Opinion
Food for Living: Take Your Destiny Into Your Own Hands
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Friends,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the year 2020. It’s not just the beginning of a new year, but also the beginning of a new decade. To some, it’s a year of a new resolution, opportunities, and exploration. To others, it is a decade of milestone achievements that has been penciled down. If I may ask you, what does the year 2020 portends for you?
No doubt we all desire to see a fruitful year in our business, academics, profession, and family life. However, it should be noted that miracles don’t just happen, it is usually stimulated or prompted. In the same vein, our desires will not manifest by itself without us doing some work. Most of us made a resolution for 2020 on what we will like to achieve; some are wishing their friends would succeed so they can benefit from it; some are waiting for mentors, coaches and partners to come onboard, while some are hoping their parents and some random strangers will be the icing on their cake. Regardless of what your thought maybe, I want you to know that you are literally responsible for your success if only you can take your success into your own hands.
Parental and societal influence may have inserted some commas in your life, but you have to take ownership of the final destination. Regardless of your circumstance, you have to grow up because you are the owner of your destiny. According to William Shakespeare “Destiny is the one who deals the deck, but we are the ones who play the card”.
No one is destined to be poor in life. I strongly believe, given equal opportunity, everybody is a potential achiever, because we don’t have dull brains, only brains undeveloped. We are the only owners of our destiny. We decide what we want to do with our lives, our world, and our environment. It’s up to us to determine whether we should conform to or accept what we have been labeled as, or create the change we need with what is at our disposal.
Our futures can only be planted, watered, taken care of and harvested by ourselves. Humanity is only there to assist us in facilitating our desires. You can’t always go with the flow and you can’t always allow the winds to direct or guide you. Sometimes, you take control of the situation just like your ride a car. You are the only one who can guide the path your journey takes. Taking your destiny into your hands entails being actively engaged in what affects you by taking ownership and responsibilities of your life. In our contemporary society, a lot of people have an entitlement mentality. This set of individuals refused to do the needful by being actively engaged.
Before we discuss in details about this philosophical article/topic, I will like to state that this article can only be understood if you think out of the box. Let’s play a little academic, philosophical or spiritual exercise. For the sake of clarity, this is an empowerment article and not a spiritual article. If I may ask. Is there a destiny? If you say yes, who told you that everything is destined? If everything in life predestined, where is the scope to use our intelligence? Nothing is destined! It is just that unconsciously we allow illusions and imaginations have some level of possibility in our minds. The destiny you are talking about is something you created consciously or unconsciously. The moment you utter the word “I want to take my destiny into my hands. It doesn’t matter what Karma says. You’re are literally taking ownership of your life. This is the mindset of how you can walk into 2020 and the new decade
We shall be discussing how we can be actively engaged by taking our destiny into our hands
Business:
If you have a business, you can take your destiny into your hands by taking a worthy risk. If in previous years you were scared of buying a particular product for fear of how the market will receive it. You don’t have to continue to live in fear, worry, and doubt. You don’t have to continue waiting around and hoping that something will fall on your laps. I urge you to take that risk with uncommon skill and creativity that will not only solve a problem but also add value to the business space. You may even be scared of meeting a particular being or even reaching out to a particular organization because you feel you don’t have it together and as such, you depend on a middle man to get what you want. You can take a leap from other great achievers and small businessmen who dared to succeed by going after their desires.
Further more, you can go all out by learning as much as you can. Even it means borrowing to learn a trade, please do so. There’s nothing more honorable than taking care of your responsibility as opposed to begging. In today’s world, some great minds are comfortable with giving crumbs to both lazy and enterprising people just to keep them on the bottom of the ladder to work for them. In 2020, tell yourself, you don’t want to remain ordinary. You can do this by working on your side business after you finish your days’ job for your boss or employer.
Academics:
According to some schools of thought, this decade (2020-2030) is a digital age. These scholars opine that machines will take over human capacity and as such, they advise rational minds to step up their game, otherwise, they will be left out in the scheme of things. The honest truth is that academics will definitely play a huge role for you if you decide to take your destiny into your hands. As you may know, knowledge is information, but the application of that knowledge is what gives you that power. Taking your destiny into your hands entails you reading and researching wide. Don’t limit yourself to what you already know, leave your comfort zone by differentiating yourself from your contemporaries. You can start today by learning something new, even if it means reading a page a day, walking a few steps a day, or even praying. The world is moving at a fast pace and getting informed about the updated trend of information is a smart way to level up.
Personal and Professional Life:
This is the hallmark of all our individual and professional life. For 2020 to be productive, you have to strive to go all out by meeting and engaging with the right people. Seek to learn, relearn and unlearn. At your convenient time, meditate on what is lacking in your personal and professional life and what is needed to improve your lifestyle. You can do this by asking yourself what are the goals and vision you tend to see at the end of the year or decade. You can also reach out to your close friends, colleagues, associates, and mentors on what skills you need to move from point A to B. Their thoughts will be very resourceful in shaping your plans. When you are done with this hypotheses, sit down and ask yourself, what are you passionate about? Are you passionate about money, experience, network, time, happiness, etc.? This should be your guiding factors on how you can approach your game plan.
In conclusion, I want you to know that it’s never too late to be what you want to be. You still have a year or two and even a day to live your life. All that matters is for you to put in your noble effort and leave the rest to God and humanity.
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
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
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Sometimes, we don’t know the potentials and power we carry within us. This is because we have not had the opportunity to thrive in the right atmosphere. But given every equal opportunity, every person is a potential achiever because we don’t have dull brains, only undeveloped brains. You are a genius; I am a genius, but only the one who utilizes his available opportunity, brings out the genius in him.
There is no doubt some environments are conducive for opportunities and business to thrive; however, it is instructive to note that there’s no perfect time and place for a determined mind to thrive. Isn’t it true that no matter how hard the waves and torrents hit the ship, the ship will always find a way to thrive.
Life will not always be perfect; we just have to do our best in any place, and time we find ourselves, with what we have and where we are. Whichever way one looks at it, done is always better than perfect, especially when perfect is not done.
Sometimes, uninformed minds think some people have more opportunities than others. They fail to realize that while some are born great, some achieve greatness, some have greatness thrust upon them, while some others put in the hard work.
On a personal note, in all honesty, my level of smartness is that of an average man, who is intentionally working a little bit harder. Sometimes I must read repeatedly just to get a basic understanding of a piece of work, and when I understand it, some people will think I am smart. When you compare the scene with one with an ingenious mind, you’ll discover the difference is clear.
Let’s take a practical case of my writing skills. Ordinarily, someone will think I’m very intelligent publishing articles every week, however what they won’t understand that it takes determination, persistence and most importantly the grace of God for me to do what I do every week. Some people might have more understanding than me, but they lack the grace of God to be consistent. The moral here is that regardless of what you supposedly think you have or know, one has to be humble about life otherwise life will humble you.
Everyone of us has a genius inside of them waiting to be unleashed. The genius in you won’t pop out unless you challenge it by leaving your comfort zone. Most of the people the world celebrates didn’t just become extraordinary; they had to put in the work which can entail strategic and intentional working, constant reading and researching just to add value to their work, exploring opportunities, failing and trying again, taking risks, etc. Trust me, the list is endless.
It is generally said great men are people who do ordinary things in an extraordinary manner. These sets of great minds can be very detailed in their thought process and approach to life. They do know that any opportunity not properly handled can affect all the work they have built overtime.
Let me share a practical example, imagine building a house on a faulty foundation, it won’t take long for the house to crash. Then contrast it with building a house on a solid foundation where original structures and equipment where used, one can confidently sleep quietly knowing fully well the right things has been done.
Imagine a contractor who is considered a genius used a substandard product for reasons best known to him to build a house or construct a road, and imagine a second-class contractor builds the same house or construct the same road with the right products. If an examination is done on both work and the examiner determines that the genius contractors work is faulty, while the second-class contractors work is good, who do you think will be considered a genius contractor? Of course, the second-class contractor simply because his work lasted overtime.
That’s exactly how extraordinary people succeed. They are very thorough in their work. They do ordinary things in an uncommon manner. They know a single mistake can destroy all their hard work Realizing that little things can mean a lot. They don’t take chances and take nothing for granted.
In the same way, if one is privileged to meet great people or have access to great minds who have distinguished themselves, it will be unwise to beg them for money, rather seek for ways to learn from them by adding value to their life. If one can cultivate and nurture the relationship very well, the tendency for the person to thrive will be high and if the opportunity comes and one utilizes it, the world might think the person is lucky or blessed, some might even attribute it to their location or the role of mentors in the person’s life.
They might contribute to some extent, however, they won’t see the big picture which can be the process, skill and most importantly the ingenious strategic work the person put in place to attract the opportunity.
It should be noted, no serious mentor will recommend somebody for opportunity based on mediocrity. One must be competent in addition to doing the needful to show competency.
If we are honest to ourselves, we all have made one mistake or the other that if properly managed would have given us greater opportunity. I can vividly remember meeting the Miss universe in 2014 in Washington during President Obama’s administration. This lady sits on the board of Warren Buffet and has access to other world leaders. At one point in time, our discussion was centered on how we will travel to Nigeria for a business meeting with the former President of Nigeria (President Olusegun Obasanjo).
We had a couple of meetings with some of her mentees and colleagues in Columbia University. In all honesty and sincerity, I had access to privileged information. Quite unfortunately, I couldn’t manage the relationship very well and it slipped off my hand. Imagine, if I had managed the friendship, who knows where I would have been now, the genius in me would have blossomed. Lessons learned.
The moral here is that we are all geniuses as opposed to what is peddled out there. The only difference is how we package and present ourselves. If you package yourself as a hungry man, the genius in you will not manifest. If you present yourself as an ambitious, disciplined and intentional man, the universe will connect more with you, and when all people see your accomplishments, they will regard you as a genius.
In conclusion, as you step out to live your life, endeavour to figure out the genius in you. Figure out what makes you unique, what makes you stand out and what makes you attractive. When you figure it out, the world will celebrate the genius in you.
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
Opinion
Celebrating a Living Legend: Dele Momodu at 65 – A Grand Lecture and Gala to Honour a Media Titan
The stage is set for a grand celebration as Nigeria and the world prepare to honour Chief Dele Momodu, iconic journalist, media mogul, political figure, and cultural ambassador, on the occasion of his 65th birthday. In a fitting tribute to a man whose pen has shaped narratives and whose voice has resonated across continents, the organisers of the Dele Momodu Leadership Lecture and birthday festivities have unveiled an inspiring programme of events.
Titled “How to End Hunger and Poverty in Africa,” the landmark leadership lecture will take place on May 16, 2025, at the prestigious Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos. In an event that blends intellect, statesmanship, and celebration, two of Nigeria’s most revered elder statesmen — Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan — will grace the occasion as Guest Lecturer and Special Guest of Honour, respectively.
The current Governor of Osun State, the energetic and intellectually astute Senator Ademola Adeleke, will serve as Event Host, bringing both gravitas and grace to a gathering expected to attract the crème de la crème of Nigerian society — leaders of politics, media, diplomacy, industry, and culture.
Capping the day’s events, an elegant Dinner and Gala Night will hold at the luxurious Balmoral Event Centre, located within the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The evening promises music, memories, and tributes from around the world — a fitting conclusion to a day of honour.
Chief Dele Momodu: A Life of Substance and Style
Bashorun Dele Momodu is not merely a name — he is an institution. A quintessential journalist, he rose from humble beginnings to establish Ovation International, a globally celebrated lifestyle magazine that has chronicled the stories of Africa’s high and mighty for over two decades. A global citizen with a pan-African soul, Momodu’s camera lens and ink-stained fingers have captured the vibrancy, struggles, and triumphs of a continent in flux.
But he is more than a chronicler. A former presidential aspirant, he has consistently stood on the side of the people — advocating for democracy, good governance, and the dignity of African lives. A recipient of multiple chieftaincy titles, including Bashorun of Oke-Ila, Aare Agbeluga of Ondo Kingdom, and Aare Atayese of Ile-Ife, Momodu’s honours span geography and generations.
A mentor to many, friend to presidents and paupers alike, his story is one of grace, grit, and greatness — an indelible ink on the parchment of African history.
As the countdown to May 16 begins, the continent pauses to celebrate not just a birthday, but a legacy — that of Chief Dele Momodu, a man whose life has been a bridge between media and politics, culture and commerce, Nigeria and the world.
And at 65, the ink flows still…
Written by Sola Ojewusi for Lagosian Magazine
