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Food for Living: Success and the Irony of Conspiracy
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Many years ago, I listened to a powerful sermon by Reverend Fr. Ejike Mbaka titled Wicked Generation. According to him, we live in a wicked generation. That sermon was not only powerful, but also thought-provoking, and enlightening.
Howerver, after listening to that sermon, I began to have trust issues with people because it made me believe human beings can be deceitful, unreasonable, self-centered, selfish, dishonest and ungrateful.
The teaching created in me a deep awareness about the fragility of human beings. I also learned from the teaching that being oneself and doing good regardless of how bad human beings can be is the ultimate. Another simple message, which resonated from the teaching stated that people can fail you regardless of how many times you have come through for them.
Let me elaborate more with the words of Mother Theresa: “People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self centered; Forgive them anyway.
“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
“If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
“If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
“What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
“If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
“The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
“Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
“You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway”.
If you look at the words of Mother Theresa, you will observe that we live in an unfair society where most people are filled with ingratitude and wickedness. Despite how good you are, some people will still act like distractors and conspire to bring you down simply because you are successful. This conspiracy comes in various ways and forms.
In the journey of life, friends, family members, associates/colleagues, partners, supposed benefactors, mentors, mentees and others can conspire to make you succeed as well as bring you down. Even government machineries can enact policies which can affect your business either positively or negatively.
But the irony of life is that while they are trying to hurt you, they won’t know they are working according to the grand scheme of things. According to Joel Osteen, it’s a setup for success. In the same way, sometimes, what we think we are doing right can lead to our demise. For instance, someone might relocate to another country thinking it’s a better plan, but it might lead to misfortunes. Your focus should be to know the will of God in your life.
Also, as a young person, you might think someone is meant for you because they look good, and have prospects, but they are not meant for you. In fact, they might even lead you to your doom. These are parts of the challenges and vicissitudes of life.
Again sometimes, your problems, challenges, setbacks, misfortunes, and pains can be the turning point in your life. That’s why it’s always important to think out of the box whenever you experience pain because your disappointments can be a blessing.
Though our destinies are in our hands, we must also know that luck exists, and what will be will be, all things being equal.
Much as we have the choice to do or not to do certain things that can influence our life, we must take cognizance of the God factor in the scheme of things. No matter the direction one is moving, once the creator of the universe steps in, He can influence a definite turnaround to your benefit, and made things work for good for you along the line your life is destined to be.
God can turn things around through diverse means including even causing an accident, where the person, who will rescue you, attend to tou will eventually be your life partner, or tangible benefactor. This is an example of a conspiracy of success.
Furthermore, you might be in a job you don’t like, or living in a building, environment, or apartment you don’t like; the universe can cause a scene to happen, and you will be surprised to know how the odds will not only line up for you, but systematically add up for you.
Did you know the spiritual controls the physical? Before anything happens physically, it has already happened spiritually. It’s been said that human beings normally die in the spiritual reign before they die physically. I don’t know how true that statement is, but I do know that there are spiritual forces and elements operating on the planet.
These forces can also conspire to work against one if they are not spiritually discerning.
According to Dr. Yomi Garnett, “Always look for the good in every situation. Develop the mindset that every setback is part of a great plan. A conspiracy if you like, that is moving you toward the success that is inevitably yours. In other words, become an inverse optimist. This means that every turn the whole world is in a conspiracy to do you good.”
To understand the above statement, one must have a positive mindset. One must be able to think out of the box, and one must believe disappointments, and pains can be turned into pleasure.
This is how the conspiracy of success works; you might have a product or service which adds value to humanity, and you might be wondering how to impact globally. Did you know the universe can use social media to announce you or connect you to your destiny helper. A friend can locate you, recommend or refer you; a company might even pick up your work, or it might even go viral. In such situations, the universe can conspire with your destiny to align for you.
Let me share a practical story about how the universe conspired to work for me. In 2017, I resigned from my job as a Case Manager to see my late grandmother, who was always appearing to me in my dream. That decision wasn’t a popular one with my family members and friends because they imagined how I would survive upon arrival from Nigeria.
The interesting thing was that there was no set plan on the ground to secure a job, but my strength lies more in my belief system. The joy of seeing my late grandmother was more fulfilling to me than my job or anything at the time.
One fateful day, I was on the street of New York marketing my book after I returned. It was then I met a young man who works with a television organization; I shared my work, and vision for the youths with him, and he was impressed, and gave me his number.
Guess what, three years later, when President Trump issued a Travel Ban against Nigeria, I was interviewed by the New York Times and these young people read my interview and reached out to me to interview me. The rest they say is history.
The moral here is that the universe used President Trump to put me in the spotlight, but more importantly, if not for my late grandmother, I wouldn’t have been on the streets of New York because I would have been at work on that fateful day.
In conclusion, don’t be hard on yourself when things don’t add up for you, and don’t be too sure you are on the right track because on both cases, the universe can spring up a surprise, rather always seek the face of the creator of the universe to direct your path, in addition to directing and blessing the works of your hands.
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
Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed that the North will, in the next six months, take a stand on who to support for the presidency in 2027.
He boasted that no politician can win the presidency in 2027 without the support of the region.
In a video interview he granted in Hausa language, Baba-Ahmed, who appeared alongside a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, lamented the state of the nation and urged northerners to resist divisive and deceptive politicians ahead of the next general elections.
He said: “In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands. If the rest of the country wants to join us, fine. If not, we will go our own way. One thing is clear: nobody can become president of Nigeria without northern support.
“We want a government that understands our problems and can address them. After Buhari’s eight years, we became wiser. Now, we are in another government, and we are still crying. Is crying all we know how to do?” Baba-Ahmed asked.
According to the former presidential aide, the North has suffered greatly during the Boko Haram insurgency, which affected all groups, Muslims, Christians, Fulani, Baju, and others, highlighting the need for unity.
“Before Buhari became president, Boko Haram was bombing mosques, churches, Abuja, and Lagos. That was a time Northerners had to unite. Today, no politician can just show up and expect Northerners to fall in line. Who are you?” he questioned.
He therefore warned against further marginalization of the North, noting that continued disregard for the region would have consequences.
“If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria. The North is watching, elders, masses, and interest groups will soon say “enough is enough ‘. The injustice and sidelining must stop.
Baba-Ahmed urged the northern region to look beyond identity politics, stressing that competence and integrity should guide voter decisions.
“We are tired of being deceived into voting based on religion or ethnicity. That era is over. We just want a right leader, we just want someone who will solve our problems,” he said.
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
