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Food for Living: The Path to Greatness
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
No doubt, we all have dreams and desires. Each one of us has a desire to be great, do something the world will remember, be successful and even reach the peak of our career. Nobody ever desire to be a mediocre.
As human beings, we love to be loved, admired, appreciated, approved and accepted for who we are and what we represent, in addition to being respected. These are the cravings of the human soul. Naturally, these feelings make us feel good. In this digital era, where social media has become the new kid on the block, everyone wants to be regarded as a celebrity with huge followers or influence. Some people don’t really care about the content of information they put out provided it attracts followers to them. A handful of creative minds, on the other hand, are not concerned about their followership base; their interest is how they can create content that will add value and impact humanity. This set of creative minds also want to be recognized as a man/woman of repute. To me, that’s the virtue and characteristic of a great mind.
Either way you look at it, everybody wants to be great. The question now becomes how do you become great? What kind of greatness are you aspiring to? It should be noted that greatness comes in different forms. A leader views greatness with one eye of the lens while a Priest/Bishop views greatness with the other lens of the eyes. In the same vein, the President of Country, Chief Executive Officer of any organization or even a General in an army views greatness in another form. The list is endless. What one party may consider great, may be considered trivial by another party. However, one fact is indisputable, when you accomplish a task which ordinarily has made a huge impact and difference in the lives of people, it will be fair to consider you as being great.
The path to greatness can be very rough and challenging. One will have to persevere, network, sacrifice, read, work hard, fail, experience disappointments amongst other factors. These are simply the paths to success. There’s no secret or defined road to succeed in life. One just has to do the needful at any point in life and hope for the best while preparing for the worst.
In order to appreciate this article, imagine you are driving a car; as a driver you will experience traffic signs or occasional delay due to bad road or construction. You’ll also see green light which symbolizes moving forward, the amber light tells you to be cautious while the red light tells you to stop. All these road experiences and traffic points to one direction; there’s no perfect journey to greatness.
Just like success comes with its own challenges, greatness has also its challenges. As mentioned earlier, before you embark on this journey, you have to define yourself and what you really need with respect to how you can become great. It’s instructive to note that you can become great in simple ways without having millions or billions of dollars in your bank account. Let’s take a case study of someone who died for a worthy cause he/she believes in; or health care workers and first respondent workers who are daily risking their lives to save humanity during this Coronavirus pandemic. These are some of the examples of great people distinguishing themselves in simple ways. Irrespective of the kind of greatness one is aspiring to, however, there is the need to aim for the accolade that will outlive you.
According to Alexander Graham Bell, “before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”
The first step to being great is by being yourself and doing what you love. You can hardly distinguish yourself in your career if you don’t love what you’re doing. It should be noted that great people are people who do ordinary things in extraordinary ways. If you love what you are doing, the tendency of giving it your best is very high. You might even go over and beyond to add value to the work.
You may have heard of the term ‘run your race’. That’s very symbolic of greatness because if you don’t define yourself, people will define you. In the race of life, you must choose your own path, as opposed to the path other people may have chosen for you or may want you to follow.
In order for you to be great, you have no choice but to step out of your comfort zone. You have to set goals and stick to them. Besides, you have to strive to be better every day. Nobody will do this for you. According to Edmond Mbika, ‘Don’t be discouraged if the people around you don’t see what you see in your dream. Most great people were doubted in the beginning of their journey to greatness.” This is normal. Isn’t it true that the whole world sets apart for the man who knows where he/she is going?
If you have an idea or business plan you are either trying to conceive or pitch to a potential investor, it is very normal for you to get a lot of rejection in addition to failing. Whenever you feel this way, “hang in there because this too shall pass. Winston Church once said, ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going.” It is this sacrifice, perseverance and die-hard attitude that the world will reference when writing your history.
Becoming great does not entail running alone. Greatness comes with an attitude mindset. It’s instructive to know that you’ll get what you want faster when you help other people to achieve what they want. A popular saying among Americans goes thus “do what you have to do’. Society makes you feel you have to step on somebody toes, put people down or even betray someone to get a particular position. This set of myopic minds are merely concerned about themselves that they fail to think of other people. When we help people, we rise higher. Try looking for how to help people and see what will happen to you. Don’t be selfish. Society will say, stay busy, but try to take time out of your busy schedule to hear what someone in need has to say. Moral: Take time for others.
The true path of greatness is helping people to achieve what they want. There’s no other blissful feeling than to hear someone testify that you are very instrumental to their success. Don’t think about the position and opportunity others will get if you help them. The universe has a way of compensating you. Be creative in your approach to life. If you’re looking for a job, people say network. However, the better approach should be what can I do for others and not what I can get from them.
In conclusion, I charge you today, dare to be great by going out to help people who might need your assistance in any little way you can.
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. He can be reached via:
The Nigerian Police Force has announced the rescue of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu’s sister and her twin sons, who were abducted on June 3, in Ibadan.
A statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Pkacid revealed ad follows:
The Nigeria Police Force announces the successful rescue of Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, who were abducted on June 3, 2026, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The hostages were rescued during a coordinated operation by the Force Intelligence Department Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) in Ibadan at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
Mrs. Adegoke and her children were abducted while she was driving them to school at about 7:30 a.m. on June 3, 2026. The rescue was achieved through sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance, and tactical operations. These efforts enabled investigators to track the kidnappers’ movements, resulting in a confrontation with FID-IRT operatives.
During the confrontation, two suspected kidnappers were fatally wounded and two rifles were recovered. The victims were rescued unharmed and are now in safe custody, receiving medical care and support.
The Inspector-General of Police commends the courage, professionalism, and effectiveness of the FID-IRT operatives and all officers involved. Their resilience and commitment were instrumental in the safe rescue of the hostages.
Security operatives have intensified efforts in the area to apprehend fleeing members of the kidnapping syndicate. Preliminary intelligence indicates that some suspects escaped with gunshot injuries. Operations are ongoing to track, arrest, and bring all involved to justice.
The Nigeria Police Force appreciates the public’s support, cooperation, and patience during the operation. We remain committed to combating violent crime, protecting lives and property, and ensuring the safety of all citizens.
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
A race, in a literary sense, is a contest between two or more persons competing for a prize. A race can be a sprint, relay, marathon, middle-distance, long-distance, and hurdles. When it comes to running a race, every single step is important because a wrong move can affect the entire outcome. Can you imagine where an athlete has a faulty start or enters the lane of another athlete. That athlete will be disqualified. Can you also imagine a case where an athlete misses the baton; it will definitely affect their chances of winning the race.
Beyond the race on the tracks, there’s also a larger race on the field of life. This race is not interested in whether one is an athlete or not. It is open to everyone living. Consequently, everyone must run his race with his mates and contemporaries, and here’s why.
In the journey of life, everyone is entitled to running their individual races. Nobody will run another’s race for them; the best anyone can do for another is assist in providing an enabling environment for the race. For instance, our parents, mentors, siblings, relatives, benefactors, churches, government, among others have all contributed in one way or another to shape our journey. They did it so that we won’t be found wanting when we step out to the tracks to compete with mates.
Let’s face it, our parents, siblings, relatives may have supported us with resources in training us in schools. Our mentors, benefactors, government, churches, etc. may have provided an enabling environment and by putting the necessary structures for us excel. The government can formulate policies that will enable progressive minds to thrive. All these acts are structured to give us an edge in life.
One may be wondering why this illustration important; well, the simple reason is because we must run our race at the right time, otherwise, we’ll be left behind. My beloved mother Lolo Agnes Ukazu, will always say, when your mates are running, run with them. That statement might sound ordinary, but it is very deep. One may be wondering what it means, well, it simply means, it’s always good to do the right thing at the right time. For instance, there’s a right time for one to go to school, get married, have kids, invest and give it back to society. When one misses a stage, it might be hard to get back on track. So, when one’s mate is going to school, please, if you have the time and resources, join them and go to school, marry, have children, invest, etc. because at the end of the day, everything will align together if done properly.
My late mother will always say, when one is born, the person won’t enter his/her mother’s womb again. The next task for the person is to run their race by fighting their war, and this entails running their race by taking ownership of their life. When your mates leave you behind, it might be difficult to catch up with them. May God help you if they have gone far.
It’s sad to see uniformed minds who always think their messiah or destiny helper will come from heaven. They fail to understand that “Power is never served a la carte“. One will have to struggle to earn it. That’s simply how life works. Anything anyone desires, one will have to roll their sleeves and do the needful. If the universe is kind to you, it will send you destiny helpers, associates, benefactors, mentees, and resourceful people who can assist in birthing your vision.
The universe can also make the government formulate a policy for you. I have since come to the sublime submission that in life, we are the architect of our lives. According to my late dad, Chief Lazarus Ukazu, “any name anyone wants to answer, that person must work hard to earn the name. Again, this is running your race.
Overtime, I have discovered, when you begin a race, people from north and south will align together to assist you in birthing the vision all things being equal. Most of the work I have been celebrated didn’t come because I was smart, even though smartness may have contributed, but the true success was a result of my accomplishment. For instance, as an author, I use my books to create curriculum for my target audience, meet resource people and organization. I didn’t wait for my mentors or anyone to put me in the spotlight. Rather, they saw my work and appreciated the value and problems I was solving, and they extended a hand of fellowship to partner with me.
I didn’t fold my hands and wait for manna from above. No, I rolled my sleeves. I didn’t feel entitled to any favor, I didn’t complain, rather I fixed the problem, and as they say, the rest is history.
To run your race with your mates, timing is critical. You don’t want to have children at old age when you are supposed to be resting. Imagine being in a Parents Teachers Association meeting with children who are supposed to be your kids. Again, when your mates are busy grinding by adding value to their life, please endeavor to do the same because when they get to the top, they’ll find resourceful people who have added to their life. So, imagine a case where one has developed themselves and they still fail, they still stand a better position to attract opportunities because of the bold actions and steps they have taken.
From personal experience, I have seen people who just relax with hope that if a friend succeeds and gets to the top or makes money, they will be remembered, but these uninformed minds don’t know that life doesn’t work that way. As an accomplished author and human capacity development expert, most of the heights I have attained were simple because I collaborated with resourceful minds working the same space or I had people who believed and saw value in my work.
I don’t know what your storyline is, I just want you to know that if you don’t run your race, other people will run it for you. My prayer for you is that you may not be a spectator in a race you are supposed to own.
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
Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, to enter a defence in his ongoing trial for alleged criminal defamation of President Bola Tinubu.
In a ruling, Justice Umar rejected a request by counsel to Sowore, Marshall Abubakar, that further hearing in the case be adjourned until after the court’s forthcoming vacation.
The judge ordered that further hearing in the case be conducted daily, beginning from Friday, June 5, when the defendant shall be obligated to open his defence.
Sowore, an online publisher, is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly making false claims against President Tinubu by calling him “a criminal” in posts he made on his X and Facebook accounts.
At the day’s proceedings, the prosecuting lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), said the case was fixed for June 4 to get the Chief Judge’s response to a May 19, 2026 letter from Sowore requesting that the case be assigned to another judge.
Kehinde said he was served on May 26 with a copy of the Chief Judge’s response, dated May 22, in which the defendant’s request was declined, and the court was ordered to continue hearing the case.
He then applied that the judge orders the defendant to enter his defence.
Responding, Abubakar claimed that a portion of the Chief Judge’s response directed the defendant to file a formal application so that it could be heard in open court.
Abubakar urged the court to adjourn the case until after the court’s forthcoming vacation to enable his client to participate in next year’s presidential election.
Replying, Kehinde faulted Abubakar’s interpretation of the Chief Judge’s response.
He stressed that the case before the court had nothing to do with political activities in the country.
“The letter from the Chief Judge of this court did not ask the defendant or his counsel to file an application for recusal. So, it is disingenuous for counsel to read into the letter an interpretation that the Chief Judge did not include in the letter,” Kehinde said.
Following a disagreement between both lawyers on the content of the Chief Judge’s response, Justice Umar called for a copy of the letter and read through it, following which he declared Abubakar wrong.
“From the content of the letter, there is nowhere the defendant is asked to file an application before this court.
“This court is not denying the defendant the right to file any application. This can be done anytime before judgment,” Justice Umar said.
The judge said the current stage of the case merely required the defendant to enter his defence.
Thereafter, the judge ordered Sowore to enter his defence.
He also ordered that the hearing in the case proceed daily, in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Following the judge’s order, Abubakar sought an adjournment until after the court’s vacation for the defendant to open his defence.
Again, Kehinde, SAN, objected, noting that having ruled and ordered a daily hearing, the ruling of the court was in consonance with the law.
“The law is that the defendant shall proceed with his defence. There is no option. We are ready. There is no room for dilatory practice for a defendant facing a criminal trial,” he added.
The prosecuting lawyer also said that “the option left at this point is for the defence to continue or simply be foreclosed. It is either they continue, or they are foreclosed”.
Justice Mohammed Umar subsequently adjourned until June 5 for the defendant to open his defence.
