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Food for Living: The Power of Thinking Big
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
“As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big” – Former US President, Donald Trump
The world is not impressed with small minds, but intrigued by dreamers. As a result, one of the greatest gifts we have as human beings is the gift of imagination. We all have this gift, but not everyone of us has deem it fit to activate it. Did you know that to imagine or fantasize about life is free? Yes. You don’t need to pay to think. If you understand how to use the power of imagination, you can literally attract opportunities. It is quite unfortunate that some of us don’t know how to put our minds to work.
According to Napoleon Hill in his Book, “Think and Grow Rich”, whatsoever the mind can conceive, believe, it can achieve it. I personally believe, given every equal opportunity, everybody is a potential achiever because there are no dull brains, only brains undeveloped.
As a mindset coach, I understand the limiting factors that affect productivity of all men, and I have been able to work on my clients through the process to attract their heart desires.
While lesser minds see problems and either run away from it or delegate it to other people, greater minds see problems as a means of making an impact. Great men have been able to use their subconscious mind to solve the world’s problems, and that is why they are respected as great innovators.
When it comes to succeeding in life, the first point of call is the mind. Regardless of anything you would like to accomplish on earth, whether good or bad you will first think about it in your subconscious mind before manifesting it.
To think big means to think out of the box. If you come from a humble background like me, and have the desire to be a man or woman of means, like becoming a President, Governor, Professor, pilot, Judge, etc., it might generally appear impossible based on the circumstances surrounding you, but if you are courageous enough to work on your mindset, trust me, there’s no height you can’t attain.
A case study of interest is the former President of America, Barack Hussein Obama, who became the 44th President of the USA after defeating top contenders like Hillary Clinton to get the Democratic Party ticket and thereafter defeating McCain and Mitt Romney to win the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. The interesting story here is that Barack Obama’s father is from Kenya. Ordinarily, it will seem impossible for Barack Obama to win against Hillary Clinton and other credible and extraordinarily qualified white candidates to get the party’s presidential ticket not to talk of winning Mitt Romney a white man from a wealthy family. The significance of this analysis is that President Obama didn’t allow naysayers to kill his dream and vision. He believed in himself, and saw the possibility of becoming the first African-American President. Think big!
To activate the magical power of thinking big, here are some ideas to explore:
Thinking Big Gives You Motivation
Your goals and desires will motivate you. If you set goals, but don’t feel motivated towards them, perhaps, it is because your goals are not exciting or big enough. Isn’t it true that when things are normal, they don’t excite you.
Thinking Big Attracts the Right People and Opportunities
If you dream big, you will automatically attract other big dreamers into your life. Nobody likes to work with anyone who is uninteresting or has no vision. It’s a fact that like minds attract like minds. We all like to work with people who are passionate about a cause or vision. This is why big companies like Tesla, Apple, Facebook, Google, etc., are able to attract top talents.
On a personal level, most of the success I have recorded was because I refused to follow the status quo. I didn’t allow my environment or circumstances to limit me. For instance, during my formative years in the USA, I used to be a horrible writer. But over time, I have developed the art of writing by associating with the right people, inclusive of my mentors and mentees, and guess what, I’m still learning the art of writing. Today, I’m an author of a trailblazer book, and another book is in the pipeline.
Why Think Small When You Can Think Big?
Most people have the wrong perception of life. They believe that thinking big requires more work. Guess what, the same energy it takes to think small is the same energy it takes to think big. So why think small when you can think big? Thinking big is just a mentality.
It is instructive to note that Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Henry Ukazu, have 24 hours a day. So, it doesn’t mean that to achieve greater success, you will need to put in more time. It is your mentality that will shape the way you make decisions and the way you do things. According to Tony Robbins, “It’s not the lack of resources that causes failure, it’s the lack of resourcefulness that causes failure.”
It doesn’t matter where you are right now, how much money you make, your family background, your education, or who you are, to be successful, all you need is to be resourceful. Do yourself a favour by making thinking big your mantra.
Reading Makes You Think Big
According to Francis Bacon, ‘writing maketh an exact mind, conference maketh a ready man but reading maketh a full man”. Great readers are great leaders. You can literally travel miles of journey just by reading. Reading the autobiographies of great people will make you understand their thought process, their challenges, failures and general experience of life, and this can make you think big. The more you read, the more knowledge you gain and the better you can expand your view.
According to Oprah Winfrey, reading is “her personal path to freedom”. She said, “Books allowed me to see a world beyond the front porch of my grandmother’s shotgun house”.
Enlarge your dreams by networking.
You can expand your mind by networking with great minds. When you network with other successful people, you are expanding your mindset. According to Steve Jobs, “Start small, think big. Don’t worry about too many things at once. Take a handful of simple things to begin with, and then progress to more complex ones. Think about not just tomorrow, but the future. Put a ding in the universe.”
In conclusion, do you have any desire or ambition in life? No matter how impossible you think it is to attain a given desire due to certain perceived limitations, I want you to change that mindset by thinking big and seeing the possibility. After all, there’s no harm in thinking big when you can think at all.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s a Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Fresh facts have emerged over the abduction of school pupils and the killing of two teachers alongside an okada rider in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as investigators uncovered how suspected informants allegedly maintained communication with the abductors through telephone conversations.
The Oyo State Police Command disclosed that investigators tracked the suspects through calls believed to have been exchanged with the bandits during and after the operation.
According to the police, the conversations allegedly contained details on how the criminals could successfully navigate routes within the National Park to hidden locations used as safe havens.
The breakthrough led to the arrest of no fewer than six suspects, who are currently in police custody and assisting security agencies with ongoing investigations into the gruesome incident.
Confirming the development on Tuesday morning, the State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the suspects were apprehended during coordinated security operations across different locations in the State.
“We have six suspects in custody and they are assisting the investigation,” Ayanlade said.
He added that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly served as informants to the bandits responsible for the abduction and killings.
“Our findings showed that some of the suspects were in contact with the abductors through telephone conversations and investigators are analysing those communications as part of efforts to uncover the full network behind the crime,” he stated.
Ayanlade further disclosed that security agencies uncovered discussions allegedly centred on routes through the National Park and locations believed to have been used by the criminals as hideouts.
“The conversations contained information on how the abductors could move through the National Park undetected and reach safe locations,” he added.
The police spokesman explained that the suspects were arrested during joint operations involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Agro-Rangers.
“The arrests were made possible through intelligence-driven operations carried out by joint security operatives working collaboratively to dismantle the criminal network,” Ayanlade said.
He assured residents that security agencies were intensifying efforts to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate linked to the attack.
“We are committed to ensuring that every individual connected to this criminal act is identified, arrested and brought to justice. Investigations are still ongoing,” he said.
The incident, which claimed the lives of two teachers and an Okada rider while school pupils were abducted last Friday, has continued to generate concern among residents of the affected communities and neighbouring areas in Oyo State.
Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has confirmed that one of the teachers abducted during the recent terrorist attack on schools in Oriire LGA of the state, has been killed in captivity.
Speaking on Sunday during a press briefing on the incident, Makinde described the situation as “difficult and challenging”, saying the state government is intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining victims.
On Friday, gunmen riding motorcycles invaded communities within the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis of Oriire, Ogbomoso, and abducted students and staff members of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, L.A. Primary School, Esiele, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.
The attack left an assistant headmaster, identified as Joel Adesiyan, and a commercial motorcyclist dead.
According to Makinde, a video received by the state government confirmed the killing of one of the abductees identified as a mathematics teacher.
“What we know is that seven teachers in all were abducted and unfortunately, we got a video this morning that one of the teachers, the maths teacher, was killed by the terrorists this morning,” Makinde said.
Authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of schoolchildren abducted.
In the aftermath of the incident, videos recorded from captivity began circulating on social media, showing abducted teachers pleading with the government and Nigerians for urgent intervention.
One of the viral videos featured Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, Esiele, appealing to the government to help secure the release of the victims before they are killed.
Makinde detailed that six persons had been arrested within the affected locality over alleged links to the attackers, and that another three “persons of interest” were also arrested in connection with the attack.
“The information available from the Commissioner of Police is that six individuals have been arrested within the locality. Some of them were believed to perhaps be informants to people running logistics for the terrorists,” he said.
Following the attack, the Oyo Police Command announced the commencement of an intensive manhunt and rescue operation involving multiple security agencies.
Makinde said personnel of the police, military, the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun, and local hunters were mobilised immediately to pursue the attackers.
The governor said, however, some Amotekun operatives sustained injuries after encountering improvised explosive devices planted by the terrorists during the operation.
“After the incident, Amotekun, the police, military and hunters were mobilised to go after the terrorists and it was along that line that they ran into IEDs and some of the Amotekun operatives were wounded,” he said.
Sources told TheCable that the terrorists had initially opened fire on the security operatives who were approaching the Old Oyo national park on motorcycles, causing them to flee.
“When the shooting subsided, the operatives decided to go for their motorbikes. Unfortunately, a dynamite exploded against one Amotekun corps member and he was wounded. He has been taken to the hospital for medical attention,” a source said.
“Apart from air raid, the Old Oyo National Park Area can’t be easily accessed through infantry. It’s a long distance from the Oowe River which forms a natural landmark boundary for the park. Motorcycles would have to be used for the journey, but the noise of the approaching motorcycles alerted the terrorists.”
Makinde linked the attack to increasing pressure being mounted on terrorist groups in the north-east, warning that fleeing armed groups are moving into other parts of the country, including the south-west.
“With the pressure on the terrorists in the north-east theatre, they will keep moving southwards. Today, the governor of Kwara state has spoken to me. But the problem we have is that when you have pressure in one place, we must be prepared on this side to either repel or neutralise any terrorists fleeing the pressure,” he said.
The governor harped on the need for sustained government and security presence in vulnerable communities, warning that temporary military operations without long-term security measures could leave residents exposed to future attacks.
“If all we can do is clearance operations for a week or two and leave that place, the terrorists will come back and the people will become vulnerable,” he said.
He assured residents that the state government would be deploying military and non-military strategies to secure the release of the abducted victims and tackle the growing security threat.
“We have decided that we will adopt not just the kinetic approach. We have not taken this lightly,” he added.
Makinde also appealed for calm and patience from residents, acknowledging the complexity of the operation.
“I want to appeal to everyone that we are doing everything within our power to ensure that this would be resolved quickly and we bring our children back safely, but it is a very difficult and challenging situation so there may not be quick fixes,” he added.
Source: TheCable
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Complaining is part of human nature. We complain about our health, school, family, friends, work, finances, government, and life in general. Human beings literally complain about everything and anything.
Over time, I have come to discover something about life: complaining doesn’t solve a problem; it adds to it. According to the Book of Life, why worry when you can pray? The moral of this statement is that instead of worrying, why not look for solutions? When you worry, it only accumulates the problems, but when you explore avenues to solve a problem, you’re literally praying.
Complaining is like having a problem and apportioning blame to another person instead of fixing it. One of the hallmarks of great minds is the ability to solve problems, while little minds complain.
In the world of visionary leaders, they don’t complain; rather, they see complaints as challenges of life, while lesser minds see complaints as problems of life. Again, while great leaders see problems as a gateway to make money and succeed by proffering solutions, little minds see problems as obstacles limiting their growth to succeed. Same action but different results and consequences.
As human beings, we tend to focus on what we don’t have instead of focusing on what we have. It’s only when we appreciate what we have that we give room for opportunities and favors to come to us. It’s unfortunate some of fucus on what we are going through instead of what we are becoming.
It’s instructive to note that complaints don’t lead us anywhere, rather it hinders our progress. Nobody likes complainers; complainers are usually seen as energy suckers because all they do is take without giving. Instead of complaining, why not practice gratitude? Gratitude helps to draw and attract opportunities.
In the world of human relations, the ability to manage people is an uncommon skill. One must learn to nurture relationships. Human beings can be difficult to manage. While some exhibit meekness, gratitude, cheerfulness, and loyalty, some exhibit bitterness, frustration, depression, sadness, and sorrow. What most people don’t know is that we have the ability to change how we manage our lives and how we react to what life throws at us through our attitude.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not insinuating that complaining is wrong; rather, I’m insinuating it’s not healthy for our mental health. The only time we can complain about something is when we are proffering a solution; by so doing, we have highlighted the problems and proffered the solution.
Complaints make us blind to see the good in others. As a word of advice, if you focus exclusively on the shortcomings of the people with whom you have to relate and forget that they have a good point, it will be difficult to see the good in them.
According to Yomi Garnett, focus on the good side of people and be intentional in learning about their mindset and inquire what made them who they are. Also, focusing on the good side of people despite their bad or weak side makes them feel valuable as human beings, and by so doing, we show our empathic personality.
In conclusion, resolve today to stop complaining and start appreciating the challenges of life with gratitude.
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
