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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
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.
A Chief Magistrate in the Rivers State Judiciary, Mr. Ejike George, has resigned his appointment.
He hinged his decision on the unease over the appointment of a Sole Administrator to oversee the affairs of the State.
His resignation was contained in a letter dated April 11, 2025, and addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State through the Secretary of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission.
The letter was titled “Voluntary Retirement From Service.”
George, who disclosed that he had put in 16 years in the judiciary, said the appointment of a Sole Administrator is tantamount to a “quasi-military administration.”
He expressed dismay over the direction of the governance of the State, which he said is “alien” and “antithetical” to the values of the legal profession.
The statement read: “This present is intended to convey my decision to voluntarily retire my appointment as Magistrate of the Judiciary of Rivers State.
“This difficult and regrettable decision is informed largely by my discomfort with the recent appointment of a quasi-military administration to run the affairs of a modern state like ours.
“Milord will agree with me that this type of governance system is not only alien but also runs antithetical to our hallowed profession as legal practitioners and adjudicators.
“Having put in a whopping 16 (sixteen) out of my 22 (twenty-two) years of legal practice into this Judiciary as Magistrate under successive democratic administrations, I find it difficult to work with the current setting, as doing so would amount to a tacit and naive acquiescence.
“Thanks Milord, for the opportunity to serve.”
