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Food for Living: The Opportunity You Need in 2021
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
“The secret of success is to be ready when your opportunity comes” – Benjamin Disraeli
Happy New Year. It is a thing of joy to celebrate a new year. Today being the first of January 2021 is very symbolic because it gives us an opportunity to make new resolutions, it ushers in new opportunities and new vision depending on what you are working on. It should be noted that the new year doesn’t come with opportunities, you create the opportunities, and in creating the opportunities, you have to be intentional and deliberate on what you are doing.
What really is opportunity? Opportunity means different things to different people. Opportunity can be defined as a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something. As we journey into 2021, the task before us is how we can create the right opportunity in order to have a fruitful year. We shall be looking for how to create the right opportunity.
In 2021, everyone’s desire is to succeed and achieve greater success than they did in 2020. Some people had amazing opportunities in 2020, while some had, but could not make use of it. Opportunity comes to everyone in several ways. For some, it literally makes itself available and expects one to grab it. For others, the opportunity must be created by thinking out of the box.
Just like Coronavirus pandemic caused so much harm to many people through loss of loved ones, and businesses which couldn’t function at optimal capacity, any longer, yet, it created the opportunity for creative minds like Eric Yuan, the creator of Zoom to become a billionaire because of the demand for zoom meetings.
The point here is that in whatever circumstances you find yourself, an opportunity will always present itself for you if only you can think out of the box. For example, the right opportunity enables you to acquire new skills, financial gain, greater access to leadership roles.
What most people don’t understand is 2021 won’t offer you the right opportunity you need, in most cases, you will have to create the opportunity in order to fulfil the yearnings of your heart; in our search for financial stability, we have to the right opportunity in our search for fulfilment in life, we have to create the right that opportunity will make us happy.
The new year definitely offers new opportunities to succeed, but the question we have to ask ourselves is, how do we take advantage of those opportunities?
Look for opportunities
Opportunities don’t come to us, rather it presents itself to us. For you to take advantage of any opportunity, you must be prepared for it. As a rational mind, your focus in 2021 is to look for the right opportunity which could be via networking, serving, travelling, attending professional events among others. It can also involve going to odd places which ordinarily may sound foolish to most people, but as a rational mind who is able to think out of the box, you can create an opportunity when you see a market to sell a product or convert people to buy your idea.
Be willing to read and research
This is another great way of creating opportunity. A philosopher once said, if I can’t find the answer, I know where to find it. He was basically talking about researching. It is generally believed that knowledge is power, but in reality, knowledge is information, and it is the application of that knowledge or information which gives you power.
Be clear on what you want.
The more specific you are with respect to your business and what you want generally, the better it will be for people to assist you. When you know what you want, you’ll take proactive steps to create the right opportunities you need. When you don’t really know what you want, it will be difficult to know when an opportunity arrives.
When you are clear about what you are looking for, it creates a road map and avenue that causes you to see opportunities that match your interest and disregard other opportunities that are just distractions.
Know what steps are necessary to achieve it
If you really know what you want, you will make necessary efforts to achieve it. In this age where technology rules, it’s literally easy to get what you want if you’re internet savvy. Identifying the necessary steps is a key part of the process that may require investigating, studying and learning lots of new information.
There are several ways to attract the right opportunities. For example, you must decide on what you want, know when the right opportunity presents itself, you must pay attention, be diligent and be able to network strategically.
Think about services people need
In order for you to create wealth, you need to create a service or product people are willing to purchase. Before starting a business, ask yourself if there is a demand for the product. There was a story about two friends who were walking in a village and one discovered there’s a market for them to make footwears for the villagers, who weren’t wearing any footwear, while the other was seeing lack of market based on the fact the people won’t be able to purchase the product.
Surround yourself with the right people
In 2021, try to surround yourself with the right people. It is widely acclaimed; your network is your networth and if you’re the smartest person in the room, leave the room. Having the right people around you can create numerous opportunities for you. The right people can be the right mentors, mentees, friends, books, etc. For instance, if nine of your friends are billionaires, it won’t take long for you to become the next billionaire.
According to Olajide Abiola “Opportunities do not wear name tags.
“You’ve been socialized wrongly if you believe opportunities must announce itself with a public address system. Most or all of us are constantly presented with opportunities. There is hardly anyone who doesn’t get an opportunity. That people are unable to recognize or interpret situations to identify the opportunities doesn’t invalidate the opportunity. Opportunities do not wear name tags and aren’t pre-announced. You cannot stereotype how opportunities manifest.
Opportunity can manifest through misfortune.
Opportunity can manifest through crisis.
Opportunity can manifest through pain.
Opportunity can manifest through disappointment.
Opportunity can manifest through inconveniences.
Some opportunities have to be cultivated, watered, fertilized et al. Some opportunities require you to prune things. The reason many miss opportunities is because they see opportunity as a RIPENED fruit that should simply be plucked out. There are opportunities for everything all around, you just need to have an enlightened mind. You must also know that you may have to plant an opportunity, water an opportunity, fumigate an opportunity, fertilize an opportunity”.
In conclusion, what opportunity are you willing to create in 2021 by thinking out of the box?
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a mindset coach and transformational coach. 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
A federal judge in the United States, on Thursday, put a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
The ruling imposes a 14-day halt on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed hours after being sworn into office for a second term.
It comes after lawsuits were filed by a total of 22 states, two cities and numerous civil rights groups.
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” senior US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington State.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Coughenour, who was appointed to the bench by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan.
Birthright citizenship is fundamental to America’s national identity, with the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution decreeing that anyone born on US soil is a citizen.
It says, in part: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump’s order was premised on the idea that anyone in the US illegally, or on a visa, was not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country, and therefore excluded from this category.
AFP
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital has upheld the death sentence of Ramon Adedoyin, a prominent businessman and hotelier, for his involvement in the murder of one Timothy Adegoke, a former postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the court affirmed the earlier verdict of the Osun State High Court, which had sentenced Adedoyin to death.
“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part,” the court declared in part.
The Court of Appeal, however, set aside some aspects of the lower court’s orders, including the forfeiture of the Hilton Hotel and the order for Adedoyin to pay for the education of Adegoke’s children.
Furthermore, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to impose penalties outside the statutory provisions
Adegoke’s death was reported in November 2021 after his corpse was found at the Hilton Honours Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he had lodged.
The hotelier had travelled from Abuja for an examination at a distance learning centre in Moro, Osun State on November 5 of that year.
He had checked into the hotel but was reported missing after two days. However, Adegoke’s body was found days later, leading to a probe that linked his death to Adedoyin and others.
In May 2023, Adedoyin and others were sentenced to death after they were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder.
But dissatisfied with the judgement, Adedoyin approached the Appeal court to dismiss the sentence and conviction.
The court of appeal, on Thursday, however, upheld the conviction and death sentence of the hotelier.
The Nigeria Police have announced that their operatives have rescued Mrs Folasade Odumosu, the wife of a former Assistant Inspector General, Hakeem Odumosu, who was last Thursday, kidnapped at the entrance of her home in Arepo, Ogun State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, noting that two of the kidnappers were killed while four others escaped without their weapons.
Adejobi said with the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged Odumosu’s abductors in a gun duel and neutralized the criminals in the swampy area of Ikorodu on Wednesday.
The police spokesman added that Mrs Odumosu is currently undergoing a medical evaluation and has since been reunited with her family.
The statement read, “In a commendable display of teamwork and swift action, police operatives attached to the Ogun State Command have successfully neutralized the kidnappers of Mrs. Odumosu, wife of Retired Assistant-Inspector General, AIG Hakeem Odumosu, and rescued her unharmed.
“On January 16, 2025, at approximately 9:45 PM, four masked gunmen forcibly abducted Mrs. Odumosu from her Lexus Jeep outside her residence in Arepo, Ogun State. The abduction sparked an immediate response from the anti-kidnapping unit of the Ogun State Police Command, who commenced a thorough investigation and targeted pursuit of the kidnappers.
“With the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged in extensive surveillance of the creeks surrounding Arepo, gathering crucial information to track down the assailants. Their efforts culminated in a raid on January 23, 2025, at around 06:45 AM. The intelligence-led operation took the police to a creek in the swampy area of Ikorodu, where the kidnappers were reportedly planning their next attack.
“Upon arrival, the operatives encountered the kidnappers, who opened fire. In the ensuing confrontation, two of the gunmen were neutralized, while four others fled the scene, abandoning their operational weapons.”
Adejobi said the police operatives recovered N10m initially paid to the kidnappers, four Ak-47 rifles, three locally made single barrel rifles, and ammunition of various calibres.
He added, “The victim, Mrs Odumosu was rescued within the swampy creeks during the operation, unharmed. She is currently undergoing medical evaluation as a precautionary measure and has since been reunited with her family. The police also recovered 4 Ak-47 rifles, 3 locally made single barrel rifles, ammunition of various calibres, and the sum of N10,000,000 ransom previously demanded by the kidnappers, further ensuring that justice is served.”
Adejobi said the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the police operatives and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, for the rescue operation.
He asserted that the Police Force is committed to safeguarding the citizens and combat kidnapping and other violent crimes.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., has commended the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, and his operatives for their displayed gallantry in this successful operation.
“This operation exemplifies the dedication and resilience of our Police officers. The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mission to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes, providing safety and security to all citizens,” he added.
