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Food for Living: The Blessings of Success
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
Today, we shall be discussing the fundamentals and foundation of success, and we shall concentrate on our biological parents. It’s important to note that our parents have a role to play in our success, but it’s quite unfortunate to note that most people don’t really know this.
If you ask a thousand and one persons what the requirements and price of success are, trust me, you’ll get a thousand one different answers. Some of the likely answers you’ll get are hard work, failure, keeping late nights and waking up early, dedication, smart work, persistence, networking, reading and researching amongst other factors. Yes, these are among the hurdles one will have to go through just to attain success. On a personal note, I experienced all of them before I published my first trailblazing book, Design Your-Destiny-Actualizing Your Birthright to Success, but I won’t attribute the success of my book to my smart work, no; my creator and my parents contributed to the success.
This article is tailored to make you understand that success can have a supernatural force attached to it. Just like mentors assist in facilitating the success of a mentee by introducing them to his network, advising and giving them practical guidance which can’t be learnt in the four walls of the classroom, our parents also have a role to play in shaping not only our success, but our future.
It should be noted that one can be successful without being fulfilled. Success is not only limited to money as what some uninformed minds believe, rather it is relative because what is success for one might be not be a priority for another person. It is just like the saying; beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.
If you truly want to be successful, you need to know your purpose, but more than that you need to know the originator of that purpose because success cannot appear from the moon, it has to be planned and programmed like a circuit. For instance, if you want to know how Facebook works, you’ll need to ask Mark Zuckerberg, if you want to know how Microsoft works, you’ll need to reach out to Bill Gate, if you want to know how Ford Motors work, ask Henry Ford. In the same manner, if you want to know how you function you have to ask your creator.
Let’s take the conversation a little bit further; you didn’t appear from nowhere; somebody gave birth to you. In fact, a “union” took place before you were formed. The interesting thing about your birth is that you have some traits from your biological parents when your mother gave birth to you. Not only did they have their genes in you, they nurtured and trained you to be a rational mind before you came of age and decided the route to explore.
What most people don’t understand is that their success in life has a supernatural force attached to it. Some people feel their smart and hard work, academic grades, degrees, network and mentors are responsible for their success in life. No doubt they have a role to play, but that can be likened to hard success. The world has experienced cases where many people became successful with little or no effort. Even when asked how they did it, they simply say, honestly, I can’t really say, I didn’t expect my tweet will go viral neither did I expect my book or movie will win an award. The story can be surreal, but the reality is, it happened beyond human imagination.
The interesting and ironic difference here is that while most people might be thinking their hard work can be their arsenal, some other informed minds will tap into the blessing of their parents to succeed, thereby making them work less, but achieve more.
You may be wondering how parents influence one’s success. If I may ask you, are you not aware your parent’s genes formed you? It is the sperm from your father which fertilized your mother’s egg that made it possible for you to come into existence. Therefore, your biological parents made you, and if that is the case, won’t it be wise to say that, without their nurturing and training, it will be hard to be a responsible being? What most people don’t know is that the blessings of their parents have a lot to do with their success apart from the training parents give to their children. Your parent’s blessings can be a sort of grace, favour, unmerited opportunities and mercy from humanity if you truly believe in them.
On a personal note, sometimes, when I look at the opportunities I have been exposed to, I ask myself how I came this far to merit them without much effort. I simply attribute the success to two factors: God and the blessings of my biological parents inclusive of my late grandmother. Their words, kind thoughts, prayers, affirmations are truly priceless. As a matter of advice, if you are wondering why the lines are not adding up for you, please consider speaking to your parents if you are not on the same page with them, and ask for their blessings, trust you’ll be surprised to see how your life and business will turn around. Moral: Your creator gave the foundational keys of your success to your parents.
As parents, we owe it to our children to continually bless them. This is because you have the key to their fortune. No one has greater impact in their lives than you do. Your children may hear different affirmations from friends, mentors and associates, but they always have a different feeling of fulfillment when they hear it from you. Let’s take a case study of young girls who didn’t experience their father’s love, they’ll have to go outside to hear it from several men to know they are beautiful and deeply appreciated. And sometimes, they might learn in a hard way.
Many people have low self-esteem for lack of approvals from their parents. This low self-esteem affects their productivity at work, relationship and life generally, especially when their parents speak negative words to them. As a parent, when you tell your children how special they are, it carries a new weight than what other people tell them. Most of us have seeds of greatness waiting to be tapped, but it will be unleashed and cultivated when you parents do the needful.
Just to let you know how special your parents are in your life, imagine the feeling your child will have when you cheer them up in a competition, it makes them give their best.
In conclusion, as a parent, today, I charge you to unleash the blessings and prayers for your children, your words have a healing and soothing touch of excellence in their lives. Your words can be so endearing and heart-warming. As children irrespective of your age, please tap into the fountain of wisdom which is in your biological parents’ possession. Remember the African adage, “What an old man sees sitting down, nor matter how tall a child is, he can’t see it.
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 and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Secrets are exclusive preserves of certain individuals or institutions. They are one’s advantage over others, in the sense of ‘there’s something I know, which no one else knows. No one can ever claim that they don’t have a secret, either in the good or bad light.
Secrets therefore, exist in the family circle, business terrain, academic environment, career/professional pursuit, health management, spiritual connectivity and even in everyday personal living. It is an undeniable fact that everyone has a secret that works for them.
Let’s take a minute to discuss some of the aforementioned secrets.
Family
Every family has a secret. It will be foolhardy for anyone to disclose family secrets. Most families die with their secrets. To understand how family secrets work, imagine the Coca-Cola company. The family is said to be the only one in the world that has the formula for the beverage; a trade secret that originated with its creator, John Pemberton.
It is said that not even all family members enter the room where Coca-Cola is mixed or manufactured for fear of the secret being divulged. Imagine where spouses have access to the room and the marriage goes south, there’s a tendency that a spiteful divorced partner might leak the secret and the rest as they say is history.
There are many secrets that bind many families which only the immediate family members know. In some cases, only the parents or grandparents know. They can decide to share the secret to either the first male child, first female child or even a member of the family that one considers rational. For instance, imagine where a family is faced with a peculiar life threatening illness which ordinarily might scare anyone who wants to get married into that family, it will be stupid for anyone to spit it out, that act alone can make the intending spouse to reconsider his/her plan to marry from the family.
Business
Every business has a trade secret. Trade secrets are what makes a business unique. Every business has a unique selling point. (USP), which is a distinct benefit that sets the business or product apart from its competitors. A shrewd businessman will never leak his secret to his employees or competitors. The best his employees will know are the values, the operational systems or structures of the business and how his mindset works. But what makes the business stand out is the mystery that one will need to unravel.
Academic
Every student has a distinct trait that makes him/her succeed academically. This unique trait makes the student exceptional. For any student to succeed in their academics, he must know himself and what works for him. While some might study at night, some might study during the day, others might just listen during the lecture and understand the key points.
It’s sad to see students, who haven’t discovered who they are and what works for them following students who have discovered who they are. For example, while some students have good listening and understanding ability, and can listen to lectures and read a little and pass their examinations, some other students will have to read the course material before the lecture, listen during the lecture, read after the lecture and read thoroughly for examination before they can get a decent grade.
In some cases, they might not get the desired grade. Some students will even party hard during the day and at night they study, while some will party at night and study during the day. So, you can see that while some students have discovered themselves and what works for them, some others follow them sheepishly. Moral: Know what works for you and do what works for you because according to Oscar Wilde, “be yourself because others are taken”.
Career/Profession
Every career professional has a secret that works for them. In the same way, every industry knows what makes it stands out. The secret of what makes someone in the entertainment industry successful is quite different from what makes someone in politics or law enforcement, energy, education, legal, or health sector different. They all have different strokes, and the ability of one to do the needful in addition to playing the associated game can be the game changer.
Health
Health is a personal thing. Nobody knows you more than you know yourself. To show you how secretive and important one’s health is, it’s been said that there are three kinds of life: Public life, private life and secret life.
Your public life is the life that is generally known by everyone. It is the character we exhibit in the public space. It can also be regarded as the image perception lifestyle; we don’t generally go around revealing our health status in the public domain except where necessary. The private lifestyle; this is the kind of life only our family and close friends know.
Again, we don’t disclose such pertinent information to them only where and when necessary, then we have the secret lifestyle which only us and our creator knows. In some cases, we go to the graveyard with this. Do you see why health is a personal issue which needs to be kept in a secret place?
Personal
As mentioned earlier, everyone is unique. One of the best things that can happen to anyone is knowing themselves, and knowing what makes them different. I strongly believe we all have seeds of greatness in us. What works for Mr. A might not work for Mr. B. Like I always say, you can copy my style, but you can’t be me because imitation is a limitation.
For instance, I have unique energy and inspiration when it comes to writing. I have developed a keen interest and passion for writing. If tomorrow I become very successful or attract a unique opportunity, and someone decides to try writing to attract similar opportunities, the person might fail because God is the one that decides what opportunities come to anyone nor matter how hard someone may work.
Spiritual
This is another interesting aspect of life. Life is indeed spiritual. There’s nothing that happens physically without taking place spiritually. Everyone has a covenant point that was assigned to them at birth. Once that covenant point is touched that fellow might lose their blessings, anointing or what makes them strong.
There have been many testimonies about this. For instance, in the Bible, Samson’s touching point was his hair. He knows his power lies in his hair, that’s why Delilah tried so many times to know the secret of his strength, but Samson refused to tell her. She tried to make him drunk, but Samson still has the power. Samson repeatedly lied to Delilah about the secret of his strength, first saying it was new bowstrings, then new ropes, and finally by weaving his hair into a loom. Each time, he easily broke free, but Delilah continued to pressure him.
Weary from her constant questioning, Samson finally confessed that his strength was tied to his hair, which had never been cut because he was a Nazirite from birth. Delilah then called for a man to shave Samson’s seven locks of hair while he slept in her lap. His secret was revealed. His hair was cut. He strength was gone.
Do you see that Samson’s secret place was his hair?
In conclusion, depending on what we are working on, we all have our secret strength and place. The onus is on us to cultivate and dwell on this secret place to avoid losing power and focus.
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 and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Amid growing insecurity in different parts of the country, Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has urged residents to defend themselves against persistent bandit attacks.
He insisted that his administration would neither negotiate with nor pay ransom to criminals under any circumstances.
Bago made the declaration during a visit to the Rijau and Magama local government areas, where several communities were recently attacked by bandits operating from the Kontagora axis.
The governor said the State has reached a critical stage that demands collective action, warning that ransom payments would only embolden the criminals and turn kidnapping into a profitable venture.
“I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom.
“The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and continue kidnapping people,” he said.
“The situation has reached a state of war that requires collective resistance. We are surrounded by enemies, but we will not give up.
“The constitution gives us the right to defend our lives and property, and we will do just that,” the governor added.
Describing the recurring attacks and displacement of residents as “embarrassing and unacceptable,” Bago announced plans to recruit and train 10,000 personnel into the state’s joint task force to strengthen community security and restore peace.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, the governor also announced a total ban on all mining activities across Zone C of the state.
The affected local government areas include Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu, and Agwara.
Bago explained that illegal mining had become a major driver of insecurity in the zone, noting that many miners had unrestricted access to forest areas considered unsafe for residents.
“It is suspicious that miners can enter the forests freely, yet the bandits don’t touch them. I have ordered the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest anyone caught engaging in mining activities,” he said.
Governor Bago also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ending the cycle of violence and restoring lasting peace throughout the state.
The Nigeria Police have reportedly arrested human rights activist Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore was taken into custody at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
This was revealed in a post on X by human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who accused the police and President Bola Tinubu’s administration of undermining Nigeria’s judicial system.
He wrote: “The arrest of Omoyele Sowore at the Federal High Court in Abuja moments ago is preposterous.
“The police and the Tinubu regime are making a mockery of our judicial system.He should be freed immediately. Stop the shenanigans.”
Sowore had earlier posted on Facebook that he was with Kanu Agabi, the lead lawyer for Nnamdi Kanu, at the Federal High Court.
According to him, Agabi disclosed that his team would be withdrawing from the case, leaving Kanu to continue his trial without representation.
