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Food for Living: Take That Bold Step
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
“Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
If you will agree with me, the beginning of any task is usually the hardest step, but if you can take the bull by the horn and begin, you will be happy you took the decision to start.
There’s a popular Chinese proverb that says: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” Basically, this means that if you want success and growth in the future, the best time to act is now.
Every day we look for opportunities, but we fail to see the opportunities around us. If we can look inward, we will see that we are the opportunities we are looking for. This is because we can create opportunities for others. It is instructive to know that any opportunity we have today was created by somebody. Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft was created by Bill Gate. iPhone was created by the late Steve Jobs. The question you should be asking yourself is, what opportunity are you creating for the next generation?
It is interesting to note that Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gate, Jeff Bezos all dreamt of whatever they have today; they didn’t just dream, they took bold steps to actualise their vision. You are not different. Your academic background, environment, or finance is not an issue when you have an idea. Just begin, the universe has a way of meeting you halfway, provided you are solving a problem.
It should be noted that each of these individuals are not different from you. They have the same capabilities as you, with slight modification which is the enabling environment, but the difference is that they acted. Do you know that you are carrying a billion formula? You have a million-dollar idea waiting to be tapped.
You have a voice; you have a message the world needs to hear. You are sent for a reason. You are resourced for a purpose. You are a problem solver. You have a purpose and an assignment to fulfill. Don’t allow your vision and dream to go with you to the graveyard. No wonder they say that the graveyard is the richest place on planet earth.
For you to create an opportunity you must Dare to succeed, and you cannot dare to succeed without taking a bold step. Taking a bold step involves risk. This is because it can go either way. When you succeed it becomes an opportunity and success story, but when you fail, it becomes an experience which you will have to learn from. However, for you to take a risk, you need to study the risk involved, and ask yourself hard questions like, what will I gain if I pull it through? What will I lose? Calculate the risk by looking at the indices namely the advantages and disadvantages, and which one has a heavier weight.
As human beings, we all have dreams and ambitions, but one of the greatest challenges facing us is execution. Nothing is easy to attain in life. If you don’t take the bold step, you will remain where you are. One of the greatest pains and regret we don’t want to have later in life is having a feeling of disappointment. so why not take that bold step.
In every sphere of life, you need to take the bold step. There’s an African proverb that says, “you can’t be at home to know the cost of a product”. This literally means that if you need something you must go to the market. It’s like a young man who sees a lady she likes, if you don’t take the bold step of asking her out, you’ll never know what’s in her mind.
I can vividly remember when I began writing my first book, I didn’t really know how to begin. Even when I begun, I wasn’t sure of what I was writing, but guess what, I didn’t bother to know if I was making sense or not, I kept on putting my thoughts down as it flows. At the end of the day, I had friends, mentors, and angels who came in handy to provide materials, proofread and edit the contents.
I also remember when I began my company, Gloemi. I didn’t have all the right structures in place, but as I look back after a year on the global recognition, opportunities and partnership I have gained over time, I do know that if I have not taken the bold step, my business wouldn’t have been where it is today. Of a particular interest to mention here was the interview I had with New12 and New York Times because of my book and business. Now imagine if I had not taken the bold step to begin, would I have such global opportunities? Your guess is as good as mine.
Trust me, taking the bold step is not easy, it comes with its own challenges which is not limited to the fear of the unknown, failures, and negative vibes from friends, family, or strangers. This is because nobody might believe in your vision or understand what you are going through. But then, you don’t really have to care about what others are saying if you have a strong feeling about the journey you are about to embark upon. You may consider their thoughts, but the ultimate decision is yours to take.
You may be wondering how to take the bold step? The first step entails having self-confidence. Self-confidence is different from arrogance and pride. When you know yourself and your capability, you wouldn’t make noise about it. Isn’t it true that an empty vessel makes the loudest voice?
Furthermore, wealthy people don’t make noise about their money neither do they seek validation, but average and poor people always are mostly seen flaunting their wealth. According to a philosopher, “Wealth is quiet, rich is loud, poor is flashy”.
Most times we allow criticism and what people will say to hold us back. It is instructive to note that, the only way to avoid criticism is to say nothing, do nothing and be nothing. As human beings, it’s hard to avoid criticism. People will definitely say something about you whether you like it not.
Criticism comes in many ways and sometimes is disguised as good advice. For example, if you want to buy a house, start a new business or even marry, you get a thousand and one advice and warnings. This suggestion(s) may be good, but what’s the relative value you will gain if you decide to listen to them?
Now, tell me this; what’s preventing you from taking that bold step?
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a public speaker. 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
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Daniel Bwala as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications (State House).
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced this in a statement, on Thursday.
A former aide of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Bwala worked actively for his former principal who lost to Tinubu.
However, after the elections, he worked his way into the camp of Tinubu, sparking controversy.
Onanuga also announced the appointments of three directors-general of various agencies.
They are:
(1) Mr. Olawale Olopade — Director-General, National Sports Commission
(2) Dr. Abisoye Fagade — Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism
(3) Dr. Adebowale Adedokun — Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement
Olopade, the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission, is a sports administrator with many years of experience in the sector.
He served as commissioner of youth and sports in Ogun state and was chairman of the local organising committee of the 2024 National Sports Festival.
The new Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Dr. Abisoye Fagade is a marketing communication professional. He is the founder and managing director of Sodium Brand Solutions.
Adedokun, the new helmsman of the Bureau of Public Procurement, was the director of Research/Training and Strategic Planning at the bureau before his appointment.
Daily Trust
Globacom has received commendation from the Vice Chancellor of BOWEN University, Iwo, Osun State, Professor Jonathan Oyebamiji Babalola, for consistently delivering digital services to the university over the years.
This acclamation was made by Professor Babalola during a business meeting in his office at the University of Iwo in Osun State, when he hosted a team from Globacom’s Enterprise Business Group.
The VC conveyed how much he enjoyed working with Globacom and encouraged the company to keep up its uninterrupted services to the academic community.
In order to help the university fulfill its mission of creating better products and advance the frontiers of academic development, he also asked Globacom to support BOWEN University through a number of CSR initiatives.
Speaking at the meeting, Adeniyi Odejobi, the Enterprise Business Lead, Globacom, said that the company has been a major telecommunications service provider in Nigeria, providing telephony and digital solution services for millions of people across the country as well as enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, public sector organizations, and universities. It is also a digital solutions company.
According to Adeniyi, Glo has been at the forefront of revolutionary changes in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector for more than 20 years and is largely to be commended for democratizing the use of telephones and telephony services across the country over the years. “Because of Globacom, every Nigerian today can afford a telephone line”, he noted.
According to Adeniyi, Globacom also evolved a good number of innovations that have aided revolutionary developments in the Nigerian telecom sector, such as Globacom’s fully owned international submarine cable, Glo 1.
In order to advance the university, Adeniyi urged it to deepen its collaboration with Glo in order to offer digital services such as Glo LMS, Toll-Free Data, and Mobility services.
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has alleged that the depth of corruption in the power sector would make anyone weep for Nigeria.
He said: “As we speak, we are grappling with electricity. If you see some of the investigations we are carrying out within the power sector, you will shed tears.
“People were awarded contracts to supply electricity equipment. Instead of using what they call 9.0 guage, they will go and buy 5.0.
“Every time you see the thing tripping off, the thing gets burnt, and all of that, it falters and it collapses. It’s part of our problems.”
Olukoyede made the revelation during an oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes to the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
He stressed the importance of collaboration between the Commission and lawmakers to combat financial crimes effectively.
One of the key areas of concern, according to Olukoyede, is the power sector, where corrupt practices have been undermining the country’s infrastructure.
It was at this point that the EFCC boss revealed that some contractors awarded contracts to supply electricity equipment were cutting corners.
He said they were using substandard materials that have contributed to the frequent power outages and system failures.
This, he said, is one of the many examples of how corruption in critical sectors is holding back the country’s development.
Olukoyede also discussed the EFCC’s new strategic focus on asset tracing and recovery, which he credited for the agency’s successes over the past year.
Furthermore, he revealed that “For every N10 recovered, perhaps N30 or N40 Naira may have been stolen.
“If we recover about N440 billion and several billions of dollars in a year, imagine the total amount siphoned from our system. That’s the unfortunate reality.
“Thus, we are focusing on prevention. Over the last year, we have established a new directorate for risk assessment and control.
“To recover 10 Naira, you may spend between 4 and 5 Naira. But to prevent 10 Naira from being stolen, you spend less than 1 Naira, based on our research and experience.
“Prevention is, therefore, the more effective way to combat corruption.
“We need more resources to carry out our mandate effectively. Our staff are underpaid, and we need to improve their welfare.”
Reacting, Ginger Onwusibe, Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, expressed the committee’s readiness to support the EFCC through legislation and improved budget allocations.
Onwusibe also urged the Commission to enhance its operational capacity and strengthen collaborations with other agencies and development partners to improve accountability and efficiency in the fight against corruption.”
