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Food for Living: Overcoming Challenges with Hope
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Challenges come in different shapes and sizes. As rational beings, we do face one form of challenge or another. The challenges can be financial, health related, socio-economic, relationship, personal or even spiritual. The question now becomes how do we overcome these challenges?
Overcoming challenges can be tough, especially if we have little or no control over the situation. However, it should be noted that tough times never last but tough people do.
The world is currently experiencing one of the most devastating and depressing pandemics in recent times-Coronavirus. Globally, many businesses have been deeply affected, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, many people have lost their jobs and the world seems prepared to enter a new normal.
Every challenge we go through can either shape or define or mar us depending on how we handle it. It’s a well-established fact that we must definitely experience one form of challenge or another, but the difference is how we are able to overcome the challenge. Isn’t it true that hard times don’t define us—they refine us?
We can overcome challenges in different ways because we are all wired in different ways and have different thresholds. Globally, many people have lost their jobs as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Many corporate organizations have been deeply affected. Academic institutions have been shut down. Government agencies are nor left out. As a matter of fact, there’s no sector of the economy that is not affected. Even the health sector is badly hit. Many people have lost their lives trying to save souls. But one factor is sure to help overcome whatever form of challenge – hope.
In the course of this article we shall be discussing how we can use hope to overcome challenges.
Despite all these setbacks, some organizations have fared well, e.g. digital technology and the health sector. This is because we saw the rise in e-commerce, especially as it relates to purchasing masks and other health related and personal products just to stay healthy and safe. In the area of technology, we saw the rise in zoom calls, stream calls, and the rise in using the internet to transact business. In the midst of all these, one thing is certain; some people have expressed hope of coming back stronger while others feel the year and the world has come to an end. I don’t know where you belong, but the truth of the matter is that we are definitely going to go into a new normal because life will not remain the same for a substantial amount of time.
If I may ask, how do you overcome challenges during this pandemic? Are you hopeful that this too shall pass. Can you see light at the of the tunnel or are you among the bandwagon who feels the year, businesses and life will never remain the same again? Regardless of your line of thought, one underlying fact we all have to know is that if you ever lose all options, never lose hope.
Hope is the last straw we should always aspire to regardless of the vicissitudes of life. If you have a business which has been thriving before COVID-19, a great way of strategizing is by improvising a new way of doing business. You may ask, how do I re-strategize? You can do this by asking yourself, how can I meet the demands of my clients. You may want to improvise by thinking out of the box. Let’s say you are into buying and selling of properties, cars, or any business that involves sightseeing, you can do this by sending email or using online tools like zoom call, skype or even stream calls to show them what the product is about. You can even tell them, if they don’t like it upon physical sight, you’re open to giving them back their money.
The interesting thing about business is that clients and customers love to see new products every now and then, this keeps them engaged and open to always think of doing business with you. You can use this trying period to teach or sensitize your customers who are not technological or internet savvy how they can learn new skills which ordinarily they wouldn’t have been exposed to. One lesson I have learned from the difficult times in my life is to always prepare myself for the best and expect the worst, just like COVID-19 has made many people prepare for the future in case there’s another outbreak.
We are all accustomed to the saying, when the desirable is not available, the available becomes the desirable. That’s simply the thought of both great minds who think out of the box and myopic minds who are confined to their comfort zone. However, the unassailable truth is that we always have options for doing any task. Isn’t it true that every problem has a solution. The only problem that doesn’t have a solution exists simply because the right person with the right solution hasn’t arrived.
The power and role of hope cannot be overemphasized. The interesting and inherent power of hope is that it has an underlying message of belief embedded in it. Without hope, it will be difficult to forge ahead in life.
When you truly understand the power and intrinsic value of hope as it relates to your life, you’ll come to the sublime realization of it’s magical power. When you have hope, it will be very difficult for the challenges of life to weigh you down whether in your business, academic, relationship, finance or life in general. Whenever any challenge pops up, just say, this too shall pass; I will come out stronger; there’s always another way of doing it; this is an experience, etc. When you have a firm belief in these words, you’ll literally be amazed to see how lines will fall in place for you.
I don’t know what your situation is at this moment, but my humble message to you is to believe this problem will not see the end of you. You’ll overcome it and come out stronger. This is because loss is not forever. You can do this by remembering the feeling you had when you began the journey. What were you thinking and having the hope to accomplish? Did you have everything in place before you began? Did you meet or ever thought you’ll come this far and be blessed? These are great ways of thinking out of the box with hope.
Therefore, I encourage you to be hopeful by not only believing in yourself, but also in your business and everyone and everything around you, knowing fully well, you’ll be an overcomer. You might not see or imagine it, but you sure can feel the energy of hope spreading inside of you.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. 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
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has ordered the Heads of Local Government Administration to immediately take over the administration of the 23 local government areas pending the conduct of fresh elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
The governor also directed the outgoing local government chairmen to formally hand over to the Heads of Local Government Administration by Monday, March 3, 2025.
Fubara gave the directive in a statewide broadcast in Government House, Port Harcourt, on Sunday evening, in response to the Supreme Court judgment.
This is the first time the governor will be speaking since last Friday’s Supreme Court judgment which nullified the state LG elections conducted by RSIEC, as well as recognised of the Martin Amaewhule-led 27 lawmakers at the authentic Rivers State House of Assembly.
The governor explained that the measure became imperative as a result of the outlawing of caretaker arrangements in the local government system in Nigeria.
Fubara stated, “Furthermore, given the outlawing of caretaker arrangements in the local government system, I hereby direct the Heads of Local Government Administration to immediately take over the administration of the 23 local government councils pending the conduct of fresh elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
“I further direct the outgoing local government chairmen to formally hand over the levers of power to the Heads of Local Government Administration by Monday, 3rd March, 2025.”
The governor said that although his administration disagrees with the judgments, it is bound to obey the orders made therein by the court as a law-abiding government.
He further said, “We are all aware of the recent Supreme Court judgments and pronouncements regarding aspects of the lingering political disputes in our dear state.
“Although we disagree with the judgments, we are bound to obey the orders made therein as a law-abiding government.
“Since inception, we have conducted the affairs of government within the framework of our Constitution, due process and the rule of law.
“While we are not above mistakes because we are humans, we believe that we have not, as a government, done anything deliberately to trample on the rule of law or the hallowed principles of constitutional governance.
“Accordingly, I have had a meeting with my team of lawyers, and they have assured me that the certified true copy of the judgements may be available to them by Friday, 7th March, 2025.
“I assure you that upon the receipt of certified judgements, we shall study their ramifications and implement them without reservations to move the state forward.”
The governor regretted that with the pronouncements of the court, the state appears to be back in trying times, but quickly called on the people and residents of the state to remain calm and peacefully go about their legitimate daily activities while the government continues to do everything in its power to advance good governance to the citizens.
He said, “Although our dear state seems to be back in trying times, I urge everyone to remain calm and peacefully go about with their legitimate daily activities as we continue to do everything in our power to advance our responsibilities to the citizens.”
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Happiness is something everyone should strive for. The pleasure and joy that comes with a blissful mind is priceless and unimaginable. There are certain things that keeps the mind in a state of perpetual happiness, and they varies. To some, it entails having money, children, education, job, and fulfilling a vision, while to others, it means singing, getting married to a dream partner, traveling, cooking, among others. The list is endless. And if I may ask, what makes you happy?
Personally, I derive joy when I put smiles on people’s faces. I can confidently say, I can be too kind to a fault. Sometimes, when I have a heavy heart, to decongest my sad state of mind, I may decide to be a blessing to someone who is experiencing misfortune. This act makes me feel happy and whenever I complete the act, I do feel a sense of fulfillment like a heavy burden has left my body. Isn’t it true therefore, that one gets what they want faster when they assist other people to get what they desire.
Being happy is indeed a state of mind. Sometimes, we think other people can make us happy. Sometimes we tend to attach our happiness to our partners and friends instead of ourselves. There’s no doubt the people in our lives have a role to play in making us happy, but the big factor responsible for our happiness is our mindset and perspective to life.
Let me share a practical example. One day, while I was in college, I was having a decent conversation with a friend of mine, and he said to me, ‘Henry, have you ever thought of having a girlfriend’? He touted me saying, you know you are one of the handsome guys in college and ladies love you so much. I was curious to know why he asked such a question so I asked, why do I need a girlfriend? He said they will make me happy. I said, that’s interesting to know. I asked him, so are you telling me, the simple reason you are happy is because you have a girlfriend? He said not really. I said to him, happiness is an inside job. As a matter of fact, I showed him a book by John Powell titled, Happiness is an inside job, which I was reading at the said time.
I further told him that ladies don’t make men happy, rather they complement their happiness, and vice versa. The mistake most people make is focusing their joy on human beings, and when they are disappointed, they begin to lament. True happiness should be vested in causes not material things. Material things are important, no doubt, but they are not as important as causes, especially as it relates to happiness.
Did you know that there’s a spiritual connection between happiness and success? Yes, this is so true because when one is happy, there’s a certain level of joy, satisfaction and energy that comes to them. The energy makes them passionate about a cause, and when one is passionate about a cause, they will be consistent in pushing the brand which will ultimately attract opportunities.
The importance of happiness cannot be overemphasized. When one is genuinely happy, he will not be stressed while working. That explains why it’s always good to love the job you do, and when you love what you do, what you do will ultimately love you, and this will attract opportunities.
Overtime, I have seen that people, who love what they do produce a certain level of results more than those who just do the job they are paid to do. Experience has shown that when people are adequately compensated for the work they do, they tend to do it with joy and when a work is done with a job, the result tends to be different.
Whenever I need a certain level of work, I always look for those who are gifted and talented in that craft before I explore the option of those who are intelligent and skillful. This is because someone who is talented or gifted in a particular craft has a form of blessings or anointing, which can produce a glowing effect on the work. I call such effects the spirituality of success because it has more impact than anyone who has acquired the skill or studied the art in school, or from a form of training.
The question we need to ask is how can one attract opportunities? The first step in attracting opportunities is by being happy. Nobody likes to be associated with an angry mind. There’ a rule of thumb that says, when you smile at someone, they are bound to smile back even if they are into witchcraft. Nobody likes to give a job to an angry person.
The connectivity of happiness and success was aptly captured by Dr. Yomi Garnett. According to him, “Those who attain true success are those who derive joy and happiness as they invest their time and energy in worthwhile pursuits. This is hardly surprising, for true success is not merely a destination, but a journey. If a journey is truly worthwhile, should it not also be pleasurable”?
How true can this statement be? True joy comes when one’s passion, vocation and profession are in alignment. Imagine the joy and fun that one will get when getting paid for having fun. The feeling and experience are, indeed, priceless.
It’s unfortunate that many people don’t understand that there’s a spiritual effect in whatever one does. For example, someone who is called to be a lawyer will do an expectational job as a lawyer, he won’t struggle to read, comprehend or even attract favour from clients, judges and fellow attorneys. In fact, the universe will conspire to work for him because he will attract opportunities due to the happiness he invests in himself. Now contrast that with someone who studied law just because he likes the name or because his parents influenced him to become a lawyer. The same principle is applicable to other professions, vocations and skill related jobs.
In conclusion, if you want to attract opportunities and blessings into your life, consider being happy, don’t attach your happiness to anyone, rather focus on a noble cause which will bring joy and impact in the lives of people. When you do so, you will subconsciously attract blessings into your life.
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 Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, has explained why security details attached to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, were withdrawn, noting that the aides have since been restored.
The Lagos Police boss, while confirming the withdrawal of four policemen attached to Meranda, blamed the withdrawal on the audit of all policemen attached to VIPs in the state.
He also claimed that it was not Meranda’s security aides who were withdrawn and that those of other VIPs were also withdrawn during the audit.
CP Jimoh also insisted that the audit is not peculiar to the Lagos State Police Command, adding that it also happened in other states of the country.
He said, “Lagos with a population of about 20 million persons have 18,000 police personnel. This is grossly inadequate for a state like Lagos which is centre of excellence.
“The audit will help us to know those on illegal duty, those who are where they are not supposed to be. Once the audit is completed, we start to reassign them to Divisions and Post to help in policing the state effectively.”
Continuing, the CP added that the audit is a statutory laid-down procedure of the police, which is not limited to the state command alone.
“Periodic audit of police personnel attached to eminent personalities and groups is a police statutory laid down procedure which is not limited to Lagos State Police Command alone, this is to ensure that the police personnel are accounted for including their firearms and other police crime fighting equipment in their possession.
“To further ensure that they are on their duty posts and the firearms and equipment under their custody is not misused. As we speak, other police state commands in the Country are carrying out similar audits of Police personnel hitch-free and without any problem.
“The exercise will equally avail the Command the opportunity to discover where police personnel are posted without approval and or those that are on illegal duties and unapproved duty posts, so that we can withdraw those on unapproved duty posts, those with invalid approval and those on illegal duty and redeploy them to Police Posts, Stations, Divisions and Area Commands to provide security and safety for all Lagosians.
“It is important to underscore the facts that Lagos State, the Centre of Excellence with more than Twenty million population but with a strength of police personnel of less than 18,000 in total need more personnel to be at the police posts, police stations, divisions for the safety and adequate protection of lives and property of everyone in Lagos State.
“The ongoing police personnel audit in the Lagos State Command is done in absolutely public interest and not with any other considerations, except for the safety of all in the State. As I speak with you, the audit of the police personnel attached to Hon. Mojisola Meranda has been completed and the four armed personnel attached to her from the Lagos State Police Command have been returned back to her for her protection.
“It is pertinent to also state that the ongoing police personnel audit has been on for several days now and prominent personalities and individuals have been complying with the process. The exercise once again is not aimed or targeted at any individual,” the CP added.
“However, for those whose police personnel are still undergoing the audit process with the Command, the outcome of the audit will enable the next line of action to be taken. Let me sound a note of warning that prominent persons/individuals without valid approval, Police deployment to them will be withdrawn throughout the State.
“The Special Protection Units Department at the Force Headquarters have been mandated to provide security coverage for every Nigerian needing police protection in the country, and will henceforth provide deployment of police personnel for guard duties and personnel protection, will be centrally done throughout the country at the Force Headquarters,” the Lagos CP added.
