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Food for Living: The Innovative Power of Peace of Mind
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Peace is a universal word, and a concept that is globally accepted to promote progress. It is obvious that there can never be progress in an unstable environment. In the same vein, no country can thrive economically if there’s instability, just as no reasonable investor would invest in a country where there is insecurity. This is also applicable organizations, businesses, communities, families and many more where no tangible form of progress can be experienced if there is no peace.
It is important to note that everything in life happens in the mind. The mind is the battlefield for every action, and that explains why people are always advised to think and speak positively. For the sake of emphasis, most wars are first won in the mind; success is achieved won in the mind; and riches and wealth are first acquired in the mind. When the mind is at peace, wonders happen, but when the mind is troubled, nothing works out, be it in the family circle, at work places, school, enterprise or governance. To tell you how powerful the mind is, you can never receive any vision if your mind is not relaxed.
The greatest advantage peace brings to anyone or society is the power of innovation. This is because when there is stability in the land, every right-thinking person will be thinking about ideas on how society can thrive. If an organization already has a plan, it can innovate on how it can get better. In the same light, if there is harmony in the home, peace will thrive. Women have been attributed to peacemakers. It is said that when the woman is happy, the home is happy, but according to prolific writer, late Chinua Achebe, when the bed is shaking, there’s peace at home. But do women bring peace? Well, that’s a story for another day.
The importance of peace cannot be overemphasized. Peace brings clarity and when there’s clarity, the vision is clearer. There is little or no doubt about the next steps because peace clears confusion. All the great men and innovators, who have developed ingenious products tapped into the power of meditation before they were able to conceive great ideas.
The interesting thing about the innovative power of peace of mind is that it is magical. This is because ideas rule the world. Most times, people assume that just thinking alone can bring about ideas, yes, to some extent, but then, it is important to note there’s a difference between thinking and reasoning. While all reasoning is thinking, not all thinking is reasoning. You can have useless thoughts that add no value to humanity, but when you are reasoning, you are applying deeper and critical thoughts on how you can solve a problem or add value to society. Again, this is because ideas rule the world. Once your mind is fixated on an idea, it has a way of exploring many options to make the idea work.
You cannot underestimate the innovative power of the mind, especially when it is at peace. Peace of mind doesn’t just come to you, you must crave it by sleeping, eating healthy, exercising, meditating, and saturating your mind with positive thoughts.
In every sphere of life, we are faced with one form of challenge or another. These challenges come in different shapes and sizes. As a student, you may be wondering what major, or career path to take upon graduation. As a young person intending to get married, you may be wondering who to marry among your numerous friends. As a President, Governor, Minister, Commissioner, etc., you may be wondering about the best route or decision to take. As a parent, you may be wondering how to train your children, manage your family, etc. All these, and many more are some of the daily challenges we must go through to decide what’s best for us and the people looking up to us.
Despite the many thoughts that will be racing through your mind, one thing is certain, before you can take a good decision, you must surely have peace of mind. Without peace of mind, it will be hard to take the right decision. As a professional creative writer, I do know for a fact, that before I can write, my mind must be clear, focused, and sane, otherwise, I may be confused when writing. Writing, for all intent and purpose, entails having coherent thoughts for the right ideas to flow to enable readership base to have a proper understanding of the point/message intended.
I will conclude by sharing some examples on the importance and advantage of peace of mind, and how it can lead to innovative ideas. Peace of mind makes one creative; it brings about focus through concentrating; it gives inner strength; it ensures tolerance; it frees one from stress and anxiety. It ensures that one focuses his mind on what they can do and change, as opposed to worrying about what they cannot change or do; it gives happiness and fulfillment. One is not bothered about what people are saying or thinking about him when there is peace of mind. It serenity needed for sound judgment.
In conclusion, to tap into the innovative power of peace of mind, try emptying the mind every day before going to sleep. It helps to bring sanity to the body system and ensures the mind is at par with the soul, and then there is a solid foundation to incubate and birth ingenious ideas.
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
Africa’s biggest corporate supporter of culture, Globacom, is commemorating the life and legacy of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, at this year’s Ojude Oba Festival, marking the 21st consecutive year of its sponsorship of the cultural event.
This year’s edition, themed “Ojude Oba 2026: Celebrating the Legacy of Oba Sikiru Adetona,” is taking place at the Festival Pavilion opposite the royal palace in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
The celebration pays glowing tribute to the remarkable accomplishments of the late monarch, who transited on Sunday, July 13, 2025, after an illustrious reign spanning 65 years.
The departed monarch ascended the throne on April 2, 1960, and during his reign, the profile and prestige of the Ojude Oba Festival grew tremendously, making it one of Africa’s most celebrated cultural events.
In a statement issued in Lagos, Globacom posited that Oba Adetona’s unwavering dedication to preserving and promoting Ijebu culture, traditions, and values was a major factor behind the company’s continued support for the festival.
According to the company, “This year’s celebration goes beyond our traditional role as sponsor over the past two decades. It is an opportunity to honour the exceptional legacy of the revered monarch, Oba Adetona, whose vision and commitment elevated Ojude Oba to its present status.”
Globacom recalled that the late Awujale played a pivotal role in transforming the festival into a unifying platform that brought together Ijebu sons and daughters from across the world, regardless of religious affiliation.
This inclusive vision and royal leadership, said Glo, inspired the company to begin sponsoring the festival 21 years ago. Over the years of Globacom’s sponsorship, Ojude Oba has evolved into a globally recognized cultural celebration, attracting thousands of visitors and dignitaries from within and outside Nigeria.
The company reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining its support for the festival as part of its broader objective of showcasing Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage to the world.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Everyone experiences life in different ways. There’s absolutely nobody on planet earth who hasn’t encountered situations or circumstances that shaped them or gave them different perceptions of life. No matter how we try, we can’t run away from problems. A friend once jokingly said, problems are like women; they are the “necessary evil” you can’t avoid, especially when they have an interest in you.
We all experience life in our families, relationships, academics, spiritual life, careers, health, and even personal life. But what makes the ultimate difference is how we’ll react to it.
Let me explain a little bit using a case study of family, health, career, academic, spiritual, and personal aspects.
Family
It’s instructive to note that what makes a family is secret, so imagine a case where the secret of a family is divulged. There’s bound to be problems that will arise. Another scenario is when a family experiences the death of a loved one. I think that’s one of the most painful experiences one can ever experience because losing a loved one is no joke. The death of a family member can shatter a family if not properly managed.
Imagine a case where the head of the family, say a father, passes to glory and his wife is not financially stable to manage the family. The children will experience challenges that will shape their future. The question we need to ask ourselves is, how do we manage death when it happens?
Health
Another scenario that can shape us is our health. Health is so important that without it, one will not be able to function properly. There have been life-threatening health cases that lead to the untimely death of a sick patient. The question we need to ask ourselves is: how do we respond to these health challenges when it comes to us?
Career
Do you know your career can serve as an encounter which can shape you? Yes, an encounter is like an experience which can make one not remain the same. Do you also know that your career can make or mar you? Yes, while one’s career can serve as an instrument to one’s success, it can also lead to the demise of someone, especially if it’s not a purposeful career befitting the person.
Academic
Some schools of thought say that examination is not the true test of knowledge. There have been situations where one’s academic background can metamorphose them in the right direction, especially when one is intentional and purposeful in their chosen academic pursuit, and there have been scenarios when someone ventured into academic pursuits that are not suitable for them.
I was once a victim of this ugly experience when I ventured into Taxation Law at New York Law School. Despite earning a scholarship in the program, I knew for a fact, assuming I got a job, it won’t be fulfilling because I will be a victim of defective success.
Spiritual
One of the most defining moments of one’s life can be seen in their spiritual life. It’s sad to see most people playing with their spiritual life. They fail to realize that spirituality controls the physical. When we talk of spirituality, there are two types. Those for God and those for gods. It’s always good for one to align to one side, but as a matter of advice, it’s always good for one to stay on the side of God.
There are many situations that would have ended one’s life, but due to one’s neglect of one’s spiritual life, the life can be cut short. Question: How do you respond to spiritual things when spiritual forces push you around?
Personal
Last but not least is our personal life. How we respond to life challenges in our academic, health, finance, relationship, career, or even spiritual life can determine how far we go in life. Remember, it’s instructive to note that it is our attitude and not aptitude that will determine our altitude to life.
The big question we need to ask ourselves now is: how do we respond to these challenging circumstances or issues? The answer is attitude. You’ll agree with me, you may not always be able to choose your circumstances, but you can choose to respond to them.
There was a touching story about a man who was unjustly and wrongfully convicted for murder, and he spent many years in prison awaiting trial, another fifteen years for final judgment to be delivered, and yet another ten years on death row. In all this travail, he managed to keep his sanity.
Finally, on the day he was to be executed, fresh evidence indicating his innocence prompted the governor to order his immediate release. At the prison gates he sad “ all a man can be taken from him, except the last form of the human freedoms, -the power to choose one’s attitude in all circumstances”.
Do you see, life is not really about what happens to us, but how we react. That’s what will make the difference.
In conclusion, regardless of how life challenges, circumstances, and situations push you around, just have a good attitude and outlook to life. Don’t allow it to weigh you down.
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
The Defence Headquarters has said the recent kidnap incident in Oyo State was carried out by terrorists displaced from other parts of the country following intensified military operations.
The military high command stated this on Thursday while reacting to what it described as “mischievous and misleading publications” surrounding comments credited to the Defence Headquarters on the classification of terrorists and criminal elements operating in the South-West.
In a statement signed by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Michael Onoja, the DHQ said the attackers behind the Oyo abduction were members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad terrorist group displaced by sustained military offensives across the country.
“The recent incidence of kidnap in Oyo State was clearly perpetrated by terrorists of the JAS Group that have been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high-intensity operations being conducted all over,” the statement read.
The DHQ denied reports suggesting it referred to terrorists operating in the South-West as ordinary criminals, insisting that such interpretations were inaccurate and misleading.
“It is, therefore, inaccurate and misleading to suggest that the Defence Headquarters, at any point, referred to vicious and violent terrorists as criminals,” Onoja stated.
The military said its earlier clarification on security developments in the South-West was aimed at providing an intelligence-based context to avoid misinformation and unnecessary panic among residents.
It also stressed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remained committed to supporting constitutional governance and protecting democratic institutions.
“At no time did the Defence Headquarters undermine the authority of any democratically elected leader or seek to diminish the gravity of the heinous crime committed against innocent citizens by terrorist elements,” the statement added.
The DHQ further disclosed that troops remained actively deployed across affected areas in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks threatening national peace and stability.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain resolute in dismantling all criminal and terrorist networks threatening the peace, stability and unity of the nation,” the statement said.
The clarification followed recent attacks on communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where armed terrorists abducted pupils, teachers and other residents from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle.
The incident also left several persons dead, while one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed after a video linked to the attack surfaced online.
