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Food for Living: Taking Advantage of Mistakes and Failures
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Nobody is a above mistakes, so goes the popular saying. And everyone, living or dead, has at one time or another, made a mistake or failed in certain undertakings. This however, has nothing to do with how perfect one is, or may try to be, or even how lousy or unprofessional someone is. Even known perfectionists have been humbled by their own mistakes. But nobody should be subdued by their mistakes or failures because they are not as bad as they are viewed. They are actually stepping stones to greatness if well harnessed.
The only person who hasn’t made a mistake in life is the person who isn’t doing anything. Isn’t it true that the more you strive, the more opportunities come to you. When you make a mistake, it simply means you are doing something, and you are learning.
We have all, at certain times and levels, made mistakes in our businesses, academics, relationship/marriage, profession/vacation and even in our personal lives. Mistakes and failures go pari pasu. Failure is the aftermath of uncorrected mistake. When you fail and refuse to stand up, the failure will define you. The same way a mistake will only define you if you don’t learn from it. It’s quite unfortunate some people allow their mistakes to define them.
Did you know that a single mistake can lead to a major mistake that can set one back. Imagine having a resourceful person in your life, instead of learning from the person, you decide to beg the person for money. Imagine also, you are driving, and you miss an exit, one may have to reroute to the next available route to get back on track.
If you have made a mistake, please don’t be hard on yourself. The mistake can be a set up for success. Sometimes, we feel we have lost an opportunity, but we fail to understand that the mistake was orchestrated by the divine because you never know what’s likely to happen in the near future.
The journey to a fruitful life is not really a smooth ride. One will encounter mistakes and failures along the way. The experience one encounters is used to test the character of the person in addition to strengthening them when they fail.
One of the best ways to capture the relativity of mistakes and failures was captured by Dr. Yomi Garnett, an accomplished ghost writer. According to him, “Anytime you fail, ask yourself these questions,; why did I fail? What lessons have I learnt? Am I grateful for the experience? How can I turn the failures into success? Where do I go from here? Who else has failed I this way and how can he help me? How can my experience help others from failing? Did I fail because of another person, my situation or myself? Did I actually fail, or did I actually fall short of unrealistic high standards? In these circumstances, where did I succeed as well as fail”?
On a closer look of the above statement, one will decipher that both mistakes and failures are needed for success because they have advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on one’s understanding and approach to it. To put it in a more better perspective, see mistakes and failures like a pencil with eraser. When you fail or make a mistake in the journey to life, use the eraser to clean it and then begin again.
If you are intentional in achieving success; whenever you fail, and understand the cause of your failure, you will go to the drawing board to know where you missed it. When you discover the reason, don’t be hard on yourself, just pick yourself up and be grateful for the experience. Remember, if you don’t make mistakes, you won’t learn much. This is because a wise man learns from his mistakes, but a wiser man learns from other people’s mistakes so that he makes minimal mistakes.
One of the reasons people have failed and learnt from their mistakes is because they have accumulated so much practical experience. Imagine a person, who has failed in business or marriage, and is advising you on how to be successful in business or marriage; their advice will come from a place of experience. The same is applicable when they are advising you on what made them successful in their marriage or business. If you are smart enough, you will run with their words.
In our contemporary society, we tend to follow people who have only succeeded in their craft, and apportion little regard to those who have failed. A progressive and intentional mind will have a different mindset because they will know that whatever has the capacity to succeed also has the capacity to fail.
On a personal note, whenever I meet a resourceful person I adore, I always ask the person, what would you have done differently 20 years ago if you had the opportunity, or what has life taught you as well as what would be your advise to a young person who wants to succeed? All these are targeted to understanding the mistakes and failures the person experienced so I can learn and avoid it as opposed to focusing only on the reason they succeeded.
There’s no doubt circumstances, situations and human beings can contribute to the failure of anyone, but one thing is certain, we are responsible for our life because no matter what happens, circumstances don’t say who you are, they reveal who you are.
When you set high standards for yourself and fail, it’s not actually a failure per se, because you are trying to exceed expectations. Be positive and see the high standards as motivating yourself to do better as opposed to setting lower standards and exceeding expectations. The moral of this statement is for one not to be comfortable in their comfort zone.
In conclusion, if you are desirous of making an impact in the society, see mistakes, failures, and experience of life as life treasures. Remember, when you succeed, it is the failures, mistakes and your personal and professional experiences that will form stories. As a matter of fact, most people will be attracted more to your failures than your success because they will learn more from them.
So again, I will ask you, who has failed you, who has disappointed you, what mistakes have you made and learned from, and most importantly, how has your mistake and failures made you more efficient. In answering these questions, remember, don’t be hard on yourself.
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 Eric Elezuo
Acting on the instruction of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Nigerian Police Force has withdrawn the invitation letter to the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II while ordering the Force Intelligence Department to obtained the emir’s statement in Kano.
The directive, according to a statement by Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Sunday, was as a result of concerns raised by stakeholders regarding the invitation.
Below are the details…
IGP DIRECTS FID OPERATIVES TO OBTAIN ALHAJI SANUSI’S STATEMENT IN KANO
As NPF Withdraws Invitation Letter
The Nigeria Police Force has withdrawn its earlier invitation extended to Alhaji Aminu Sanusi in connection with the unfortunate incident that occurred in Kano State during the Sallah celebration on March 30, 2025. The invitation was initially issued to enable Alhaji Sanusi to provide his account of the events that led to the breakdown of law and order in the state.
However, following advice from respected stakeholders and in line with the Inspector-General of Police’s commitment to ensuring that policing actions are not politicized or misinterpreted, the IGP has directed that the invitation be withdrawn. Instead, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department (FID) have been mandated on the instructions of the IGP to proceed to Kano to obtain Alhaji Sanusi’s statement.
Prior to the Sallah Day celebration, credible intelligence at the disposal of the Police indicated that the two (2) disputed Emirs in Kano State -Alh Ado Bayero and Alh Lamido Sanusi were planning to hold separate Durbar Festivals. The Durbar Festival is a long held tradition which involves a recognized Emir riding on horses around the city in company of his people.
To forestall possible violence, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, deployed the Coordinating DIG for the North West who also serves as the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, DIG Abubakar Sadiq, mni , to engage in dialogue with the two disputed Emirs in kano and the Kano State Government. It was mutually agreed that no Durbar Festival would be held to preserve peace and public safety and none of the disputed emirs will ride on horse on Sallah day.
Despite this agreement, Alhaji Aminu Sanusi who had attended the Eid Prayers in his car, decided to mount a horse in a procession after Eid Prayers on Sallah Day, accompanied by local vigilantes. This triggered a confrontation by youths in the community, leading to the tragic death of one Usman Sagiru, and leaving several others injured. A situation which the Force had earlier warned against and intended to avert by the emissaries sent earlier to both Alhaji Sanusi and Alhaji Ado Bayero
The Nigeria Police Force, under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, remains resolute in its commitment to conducting its criminal investigation duties with the highest level of professionalism including the investigation of this incident. All individuals found culpable will at the end be brought to justice. To this effect, some arrests have been made prompting invitation to Alhaji Sanusi. The Force also wishes to reiterate that its actions are guided solely by the principles of justice, neutrality, and professiona
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
Defining oneself is one of the most difficult things to do. As human beings sometimes we find it difficult to express who we are, or what we represent. This is because several things battle for our time, alignment and intention.
As a human being, if you are asked who you are, what will be your response? Some will say I am a lawyer, doctor, entrepreneur, artist, author, teacher, professor, sociologist, leader, engineer and more. The list is endless. But the big question is who you really are. It’s important to note that what you are is God’s gift to you, and what you become is your gift to God.
It’s also worthy of note that as human beings, we do evolve. Growing up as a child, we all have different dreams and aspirations, when we enroll into high schools, and colleges, we have different interests where we align, or what we would like to be associated with. But our outlook and preference for life seems to change when we begin our career path or after a few years working in different fields of life.
If I may ask, what changed our mindset and desires? Well, it can be as a result of variable social, economic, religious or political factors which spur our interest due to policy change or personal interests.
We live in a society where people decide on what they want to do with their lives. While some are intentional, others just live free by taking the day as they come.
However, one thing is certain; something must define a man, and that is what the world will use to judge them. For instance, I have a legal background, but one can hardly know unless one searches me on google or looks through my social media platforms. If one is to judge on what I post on social media platforms or my works, one will confidently say, I am either a Life Coach or Human Capacity Development expert. This is simply because that’s what I post often and speak on. But more importantly, that’s what I want the world to remember me for, as a legacy.
When it comes to defining oneself, it’s imperative for one to be extremely careful because anything can define one either negatively or positively. For instance, if one is a leader, and he is accused of rape, sexual harassment or murder, which are heinous crimes; that, can define one’s leadership. Again, if one joins a particular group, association or organization, that person can be defined based on the doctrine of that group because it shows one’s interest in believing in their ideology.
Furthermore, if one is serious about moving on to the next stage of life, one must be able to define his or her career path by avoiding unnecessary distractions which might not align according to his path at the said point in time. And this can take several shapes. For instance, one can desire to take two to five years depending on their plans to build a profile, business, or academic background, and this will entail being focused.
It’s important to note that it’s either one stand for something, or he stand for nothing. Regardless of where one’s position aligns at any point in time, it’s always good to define his position. Those who find it difficult to define their position at any point in time runs the risk of losing focus
Defining what one wants is very critical in any endeavour. In fact, it is the foundation of any worthwhile project. If someone decides to start a family, they must be intentional on the partner to bring into their life, and this can be done by defining the kind of man or lady the person desires. Before one starts a business, he must define the vision, mission, and nature of the business. Before an employer hires an employee, he must define the kind of person he wants, and their roles. If one wants to work, the person must be strategic in choosing his job description to suit hiw he wants to be addressed. All these have a simple message; interest and desire.
There’s no doubt, defining one’s position can be difficult, especially when several interests are at play. It’s usually easy to characterize, tag or define someone based on a single act. Ordinarily, this shouldn’t be the case, because a single act is not generally capable of defining anyone. However, if it becomes a pattern, it can then be said that there’s a tendency of committing such acts as a way of life.
Just as many attributes, qualities or characteristics define a person, the combination of reputation, personality and characterization make him stand out. A person’s reputation is what people generally think about, his personality represents him while his character is true nature.
According to Yomi Garnett, a prolific ghost writer and author, “Your reputation is what everyone thinks you are. Your personality is what you seem to be and your character is what you really are”.
Take a moment to ask yourself, and answer these questions. Who am I? What will I want the world to remember me for? What do I represent? These questions are structured to make you think out of the box. Many uninformed minds are being tossed by the wind because they can’t stand for a particular position, and this a sad development. This set of people are usually swayed by material or societal influence. These acts are usually at play in political spaces where loyalty and alignment are usually at play.
Only strong minds can say no opportunities which don’t align to their beliefs, interests and passions to the causes they believe in.
In conclusion, as you forge ahead in life, take a deep breath to determine and define who you are, and work towards it because at the end of the day, if you don’t define yourself, the world will define you. Also remember that if you don’t talk about yourself, people will talk about you as it suits them; if you don’t write about yourself, people will write about you, and if you don’t speak up for yourself, it might be difficult for people to speak up for 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
The High Court of Bayelsa State sitting in Yenagoa has issued an order restraining associates of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, from holding a mega rally in the South-South State pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The proposed rally was scheduled for Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on April 12, 2025.
Hon. Justice I. A Uzakah granted the motion ex-parte in Suit No. BYHC/YHC/CV/133/2025 was filed by the state’s Attorney General, Biriyai Dambo (SAN).
“An order of the interim injunction is hereby made or granted restraining the 1st and 2nd Defendants, whether by themselves, their agents, associates, privies, representatives (or any person whatsoever acting at their behest), from conducting, convening, coordinating, engaging in, organizing, participating in, holding, hosting, or facilitating any political assembly, rally meeting, or gathering within Bayelsa State, for the purpose of solidarity, hosting, and celebrating the 2nd Defendant in Bayelsa State, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction,” the court order read.
The matter has been adjourned to April 11, 2025, for hearing.
