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Food for Living: The Dignity of Labour
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Friends,
I will begin today’s article with a question: What do you stand for in life?
While it is not compulsory you have to answer the question now, it is imperative you take some time to think about it. So, please take a minute or two to evaluate this breath-taking question.
I asked this question because it will go a long way to defining you, in addition to expressing the kind of life you truly want to live.
If you had taken time to reflect on the above question, I want to inform you that you need courage to make your dreams come true. In order to truly live the kind of life you want to be remembered for when you depart this world to the land of the unknown, I charge you therefore, to do a sober reflection and ask yourself if you have the courage and integrity to truly live the kind of life you desire. You must remember that no individual, organization, company, community can survive in isolation, let alone prosper. They are bound to depend on the manual labour of farmers, industrial employees, construction workers, miners, and other innumerable men and women who toil to complement everyone’s day-to-day living.
According to Lao Tzu “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” In my humble opinion and understanding, one of the unspoken words Lao Tzu is trying to tell us in this quote is that one of the ways to succeed in life is by knowing what you stand for and also, know how to articulate your vision and mission in order to achieve the set goals. Another line of thought I will like to attend to in this quote pertains to integrity and dignity because for you to truly succeed in life, you must stand for something or die for nothing. The question now is, what are you willing to stand or die for? Are you willing to stand up for a cause you believe in?
It should be noted that your reputation is what people think about you, and your character is who you are. Character, courage, and integrity can be categorized as some of the most defining traits or characteristics that can define a man. According to Martin Luther King, Jr. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”. It’s pertinent to note that the unspoken words of Martin Luther Jr lie in integrity and dignity in addition to standing for whatever you believe in regardless of societal pressure. It is in the light of this quote we shall be discussing the dignity of labour.
What truly is the dignity of labor? Dignity of labor simply means the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect of whatever work you are doing. If you will agree with me, it is always good to be busy because an idle man is a devils workshop. Progressive mind likes to work in order to solve the challenges facing them. Dignity of labor also has the underlying philosophy that all decent jobs should be respected equally, and no occupation should be considered superior. It doesn’t matter if you are the President, C.E.O, manager, security officer, janitor, or even house cleaner, no job should be considered superior or inferior. Therefore, it advisable for everybody to adopt the Ubuntu policy in order to function in unison.
I likened the dignity of labor to the human body because no human part is superior to the other. If the brain or eyes decides it has more value than the anus, the anus can decide to prevent any bowel from leaving the anus for three days and the whole body will be uncomfortable. We shall be discussing dignity of labor as it relates to dignifying humanity and how it can boost our self esteem. It should be noted that no work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance should be taken undertaken with painstaking excellence.
In our contemporary society, many people seem to have less regard for integrity, dignity, and dignity of work due to how our society has relegated those traits and standards of living. This category of people has been brainwashed by what the society made them feel and this thought seems to have eroded their common sense and common sense. According to these beings, you are judged by your salary and position/title at work. These set of interesting people seems to go with what’s trending or what’s in vogue.
Another set of individuals I will like to mention here are the hardworking individuals who are doing their best by working decent menial jobs just to put food on the table for their loved ones in addition to taking care of responsibilities by staying away from dubious means of making money like dealing on drugs, and internet fraud, just to mention a few. These are the people I can MVP’s because they are not influenced by the standard of the society. It’s worthy to note that every worthy job you have ever had has a corresponding role and worthy experience that it leaves you with if you think out of the box.
Let me share a personal experience with you, during my formative years in USA, I had the humble opportunity of working several jobs, but of particular interest was being a security officer. Despite working in consulting companies, law firms as an intern and legal assistant, none gave me the real fulfillment I really needed to jump-start a career. It was during one of my job as a security officer in New York City I got the inspiration to write a book, I can vividly remember when my security license expired and I had to stay off work for about two weeks. I used the opportunity to complete the process of writing my book. The moral of this message is that assuming I was working for a big corporation, I may not have had sufficient time to research and publish my book the way I did when I was working as a security officer. Again, ordinarily I would have felt bad working as a security officer, but the job later turned out to be the icing on my cake because it gave me the time to research for my book and also the opportunity of meeting other great resourceful during networking events and these great minds have turned out to be great assets to me. Moral: Never you despise humble beginnings.
That being said, regardless of what you are currently going through now. I have one word for you, hang in there, and appreciate the experience you are gaining because they will all add up at the end of the day. Don’t allow the craze for money, social media stunts seeking validation to have any atom of psychological effect on you. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel if you play by the rules, have a positive mental attitude and work smart.
Let’s discuss a little about the types of labor
- Skilled labor and unskilled labor: Skilled labor requires workers to possess specific talents that are utilized within an industry to highly technical activities and unskilled labor refers to workers who lack technical training and expertise. Both are necessary for success to see the light of the day.
- Physical labor: This is the type of labor in which the laborer uses his physical exertion to complete a task. Mental laboris a type of labor in which the laborer uses mental efforts to complete a task. For example, technocrats.
In conclusion, I will strongly advise, every working man/woman to look upon yourself with respect, be honest, industrious, with grace in your speech and conduct, and never give yourself a thought about the work you are doing. Appreciate the work because it can pave a way for greater opportunities if you have the right attitude.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with 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
Fast-growing Lagos-based Entertainment and hospitality hub, Avalanche has announced the birth of its educational arm, The Avalanche Creative Academy.
The academy is designed as a top-notch platform dedicated to nurturing creativity and innovation among aspiring creatives.
The Academy aims to provide comprehensive training through various programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities, all designed to inspire and equip students with the skills they need to thrive in the creative industry.
It offers the following courses: Music Production, Sound Engineering, Photography, cinematography, 3D,graphic designs, motion graphics, Business Management, Creative copywriting, and Creative Strategies.
The Academy’s first set of intakes is scheduled to resume on the 17th of February 2025, while application opens from 13th of January 2025, on a 12-week basic course.
“Together, we can create invaluable experiences for our students and contribute to the creative community.
Follow the link below to register
The Christmas/End of Year party of the Igbobi College Old Boys Association (ICOBA) was filled with excitement, pomp and pageantry as the 84-86 set celebrated its 40th anniversary of leaving the school.
The highlight of the event was the donation of N20 million from the set’s endowment to serve as a seed fund for the national body’s endowment through the National ICOBA. The donation was received by Mr Femi Banwo, President ICOBA International and Mr Kunle Elebute, Chairman ICOBA National Endowment Committee
The 84-86 set’s Board of Trustees Endowment Committee had established an independent endowment in 2009 with a vision to create a lasting legacy for the set. Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the ICOBA 84-86 Board of Trustees and Endowment Committee, Dr. Falil Ayo Abina, expressed his delight, stating that it was a dream come true.
Dr. Abina explained that one of the core lessons learned at Igbobi College was “self-denial.”
He reminisced about the Self-Denial Fund (SDF), where students were taught to contribute their weekly “widow’s mite” to share with the less privileged in society. Dr. Abina emphasized that when the endowment committee conceived the idea of the endowment 15 years ago, they had this legacy in mind, aiming to serve a purpose greater than self.
The donation of N20 million to the national endowment is expected to inspire others within the alumni and other school alumni associations to follow suit.
This generous donation is the first in ICOBA’s history and arguably in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
The 13-member endowment committee, also include Demola Ipaye, Fola Laguda, Gbenga Aina, Demola Oladeinde, Jimi Onanuga, Abayomi Alabi, Kwami Adadevoh, Bayo Ayoade, Tunde Sadare, Wole Ogunbajo, Tunji Akinwummi, and Lanre Olusola, worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality and it was indeed mission accomplished for the ‘Nobles Nigerians ‘ as Igbobians are called.
The recent US presidential election should be praised for its credibility and peaceful conduct. The election serves as a model for Nigeria, highlighting the importance of free, fair and transparent polls, according to the publisher of online platform, Bluefames Media, Mr. Victor Udoh
The US election saw Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, emerge victorious over Democrat, vice president Kamala Harris. Trump secured 270 electoral votes, surpassing Harris’s votes.
While congratulating Trump on his victory, Udoh noted that the election’s smooth process, devoid of issues like ballot box snatching, violence and technical glitches.
In contrast, Nigeria’s electoral process often faces challenges, including delays, vote-buying and disputes over results, he lamented. Udoh emphasized the need for Nigeria to learn from the US example, ensuring credible elections that reflect the will of the people.
He said: “Nigerians and the international community monitored the outcomes of the US election. You could see that the US electoral process demonstrates the value of credible and peaceful elections, which experience Nigeria can draw lessons from to improve its own electoral system.
“By embracing transparency, accountability and peaceful conduct, Nigeria can strengthen its democracy and ensure governance that truly represents the people’s will.”
Udoh, a publicist and motivator, pointed out that learning from the US experience, Nigeria can address its electoral weaknesses and foster a more robust democracy, which in turn, can lead to better governance, economic growth and improved living standards for Nigerians.
“Nigeria must prioritize electoral reform and transparency to ensure that its citizens’ voices are heard and valued,” he stressed.
He, however, warned that “a second Trump term may have significant implications for global issues like dollar value, immigration, energy and geopolitical stability.”
Victor Udoh is the publisher of online platform, Bluefames Media
