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Food for Living: Maximise Your Potential to Succeed
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Please permit me to wish you a Happy New Year. The year 2023 has come and gone with its own challenges and opportunities, and 2024 is here to stay for the best if one is ready to make the necessary sacrifices.
According to a sage, yesterday is past, today is a gift, and tomorrow is a mystery because nothing is guaranteed. So, 2024, and life will offer you what you offer it.
There’s no doubt that everyone wishes to make a success of their lives. However, one must understand that before success can come, there must be a conscious need to explore inherent potential that unleashes success. Yes, the potential for success is very critical to success.
Potential is like a currency; it can be seen and felt, and that explains why it attracts great support to people who possess it. Nobody cherishes alliance with whomsoever does not possess potential or is unserious with life. Even employers won’t hire a prospective employee if they don’t see value and potential in the person.
What exactly is potential? Potential is your ability or capacity to accomplish certain tasks as a result of several underlining factors like training, education, skill, interest, values or world view. Everybody is endowed with one potential or another. The only difference is the capacity to activate it. While our potentials differ, our task is to figure out what they are. When you discover your potential, you’ll know how to maximize it to succeed.
If you will agree with me, most people who genuinely made great strides in the world didn’t do it by magic. They invested time and resources, made preparations, made mistakes, had mentors, and did the needful. They didn’t have two heads; they didn’t come from another planet, they were born by a woman and probably had the same education as everyone of us or less, but one thing is certain; they put in the work. Success didn’t just come to them. They attracted success. You too can do the same. You have the potential to succeed.
According to Hon. Barr. C.M.C, “given every equal opportunity, each and every and everyone is a potential achiever because we don’t have dull brains only brains undeveloped.” I concur with this saying because we all have the potential for success. Not everyone was born with a silver spoon. Some people had to endure the pain to play later in life.
It’s important to note that your potential is for you, and not for anyone. Just like wealth is not sexually transmitted, potential can not be bought, it can be acquired with the right training and information. However, the best form of potential is the natural potential that the creator has endowed each person with.
Potentials are like seeds, and when properly nurtured, yields fruits. Potentials are like gifts, talent, skill, and knowledge, which one must make continuous effort to upgrade otherwise it will be lost.
Everyone of us has the potential to succeed. Our potentials are like oil that’s yet to be refined; your potential is like unrefined gold, or yet to be cultivated seeds. Consequently, everyone has a seed of greatness in him. For these seeds to grow into a tree, forest, and plantation to produce the desired fruits, they need manure, fertilizer, water and sunlight. Similarly, one’s potential needs to be nurtured for it to grow.
It’s sad to see people who have potentials begging for opportunities to unleash their potential. Isn’t that ironic? Your hands, eyes, legs, mouth, and skin are your potential. It’s sad most times we remain docile instead of igniting the giant in us.
A story was told about a cub which lived with goats, it began to bleat like a goat, even when the baby lion knew its dentition was different from that of goats, it still bleated instead of roaring. One fateful day, the cub met its family – fellow lions, it began to feel timid and afraid because it has lived all its life like a goat.
What does that say? The cub has the potential to extricate itself from the goats, but it failed to do so because it wasn’t self-aware of who he is. That’s the storyline of some of us. We all have the potential to succeed, but we are not serious about leaving our comfort zone; learning, taking strategic risks and more importantly, believing in ourselves.
It’s very sad and unfortunate to see people who spend major time on minor things and spend minor time on major things. When we begin to see ourselves like the vision we envision, what we seek will begin to seek us. However, it’s important to note that until we see the potential in ourselves and develop it, we might not be able to transcend to another level.
We all have the capacity to change the world, our community, school, politics, family, organization, associations, business, church etc. That capacity lies in our potential. When one begins an internal cleansing of himself, people will see it and once they know how genuine they are, they’ll naturally be attracted to follow them.
Poser: if you have the capacity to change one thing in the world, what will it be, and why?
It’s instructive to note that the fastest way to succeed in life is by working on purpose. Your potential is tied to your purpose. When you work on purpose, you won’t struggle to succeed. This is how purpose works, it doesn’t matter how many people do the same work you are doing, once you are doing what you’re called to do, the universe has a way of aligning with you. What took other people years and resources to achieve, you will get with relative ease. As a matter of fact, while others are struggling, you’ll be receiving favor.
The question we need to ask ourselves is, how do we develop our potential? Your potential starts with knowing who you are, knowing the values and principles you stand for; your potential starts in believe in yourself; your potentials starts with having self confidence; your potential starts with knowing your strength and weakness; your potential starts with identifying with your inner voice; your potentials starts with knowing the right course to study in college, as well as knowing the right career path to follow, the right business, and the right partner or relationship to be involved in.
Still on developing one’s potential, one must be very intentional on the organizations, associations, relationship, core values, and vision they hold dear to heart because they all have a role to play in shaping one’s potential, their world view and the people around them.
In conclusion, it’s important to state that one can’t succeed outside their purpose. Authentic success comes with working on purpose. So, your greatest task should be in discovering your purpose. Quit worrying about how to figure out your potential. Your potential is in your purpose. So, figure out your life’s purpose. When you do that, your potential will naturally flow with you.
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 and Unleash Your Destiny. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
It’s impossible for any mortal person to claim that he has not at one time or another felt envious. In other words, everyone somehow has wished they have something other people; friends, partners, siblings, colleagues or even family members, have. It is worthy of note that the Creator of heaven and earth designed the universe in such a way that everyone needs to depend on one another for survival. Nobody has it all.
While one person may be gifted in singing, another might be gifted in praying, healing, speaking or writing. Yet another might be gifted in playing soccer, while another might be gifted in sprinting, tennis, swimming, and more.
As a Human Capacity Development expert, I have come to realize that we all have different strengths and weaknesses. The mistake most people make is to chase what is not chasing them instead of focusing on developing themselves.
When you develop yourself, it will be easy for other people to appreciate and support you, but when you focus your energy on being jealous of what other people have, you deprive yourself of attracting blessings and opportunities to your life. As a Life coach, I always tell my tribe, major on your major and work on your weakness.
Envy is not only when one is jealous of what someone has, it also means greed when one is not satisfied with what one has. Isn’t it true that greed makes a rich man poor and contentment makes a rich man poor. It is important to note that you can’t attract what you hate. If you see anyone thriving, please if you can’t support them, please leave them the way you are instead of pulling them down.
One of the best ways to succeed in life is to know oneself. According to Socrates, “man know thyself”. When you understand who you are, you will understand what’s unique about you, and you won’t be concerned about the activities of others. The benefit of self-discovery is priceless. Self-discovery will help you to make the right choice, it will assist you to unleash your potential, and it will ultimately help you to be intentional with your life.
One of the reasons why envy is paramount is that we don’t practice gratitude and appreciation. Most often, we look towards what we lack instead of looking at what we have. There’s an adage that says, it is because the philosopher was too busy to get to the promised land that he forgot there’s a ditch in front of him and he fell inside. That’s the philosophy of envy.
It’s instructive to note that envy is not only deadly, but also “cancerous” because when it envelops someone, it blinds the person not to see the good in others. Envy, if not properly managed, can cause more than damage.
There was a story about two friends- John and Paul. John woke up one morning to a gleaming new model Toyota Camry in Paul’s garage. He went green with envy, and by the next day, he had the same brand of car in his own garage to prove a point. Unknown to John, he didn’t know that Paul’s car was a gift from his wealthy father-in-law. John on the other hand had to exhaust all his savings to buy his own car just to prove whatever point he had in mind.
At the end of the day, Paul was smiling well and living his best life, but John was experiencing financial challenges that threatened his marriage because of his pride and greed to prove a point. The moral of this message is to desist from competing with people, rather compete with oneself by being better than you were yesterday.
One good reason why envy and covetousness are such terrible afflictions is because what is right for others may not be right for you. If your motivation is to have what others have, your decisions will be targeted at the wrong or goal. Your goal must be self-geared and not to keep up with the neighbors.
It’s instructive to note that we are not on earth to impress anyone, except God. Yes, it’s good to impress our boss at work, our friends, family members, mentors, and benefactors, etc., it should be done with moderation. What is important is for one to know the intention behind whatever they are doing. This is because when you try to please man, you’ll fail, but when we try to do the right thing, everything will fall in place. According to Bill Cosby, I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone. Moral: Just do you and everyone will be fine because at the end of the day, those that care, don’t matter and those that matter don’t care.
In conclusion, as you journey towards life, please avoid envy, run from it and be satisfied with what you have.
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 and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
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WAEC Dismisses Viral Letter on Deployment of Security Personnel to Exam Centres As Fabricated, Fake
By Eric Elezuo
A statement signed by the Ag. Head, Public Affairs, West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Office, Yaba, Ms Moyosola Adesina, on behalf of the Head of National Office, has denied and dismissed a letter purportedly issued by WAEC, and making the rounds on the internet, as forged, fake and fabricated.
The statement stated categoricrally that ‘the Council has not issued any such directive regarding the deployment of security personnel to individual examination centers as described in the rogue letter.’
The Council urged schools and examination centres to disregard the letter and it’s content as ‘it did not emanate from the office of the Senior Deputy Registrar (Test Administration) or any other department within WAEC Nigeria’.
Below is WAEC’s statement in full:
The attention of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, has been drawn to a fraudulent letter making the rounds in the media space.
The fabricated letter, dated May 27, 2026, bears the reference number L/SED/12/DIST/VOL. 4/460 and is addressed to “The Proprietor/Principal of schools.
The forged document falsely claims that the Council has finalized plans for a “comprehensive deployment” of personnel from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to all WAEC examination centers across Nigeria, effective June 1, 2026. The letter also features a forged signature of the Senior Deputy Registrar/Head (Test Administration), Mr. S.D. Kum.
The Management of the West African Examinations Council wishes to state categoricrally that the said letter is fake, as it did not emanate from the office of the Senior Deputy Registrar (Test Administration) or any other department within WAEC Nigeria. Similarly, the Council has not issued any such directive regarding the deployment of security personnel to individual examination centers as described in the rogue letter.
Furthermore, WAEC recognizes that this letter is the handiwork of mischief-makers and fraudsters aiming to create unnecessary panic, disrupt the smooth conduct of the ongoing examination, and mislead school proprietors, principals, parents, and candidates.
On this note, school authorities, supervisors, invigilators, parents, and the general public are hereby advised to completely disregard the contents of the said letter.
The Council hereby wishes all registered candidates for WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 the very best in their preparations for the examination.
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to deepen, as the President Bola Tinubu’s daughter, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, on Wednesday, called for the disbandment of the influential Justice Forum and Mandate Movement groups over alleged manipulation of the party’s primaries.
Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Bola Tinubu, specifically faulted the conduct of the House of Representatives primary for Mushin Constituency I, Agege Constituency II, and Ojokoro, alleging that the mandate of aspirants in the constituencies was stolen and handed to “a non-winner”.
Speaking during the weekly meeting of market leaders and stakeholders at the Iyaloja-General’s office in Alausa, Ikeja, she condemned what she described as political shenanigans and warned against attempts to subvert the will of party members.
She also decried the alleged marginalisation of traders by political office holders despite their contributions to the growth and electoral success of the APC in Lagos State.
The Iyaloja General cited the cases of Mutiu Olaide Oladeebo in Agege Constituency II, Seye Oladejo in Mushin Federal Constituency, and Olotu Emmanuel Ojo in Ojokoro, insisting that the aspirants won their respective primaries convincingly before moves were allegedly made to alter the outcomes.
She said: “We have to cry out now; let the APC cancel Justice and Mandate Forums because our governorship candidate belongs to the Justice Forum.” Everybody is now joking at the Justice Forum because that is where our incoming governor belongs. Are we not Lagosians? When he becomes the governor, he will not be the governor for the APC alone; he has to balance it. Even when you are the governor, you have to lead both your friends and foes. It is saddening that when a Mandate Forum aspirant wins, he jumps to Justice Forum; it is saddening. It is a way of telling us that hard work doesn’t pay in politics.
“Something must be done on that because it is important.
We are sure that Seye Oladejo won in Mushin Federal Constituency and Olotu Emmanuel Ojo in Ojokoro won in Ojoroko with a landslide.
“In fact, we decided to calm down and see what they will do about it because we are ready to protest. We know they won the election and their mandate should not be given to somebody else.”
She urged APC leaders at the state and national levels to immediately investigate the disputed primaries and ensure that justice prevailed before final ratification of the results.
She warned that failure to address the grievances could worsen internal tensions within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu-Ojo declared that market women across Lagos remain committed to supporting the governorship ambition of Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat and other APC candidates nationwide, but stressed that traders deserve recognition and political appointments in return for their loyalty and sacrifices.
She also urged President Bola Tinubu to acknowledge traders as critical stakeholders in national development.
Meanwhile, aggrieved APC members and supporters in Mushin have threatened mass protests if the alleged mandate of Oladejo is not restored.
The protesters accused leaders of the Justice Forum bloc of attempting to impose candidates and undermine internal democracy within the party.
“We know who won the election, and the mandate should not be stolen. We are ready to protest if justice is not done,” one of the protesters said.
