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Food for Living: Purge Your Heart of Negative Thoughts
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
The joy of life is not how happy you are, but how happy others can be because of you. Nothing soothes and excites the heart more than happiness. When your body is excited, it excretes adrenaline hormone. If you will agree with me, happiness cannot be hidden no matter how one tries. In the same way, sadness cannot be hidden. It’s just like poverty, you can hardly hide it. Sylvia Boorstein, in his book, “Happiness is an inside job”, enlightens us to have great thoughts that will keep us happy as opposed to having negative thoughts or believing someone is responsible for our happiness. Be informed, nobody is responsible for our happiness. We are literally responsible for our own happiness. Trust me, even if you are rich, and appear physically strong, if you don’t have the inner peace, happiness will elude you.
Nothing drains our life more than negativity. Living a life of negativity is the most traumatic and frustrating experience anyone can have. This is because you’ll never see anything good in a person. In order to see the light in yourself, you must illuminate your mind, body, and soul by emptying the basket of negativity in your life.
Sometimes we fail to move forward because we are holding back what has left us. Today, I charge you to empty all the negativity in your life. It’s difficult to go through and think of problems and situations you have experienced, and remain focused. These problems weigh us down and limit our productivity level. When your mind is filled with negative thoughts such as revenge, hatred, guilt, envy, etc., you’ll find it difficult to focus. For example, when you have fear in your mind, and worry about things you can’t change or what somebody did to you, it will be difficulty focusing.
It is normal to have challenges in your life, however, what makes the difference is how to manage the challenge. When you allow negative traits to dwell in your heart, you give up precious space that is reserved for light. Our life is like a container, what you allow in the container stays inside until you decide to empty any dirt insider the container.
It’s sad to know that many of us are living with stinking dirts on our body, and still expect full capacity function. Today, I charge you to clean your heart, sanitize your mind, purify your soul and purge your body of anything that prevents you from growing. You can do this. Our thoughts are very powerful, they rely on the feelings, beliefs, and energy we feed on to grow.
Whenever you feel betrayed by a friend, or disappointed by a colleague at work, or felt let down by a mentor, the best thing to do is to free your mind by emptying all negative thoughts into the trash can. Appreciate the lessons you learned from such experience. See the experience as an opportunity that will make you grow as opposed to the problem which somebody has caused you. It should be noted that whatever doesn’t’ kill you will make you stronger. It’s quite unfortunate to note many people attribute their failures to other people. This makes them inhibit negative thoughts which hinder them from forging ahead. When your heart is contaminated with negativity, it will be hard to enjoy life. You have to continually empty your hearts from all negative thoughts and energy in order to allow fresh energy to reign supreme.
Our body system is composed of one hundred percent positive energy, but sometimes we allow a fraction of negative traits to frustrate our progressive efforts. Negative traits such as jealousy, hatred for friends, neighbours, competitive business organisations are some of the energies that hider progress. Therefore, I charge you today; don’t give any room/space for bitter or sour taste in your life. Quit thinking or worrying about that happened. Your energy should be channeled towards having a progressive lifestyle. Empty your mind of any form of stress that reigns in your mind. Bitterness and stress have no place in our hearts. You’re in charge of your life and as such you’re responsible for whatever you put insider the container of your mind.
As human beings, we all have negative emotions, feelings, living inside us. This negative emotion can be as a result of our marriage/ relationship, it could be work-related, it could be from losses in business, it could be due to factors beyond your comprehension. Your goal should be turning lemon into lemonade.
Furthermore, the best way to empty your negative container is by emptying all thoughts and experience that has caused you pain every night before you sleep. It’s normal for someone to be hurt once, but, don’t allow that same pain to have a second chance in your life.
Negative pains come in different ways. For example, when you have bills to take care of, health concerns, family disagreements, etc. You might be thinking how will I take care of it? When you empty your heart of insecurity, you get confidence, when you empty your heart of worry, you get peace. When you empty your container, you free your mind for noble and sane ideas that will make you have a stable mind. For instance, when you forgive your detractors, don’t think you have done them a favour, we fail to realize that when you forgive others who offended you, you create make room for more opportunities and blessings in your life, but more especially, you gain peace and clarity of mind.
Relationship Experience
This is one of the areas we need to pay close attention to our individual life. One of the pillars of marriage is love and patience. Successful marriages are no fluke. It was planned and nurtured each step of the day by both parties. It’s quite unfortunate to note that many couples find it hard to forgive their partners after a heated conversation, especially when they throw tantrums at each other. It’s important to note that forgiveness, understanding, peace, patience, and love can be regarded as the bedrock of marriage, it is sad to note that many couples have accumulated so much pain and hatred in their heart which makes it hard for them to live a fruitful and loving life.
It is easy to feel that you are a victim of circumstances when the odds are against you. Please do yourself a favour by emptying all those thoughts surrounding your heart when you experience financial or social challenges. It’s easy to get worn out when somebody deprives you of what belongs to you. For example, a man or lady feels bad because someone took their supposed partner from them; quit having such negative feelings. Just know that the person was not supposed to be for you. If that person was supposed to be for you, nothing will change that course.
Every negative trait in your body system affects you. Negative traits can be regarded as infection. When the symptoms are properly treated, it metamorphoses into poison which becomes very deadly. Purge your heart of any negative feelings you may have developed consciously or unconsciously. When such infection grows, it will be easy to contaminate other parts of the body. You can overcome negative traits in your life by releasing toxins in your life.
It’s easy to assume you’re a victim of circumstances like why it is this happening to me? Beloved, It’s not personal, just know that it’s your own time of having the fair share of the cake life offers to everyone. Common sense demands you be patient and appreciate the moment which lasts for a while. As a way of advice, don’t be hard on yourself.
During your reflective time, consider how much space are you giving to guilts, shame, anger, etc., You won’t have the strength to move on if you consider what happened in the past. Your past is your past for a reason. Raise the bar and scale it up. Per Mitchell Obama: if they go low, you go up.
In conclusion, negativity is centered on having an unforgiving spirit. An unforgiving spirit can be regarded as a time bomb which can implode when one is not properly guided. The funny thing about an unforgiving person is that, you daily poison your heart with heavy load without knowing. I admonish you today to do yourself a favour by emptying all negative hormones in your body.
Moral: Don’t waste emotional intelligence that can be channeled to other fruitful cause.
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. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com
News
After Calling CAN ‘Conflict Entrepreneurs’, Police Make U-turn, Confirm Mass Abduction of Kaduna Churchgoers
Bare 24 hours after denying reports of the abduction of worshippers from three churches in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the police have reversed their position, admitting that the attack “did occur” and many people were kidnapped.
The police admitted the incident in a Tuesday night statement issued by their spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin. This followed a public condemnation of the police’s initial stance.
Recall that terrorists, loosely referred to as “bandits,” invaded the area on Sunday, 18 January, kidnapping over 160 worshippers.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) told this newspaper that 172 people were initially abducted but nine escaped and the remaining were marched into a nearby forest.
The statement signed by its spokesperson, Reuben Buhari, listed the affected churches to include the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Albarka Cherubim and Seraphim 1 and Haske Cherubim and Seraphim 2.
Both the Kaduna State government and the police disagreed with CAN, challenging it to present evidence that there was an abduction.
Addressing reporters on Monday after a security meeting with state authorities, the police commissioner in Kaduna, Muhammad Rabiu, described the incident as a “falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos in Kaduna State.”
Also the chairperson of Kajuru Local Government, Dauda Madaki, denied the attack, citing local authorities in the area.
But in the Tuesday night statement, the police said their new position on the incident followed subsequent verification from operational units and intelligence sources.
The Police said efforts were underway to “safely” rescue the victims and restore normalcy to the area.
The Police said the incident generated widespread fear and anxiety, leading the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, to convene a meeting of the State Security Council at the Government House in Kaduna.
During the meeting, some individuals from the affected local government reportedly disputed earlier reports of the abduction, describing them as false, a development the police said created uncertainty and necessitated further verification.
According to the statement, the abduction had earlier been confirmed by the police, but the conflicting accounts led security agencies to exercise caution before making “conclusive” public statements.
The police explained that comments made by the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna were aimed at preventing “unnecessary panic” while investigations were ongoing.
The remarks, the police added, were not a denial but a response pending confirmation of details, such as the identities and number of those affected.
According to the statement, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the deployment of additional operational and intelligence assets to the area.
The Police said the response includes the deployment of tactical units, intensified patrols, and targeted search-and-rescue operations.
The Police appealed to the public and the media to rely on official communications for verified information, warning that sensational reporting could “jeopardise ongoing operations or heighten public anxiety.”
Premium Times
The Nigerian Army has dismissed as false and misleading an online report alleging threats of mutiny by soldiers over salaries and allowances, describing the claim as sensational and detrimental to national security.
The acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, said there has been no threat of mutiny within the Nigerian Army.
Anele said that such conduct is alien to its ethos, discipline and professionalism.
She said mutiny is a grave offence under military law and incompatible with the loyalty of Nigerian Army personnel to the Constitution and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Anele explained that the report relied on anonymous and unverifiable claims circulated through non-official channels, which did not reflect the views or disposition of officers and soldiers who were trained to address grievances through established military procedures.
Anele clarified that promotion increments is only one component of military pay and should not be misrepresented as total earnings.
According to her, military remuneration includes consolidated salaries, rank-based allowances, operational, field and hardship allowances, as well as other entitlements that vary based on deployment, qualifications and responsibilities.
She said the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria and relevant government authorities, is implementing structured welfare reforms, including periodic reviews of salaries and allowances, enhanced operational incentives, improved accommodation, medical care and insurance packages for troops and their families.
The army spokesperson added that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, had, since assuming office, initiated constructive engagements with relevant authorities on troop welfare, with positive outcomes already emerging.
Anele reaffirmed that the Federal government, under President Bola Tinubu, remains committed to the welfare and operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces amid evolving security challenges.
She urged the public to disregard unfounded reports and rely on official communication channels for accurate information on the Nigerian Army.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
To survive, everyone must work irrespective of creed or cadre. Work defines an individual, and sets them apart.
Working as a human being is however, relative. A student’s main work is to read and pass examination. A parent’s main work is to train their children. An employee’s main work is do the job they have been paid to do. A pastor’s job is to preach the gospel of Christ in addition to leading people to God. An athlete’s main work is to train and compete at global events in addition to winning laurels. The list is endless.
It’s the job every living being does that attracts opportunities to them, and so, staying docile and expecting opportunities to come your way is another way of encouraging poverty, lack and want in your life. In fact, docile people derive a certain level of joy from begging. Some even love freebies, free lunch and introduction for job opportunities just because they think they have the connection to make it work without them necessarily doing the corresponding work or have the requisite skill.
I personally believe it’s only lazy minds, who think that way. Life doesn’t work that way. I have since discovered that the more work one does the more doors and opportunities that come his way.
Speaking from experience, I have observed that some of the opportunities and favours I am currently receiving and enjoying are consequences of the foundation I laid many years ago. One might be wondering how that works. Let me explain a little, the day you sow a seed is not the day you will reap the fruits. Let me be more direct, as an author, it wasn’t an easy feat writing, researching, editing, doing the layout, publishing and printing the manuscript. It was lots of work, and I didn’t know my book would connect me to resourceful persons today.
In addition, the book generated royalties that humbled me to say the least. The moral of this analysis lies in the fact that when I was spending hours doing the work, I didn’t know it would attract the kind of global attention and news interviews that came to me. Now, you see why it’s good to work. Even the Bible states in Luke 10:7, that every laborer deserves fair compensation.
Did you know that if anyone wants to bless you, they will bless you with the work you do. That’s why the book of life states; God will bless the works of your hands. Nobody likes to give out free money. They like their money to work for them. It’s sad and very unfortunate to see people who pray for opportunities, favours, and blessings without doing any work. These lesser minds think money and opportunities will fall from heaven; they fail to realize that it is their work that heaven is waiting to use to bless them.
Did you know that there are things which God has enabled us to do for ourselves, and there are things we need to depend on Him to assist us. Let me explain further; if all your prayer requests are things men can provide, why are you really praying? Isn’t prayer meant for things you can’t do yourself? You pray to pass an exam that your friend read to pass. You pray to get a job that your friend got on merit. You appeal to God for a car that your friend worked for. It looks as if you are abusing prayer, and you want God to give you the things He has equipped you to provide for yourself. It is high time we understood that prayer is not the solution to laziness.
My late dad, Chief Lazarus Ukazu, advised my siblings and I to always work. As a matter of fact, each time he feels we are oversleeping, he’ll wake us up and say we have many years to sleep in the grave when we die, but as we are alive, we must work.
This instructive advice has been one of the best inspirational lessons I have received in my life. That advice made me feel like setting another goal each time I accomplish a major feat.
The importance of working cannot be overemphasized. The difference between high achievers and docile people is the work they do. While high achievers are very intentional with their life, docile people live by chance. While high achievers are determined to break records, and set new records, docile people are always comfortable living in their comfort zone.
In our contemporary society, we literally have no reason to fail because there’s the availability technology and social media to boost the work we do. It’s easy for one to know what we represent by just surfing the internet. So, imagine when frivolities are seen on your page, it will greatly affect you. Then contrast it with when good information is seen of you on the internet. Like I always say, why be local when we can be global?
Did you know that working is like taking a risk, the more work and risk someone engages in, the more opportunities and experience come their way.
In summary, if you are asked, what’s your work or what project are you working on, what will be your response?
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
