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Food for Living: Spirituality and Success
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Let me begin this article with a disclosure; I’m not an ordained Minister of God. I am a trained Human Capacity coach. I therefore, speak and write on whatever affects the optimum performance of human beings. One may be wondering why I decided to write about the spirituality of success. Before you conclude, just spare me a minute and you will see reasons you need to pay attention to this wonderful article.
Did you know that all success is spiritual?
Here is the reason. Before anything happens physically, it has taken shape spiritually. This is because success starts from the mind. Is that not spiritual? Before a blogger publishes an article on a website, he or she would have done some background work before the article is published. That’s spiritual success. Before a politician wins an election, he/she must have campaigned; before a student passes an exam, wins a scholarship or an award, he/she must have distinguished himself and herself; before someone gets an appointment, he/she must have developed himself/herself. These are all examples of spiritual success.
To show you how spiritual success works, the work must be done in the closet before it gets public attention. That’s why it’s always said, you must work hard in success and allow your success to make the noise.
Let’s spend a minute on sacrifice. Sacrifice comes in several ways. You must know the kind of sacrifice you want to engage in. As a progressive being, you must be intentional the way you live your life. You must know what you want in life. This entails knowing who you want as a life partner, business partner, the kind of business you would like to engage in, the kind of friend, mentor, parent, child you would love to have. When you have been able to decide on these salient issues, you will know the kind of sacrifice you will have to engage in to get what you want.
As a student, the sacrifice you engage in to pass your exams is different from the sacrifice an entrepreneur will engage in to grow his/her business. The same is applicable to a parent who wants to give his children a decent education. As a mentee, you must know the kind of person you would like to adopt as a mentor, and then know what works for the person and see how you can use your gift, value or time to get the attention of the person. As a man interested in a lady, you must sacrifice your time and resources to get her attention. These are all spiritual sacrifices because you must have done the work before the result comes out.
Did you know that sacrifice can make things happen? There’s a level of sacrifice you will engage in, that can provoke someone to do what they never intended to do. In the corporate world, you will get promoted by the extra work they do.
Sacrifice can be spiritual, occultic or covenanted. Sacrifice can be given to a god/God, it can also be given to a human being. The question you need to ask yourself is who am I you sacrificing to and for what purpose? This is because every sacrifice has a goal and purpose.
Your sacrifice shows how serious, passionate, and intentional you are in getting what you want. I have personally sacrificed a lot to get to where I am today. I invest my time and resources in causes I am passionate about. I invest in my mentors, mentees, business, late parents, family, and friends just to mention a few.
The right sacrifice can open doors of opportunities for you. It’s sad to note that many people don’t know how to offer the right sacrifice. Do you know where your prayers, academics, works and connections cannot reach? Did you know that your sacrifice can speak for you? Your sacrifice can serve as a communication link for you.
It’s also sad to note that most people sacrifice with vested interest. If you sacrifice your money and time due to an interest you have in somebody, it’s only a matter of time for the true intention of the person to be known. Your sacrifice must come from your heart.
The level of sacrifice you engage in determines the kind of result you will get. When most people sleep late at night doing productive work and waking up quite early like an early worm to do some productive work, they don’t do it because it’s fun. They do it because they have a project they are working on. It’s sad to note that many people don’t know how to sacrifice for the right cause. They misplace the time and money they are supposed to use for a worthy cause for an unworthy cause, thereby spending major time on minor things and spend minor time on major things.
According to a veteran celebrity journalist Dr. Dele Momodu, ‘many people are chasing what they should have left for God and ignore what should lead them to God’. If you know what you want in life, no amount of sacrifice is too much to attain it. It’s instructive to note that people become successful by virtue of the work they do based on the sacrifice they have invested with the work they do.
In conclusion, if you want to go far in life, you must sacrifice something. If you want anything in life, you must sacrifice.
Question: what are you using as an exchange for your sacrifice?
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer Design Your Destiny and Unleash Your Destiny. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Telecommunications giant, Globacom, has charged Christians to embrace the virtues that Christ preached as the 2025 Easter celebrations hold this weekend.
While congratulating Christians in Nigeria in a goodwill message released from its Lagos Head Office on Thursday, Globacom admonished them to imbibe the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
According to Glo, “Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”
Globacom charged all Nigerians to espouse the lessons of selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society and called on all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
The company praised their perseverance through the 40-day Lenten period which comes before Easter as it emphasized the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
Easter comes yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of unhindered voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
Dear Destiny Friends,
Every human being loves to get approval, either for the great work they have done or the ones they are doing. They love to be appreciated and admired. They also love to be given attention when they have something valuable to say or do. In all of these, one thing is certain, there is something special about us, and this special thing makes one unique, and ultimately attracts people to us.
Let’s face it, nobody will admire you, appreciate you, approve you and give you attention if you don’t have anything to offer. The reason most people associate with someone is because they feel or know there’s something they can gain from the person. It’s hard for someone to relate closely with someone who they don’t see potential value in.
There is no doubt each and everyone of us is unique, yes, there’s something unique about you. You can sing, you can write, you can dance, you can lead, you can serve, you can cook, etc. One can even be a good actor, athlete, comedian, or preacher. The list is literally endless. Now, what’s unique about you?
When you discover what’s unique about you, please do all within your reach to nurture and develop it. One day, the right person, who truly appreciates and knows your value will celebrate you.
I have a friend who is exceptionally skilled in writing and developing creative contents. I call him a genius because he can literally write a book within a week. How he does it is what I don’t understand. I was surprised when he once told me he wrote a book and manuscript in one week. According to him, he has been developing the contents mentally, but hasn’t found time to put his thoughts together, and when he finally gets his thoughts together, he was able to write the book and manuscript. This is a typical way of knowing a unique being.
Many, however, do not know what’s unique about them. We focus our energy chasing what is not chasing us instead of focusing on developing what we already have. It’s sad to see young and old people living their lives in an unintentional manner with a belief that somehow lines, favour or opportunities will fall in place for them.
Sometimes, we rely on other people’s affirmation and opinion, and accept it as our fate. For instance, just because one is tall, he might be told he will be a great fit for basketball without considering if the athlete loves basketball; again, just because someone is very intelligent, his parents will encourage him to major in a particular discipline, which is perceived as lucrative without considering if the person likes it pr not.
I once experienced this fate when my late dad inspired me to study taxation law in New York Law School, a major I detest with passion. It was like a suicidal mission for me because I do know, it will take miracle to graduate from the program. How I was able to get a scholarship for my grades and graduate in record time is a story for another day. I’m not wired as a finance person, I will better serve humanity in the social and developmental space where my skills, talents, gift and passion will be better utilized. And ever since I joined the space, I have seen results.
There are many cases where many people lose their identities without knowing they are unique. We are all unique in our individual ways. Just like there are several gifts and talents, we have different skills. When you know what’s unique about you, you will stand out and the world will not only appreciate you, but will celebrate you.
When one discovers the power of their uniqueness, we will gather strength to unleash it to the world. Uniqueness works in several ways. For instance, the mere fact that ten people are genius, talented, skillful or valuable in a particular work, the person with the unique gift is the person who will not only stand out, but will be called upon to do the work.
Let me share more insight. If ten people sing a particular song with a great voice, the person who is called to be a singer will receive a unique appreciation because he/she is working on purpose. That is why it is easy to see a lot of people venturing into a particular form of business, but the favour of the business will not locate them because they are not uniquely destined to do business.
Few years ago, one of my mentors shared a deep insight with me. He said that, as a trained medical doctor, he once observed that despite the fact there are hundreds and thousands of medical doctors practicing their profession. One fateful day, he noticed a particular patient was not responding to treatment despite all the medication that had been given to him by a nurse, his health was deteriorating, then another nurse came and administered the same pill a nurse gave the patient, and the patient began to feel better. What does that tell you? The second nurse was probably working in her purpose which aligns with her profession, and as such the corresponding success. This goes to show that when one is unique, it has a way of robbing off on their work.
Furthermore, he stated that Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and Beyonce are some of the gifted singers and dancers the world has ever celebrated. He went on to say that we have hundreds and thousands of musicians, but only a few have got the spotlight.
What does that tell you? When you are unique, the world will celebrate you. I have understood that the fastest way to get recognition in life is to work in areas where one’s strength and unique gift will better serve the purpose. This is simply because the world does not celebrate one’s weakness, rather, the world celebrates one’s strength.
In recent times, I have seen myself as a counselor and human inspiration. My counseling skills have enabled me to influence people to live positive lives. Overtime, I have realized that when people share their burden with me, they feel relieved after speaking with me. What amazes me most is the fact that even my elders feel comfortable to relate with me on a cordial basis. Maybe, I have a unique gift for counseling and educating.
Today, I am going to charge you to focus your energy and time on whatever will bring you the highest satisfaction. Even if you are looking for a job, applying for school, or seeking any opportunity, your focus should be centered on what you have that the job, school or opportunity will amplify. When you do so, you will be in high demand.
In conclusion, please affirm to yourself today, I am a unique being with a unique personality, purpose and gift.
Say to yourself, ‘I am original’, and refuse to be fake.
Again confess that your originality, authenticity and uniqueness will attract favours, blessings, opportunities from leaders and queens to you, and you will be celebrated.
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 Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has emerged as the Best Road Safety Agency in Africa. This monumental achievement corroborates the Corps’ almost four decades of dedication, resilience and passion towards safeguarding lives on Nigerian roads.
The Corps, according to a statement made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), received the award at the 3rd edition of the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award held in Elzuwini in the Kingdom of Eswatini, South Africa between 14th and 15th of April 2025.
You may recall that Kofi Annan Road Safety Award was initiated by the Office of the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Road Safety in collaboration with Kofi Annan Foundation to immortalize the contributions of African illustrious son Kofi Annan who served as the Secretary General of the United Nations.
The prestigious Road Safety Management Award represents a badge of honour for Nigeria, and a pure testament of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to unflinching support for the Federal Road Safety Corps and his believe in the Corps’ potential to serve as a model for other African nations. Indeed, FRSC’s tireless efforts to reduce road crashes and promote safe driving practices have paid off, earning recognition across the continent.
The recognition further speaks volume, as well as justifies the giant strides Nigeria has made in ensuring safety of road users and her leadership role in the Sub-region.
Reacting to the recognition, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed said that it is a testament to FRSC’s unrelenting passion for road safety. He thanked the entire community of the motoring public, stakeholders, partners, and the Nigerian people for their support. Emphasising that together, the Corps was able to achieve the enviable feat because of the collective energy and all round support received from the motoring public.
The Corps Marshal also revealed that FRSC’s winning formula includes, innovative strategies, implementing cutting-edge road safety initiatives that drive results, collaboration, fostering partnerships with stakeholders to promote road safety awareness, community engagement, educating the public on safe driving practices, full deployment of technology and road safety protocols.
The award was received on behalf of the Corps and the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the Principal Staff Officer to the Corps Marshal ACM Meshach Adigizi Jatau.
