose on earth.
It should be noted that everyone has an assignment and purpose. Your purpose was ordained in heaven while your assignment is on earth. So, if you decide to detour, you might still attain success, but then, you might be a victim of defective success. You may be wondering what is defective success? Imagine leaning your ladder on the wrong wall to get to the peak of the ladder only to discover that it is leaning on the wrong ladder. Let’s put it in perspective, imagine having the interest to be an accountant, but the vicissitudes of life or your parents influence you to study law, yes, you might get to the pinnacle of the legal profession, but since your passion is to be an accountant, you will be regarded as a defective success.
Another way to discover what your purpose is, is by looking at what makes you happy vis a vis your talents, skills and gifts. You can determine purpose by looking at how you invest your time, what you do with your money, what interests you, the feedback you receive from your work, how you find fun, the people you surround yourself with, and what interests you. You can even discover your pulse due to the causes you pursue like injustices, domestic violence, sexual abuse, etc.
Furthermore, if you are asked what you would do or how you would want to be remembered if you knew you were going to die in a year from today, your response can tell one what you are passionate about. The same goes for if you are asked what you would do $100million dollars to enjoy. Note that the money is not for investment purposes though.
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
Impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has described the corruption allegations against him as “fictitious and unsubstantiated”.
Speaking during a welcome rally at his residence in GRA, Ikeja on Saturday, Obasa maintained that he was not afraid of being impeached but emphasised that due process was not followed.
The former Speaker alleged that his removal was orchestrated while he was away, and accused the state commissioner of police of aiding the process.
He claimed security agents, led by the police commissioner, invaded the assembly complex and his homes in Agege and Ikeja, locking his family indoors with over 200 officers present.
Obasa dismissed allegations of misappropriation.
He mocked claims that a gate construction had cost N16 billion, saying, “Is it the wall of Jericho?”
He said: “I am not afraid of being removed, after all, it is not my father’s chieftaincy title. I am representing my people and they have returned me six times. If you want to do anything, do it well.
“They did the removal all because I was out of the country. Lagos is a special place, we cannot denigrate the state.
The former Speaker cited the case of the former speaker, Rt. Hon Jokotola Pelumi.
He said when Pelumi was removed, he was in the assembly and “we did not invite policemen.
“When my sister, former deputy speaker of the House, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho was removed, we did not invite the police.”
Obasa said an innocent person should not be discredited, and there must be proof of allegations showing exactly what he has done.
“The Lagos State House of Assembly is above common standard of excellence.
“I appreciate the members of the governance advisory council and Governor Babajide Olusola Aanwo-Olu of the state. He is my brother and he always calls me his younger brother.”
Obasa was impeached on January 13 by more than two-thirds of the 40-member legislative house over alleged misconduct and sundry offences.
His Deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was immediately elected the new speaker, becoming the first female to take charge of the legislative body in the State.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has confirmed that 38 persons, including seven crew members, were injured when a United Airlines plane made an emergency landing in Lagos on Friday morning.
The Boeing 787-8 flight with 245 passengers was en route to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), in the United States, from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, when it developed problems midair and was forced to return to the airport.
There were also 11 crew members – eight attendants and three pilots – on the plane.
The FAAN Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, who confirmed the incident through a statement, said all passengers and crew disembarked safely.
She, however, said four passengers and two crew members sustained serious injuries.
According to her, 27 passengers and five crew members had minor injuries.
The statement read: “The United Airlines Boeing 787-800 departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, at 11:59pm on Thursday, but made air return and landed safely at 3.22am on Friday.
“On board were 245 adults and 11 crew members.
“The team of Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Aviation Medical, and Aviation Security were already at the gate when the aeroplane parked for deboarding at D31 without incident, and the door was opened at 3:37am.
“While all passengers and crew disembarked safely, four passengers and two crew members sustained serious injuries, and an additional 27 passengers and five crew members had minor injuries.
“The rescue team responded swiftly and effectively, having been on alert and standby.
“Aviation medical ambulances transported the injured passengers, some to the MMA Clinic and others to the headquarters clinic.”
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
There’s no doubt that human beings by nature are insatiable. When we get one opportunity, we always look for another. When we attain one height, we always look for another accomplishment. Isn’t it true that the end of one mountain is the beginning of another.
However, I don’t think it’s selfish for anyone to dare to succeed.
Being ambitious doesn’t make one an opportunist or disloyal. It all depends on one’s perception or outlook to life. It’s just natural for one to dream big. It’s only ugly when the process one chooses to achieve his desires becomes dirty and nasty.
According to a former Nigerian presidential candidate and seasoned Economist, Mr. Peter Obi, “if you must be referred to as “Your Excellency”, then the process through which you arrived in office must be excellent”.
If you desire to be reckoned with on the journey of existence, you must be legitimately hungry for success. One’s hunger for success will facilitate the drive to accomplish great tasks despite daunting obstacles posing as challenges.
When one has this mindset, one will not be bothered by the noise which serves as obstacles and challenges along the way. Negative and weak minds are always concerned on why something won’t work. They tend to focus their energy and reasons on the obstacles facing them. But great and productive minds always focus their energy on the reasons why it will work. This is the spirit of an insatiable mind who is a goal- getter.
It’s instructive to note that we can’t please everyone. According to Bill Cosby, a famous actor, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.” Isn’t it true that when you talk, people will still talk about you, when you don’t talk, people will talk about you, so whether you talk or not, people will still judge you, so, do what’s best for you. There’s nothing you can do to please human beings. Your best option is to live your best life.
To understand how the insatiable nature of man works, one must be oneself. You don’t have to “please” anyone. Be yourself, and don’t try to be like anyone just to curry favour. It’s important to note that when you are yourself, the people that matter will come through for you, and the people that don’t matter will gradually find the bearing in another space because those that truly care don’t bother and those that bother don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Life has truly taught me to focus on the important things of life as opposed to the mundane things. It’s truly sad to see people spending more time on the little things of life, and spending little time on the important things of life. That’s just a misplaced priority.
When you are yourself, the best people can do is to copy or imitate your style. They can never imitate your creativity nor can take your originality from you.
We live in a world or society where people don’t generally care or show empathy. Most people tend to live around themselves, their family, and close associates. They generally find it hard to lift a finger to assist others for reasons best known to them. Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka once said, “we live in a wicked generation”, re-echoing the voices of a lot of people of the world. Some people in authority just have criminal expertise in amassing wealth of opportunities meant for the citizens without thinking of the citizens they are meant to serve.
It’s worthy of note that not everyone will like you nor support your work, but when you find people who truly care about you; please hold them tight. This is because despite having family members you have shown love and compassion, they might not still appreciate you even if you lay your life for them, they will still find something to say. Again, this is the insatiable nature of man.
It’s okay for everyone not to like you, normalize living your life for God, yourself, family and those that care about you. If everyone likes you, you have a problem.
Did you know that you can get a new family from friends, strangers, and acquaintances? These sets of people might appreciate you more than your own family members. They might not demand or under appreciate you like your family members and close friends or associates. Any little support you give them will be highly appreciated. Their focus is to see you do better.
In conclusion, as you desire to succeed in life, never give in to failure until you have made your last attempt, and never make your last attempt until you succeed. This literally means whatever you desire, dream it, think it, say it, and believe you can achieve it. This principle is generally applicable to relationships, businesses, family, personal and professional development.
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
