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Food for Living: The Power of Transformation
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Apart from having access to power, opportunities and being financially independent, nothing elevates a human being more than transformation.
Transformation occurs in different stages of life. Plants experience transformation by metamorphosis; animals experience transformation, human beings experience transformation; children, parents, students, leaders etc. all experience transformation from conception to death.
In the academic or professional environment, before anyone can be transformed, one must have added value to oneself which will enable him to serve and make an impact in the world. Transformation comes in various ways, one can transform by meeting someone, going to school, having a relationship with your creator, learning a skill and being in the political space.
In the journey of life, most people undergo multiple transformations throughout their lives. Although change can be uncomfortable, it can open new layers of life if one is properly transformed. Transformation is a powerful, valuable experience that’s capable of giving one what I call an encounter.
Do you know an encounter can lead to a transformation. Whenever you have an encounter, your life will change. An encounter can be meeting someone, attaining financial independence, getting a new job, or even accruing a formal education.
Let me share an example of how transformation works. Imagine a parent who saves hundreds of dollars every week for his child until the child becomes of age, say 18 or 25 years and he decides to pay for college to buy a property for the child. Also, contrast the same scenario to when the father decides to give that child the money or even buy him a property before he becomes of age, what do you think would have happened? The truth is that the child won’t be able to appreciate the value of what he has because he hasn’t been matured or mentally transformed to understand the value of what he has. That’s simply how the power of transformation works.
Imagine, if the father of the child gives the child a car, the child might bash the car which can either lead to his death or even an arrest of the father who will eternally regret his action. The moral here is that one will have to mentally strong to manage certain opportunities, otherwise, it can become a curse as opposed to a blessing.
The reality of life is that, for you to get to a certain position you must be renewed in mind, otherwise one might make a mess of oneself. The moral of this is that every time you are not mature enough to attract an opportunity either mentally or physically, that blessing can turn into a curse. This is because good things can be destroyed in the hands of someone who is not transformed to handle it.
Let’s take a case of the child who was given a car, imagine a case where a luxury car was given to a ten-year-old child to drive, that might sound like a blessing, but in reality, the car can lead to the death of that child because he’s not capable of driving the car or competent enough to appreciate what is in his hands.
Again, let’s see transformation from the spiritual perspective, sometimes success depends on many factors before they arrive at a certain level. Sometimes, you might be praying for an opportunity and the creator knows very well your mindset and thoughts needs cleansing from certain lifestyles, habits and associations before the blessings and prayers can work. In some cases, the creator knows fully well, you are not qualified for the position you are aspiring for, he might delay you to be fully transformed before your request is granted.
What really is transformation, Transformation is a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance mentally or spiritually. Transformation changes the outlook of something. When you have a simple hair cut, you are transforming your face, just like how beauticians transform the face of someone when you dress, you are transforming yourself. When we talk of transformation, it’s not limited to academic, mental, spiritual, or even career. Transformation can take various forms; it can even take personal or developmental. Transformation can result because of an increase in your finances, health, education, relationship etc.
The blessings and opportunities of transformation are priceless. To get to the next stage of life, one needs to be transformed. Do you know there are certain opportunities you can’t get unless you are transformed, or have acquired certain skills or qualities. This is why Jim Rohm said Success is something you attract by the person you become” For you to become, you must transform yourself by adding value to yourself.
Let me share a personal story with you. During my formative years in New York, I worked as a security officer for many years, many people laughed at me, some used sarcastic words by way of mockery, the future appeared bleak and insecure for me. I was privileged to have good mentors who honed my writing and speaking skills. Some believed in me, gave me opportunities, and spoke life into me. These acts inspired me to write my first and second book in addition to starting a human capacity development company. In three ways, I have seen myself traveling to different countries, speaking on various leadership and human development topics. I have also appeared on television, gained social currency, etc all because of the transformation that has taken place in my life.
If you truly want to be great, you must be truly transformed. After all, isn’t it true that you can’t be doing the same thing repeatedly and remain the same. In the journey of life, transformation is not negotiable. It should be noted, transformation is not a gift, neither can it be received by impartation, you must work for it by earning it.
For spiritual transformation to manifest, you must mortify your flesh, you must be delivered, you must be renewed in your mind, and be circumcised to get to a certain level.
To be fully transformed is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and principles. For instance, one must be consistent. One of the painful experiences of life is beginning a task and leaving it halfway.
Transformation prepares one for the task ahead. The worst thing that can happen to anyone is entering a relationship, business, spiritual realm etc. without being transformed. It’s just like going into marriage without taking a marriage course to know the basics of marriage or going into a ministry without divine assignment and complete transformation, you might have a hard time succeeding when you hit a roadblock.
To be transformed, one must develop or seek knowledge, practice meditation, and separate oneself from anything that’s not consistent with the principles, vision, and ideology one wishes to uphold.
When you are transformed, there are certain benefits that will come to you. Transformation will position you for better opportunities, which can launch you into your destiny.; and it makes people appreciate you more due to the value you earn. For example, personal transformation can make you healthy if you decide to work on your diet. You can exercise, you can read, you can learn a skill and attend professional or certificate courses to enhance your knowledge on a particular subject matter. Personal transformation can help you to improve personal relationships.
In conclusion, if you want to get to the next stage or attract the next bi opportunity, endeavor to work more on yourself than you do on your job. This is because when you work on your job you can make a living, but when you work on yourself, you can make a fortune.
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 Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Armed policemen have taken over the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, as tension continues to mount over the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which is expected to hold today.
Channels Television quoted an unnamed party official, who alleged that the police were deployed to stop the proposed NEC Expanded Caucus meeting.
Though some staff members of the party were initially allowed to go into the premises of the secretariat without any resistance from the police, they were later sent out.
Journalists were also been asked to leave the premises of the secretariat.
Some policemen were seen cordoning off Dalaba Street, which is the road leading to Wadata Plaza.
The Presidency has said there has been no change in the position of Senator George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“There has been no change in the status of His Excellency, Senator George Akume, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement made available to journalists.
The statement is titled ‘Akume Remains SGF.’
This followed multiple reports which quoted Presidency sources saying Tinubu had named his Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, to serve as the new SGF.
Onanuga said, “President Bola Tinubu, currently in Saint Lucia, has not made any new appointments.
“The information circulating about Akume’s replacement is untrue. Agents of mischief fabricated it.
“The Presidency advises Nigerians to disregard the fake news.”
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
It is everybody’s desire to be successful in whatever field of endeavour he finds himself. It can be in career, family life, business endeavors or personal development. But there’s absolutely nothing good that comes easy. Everything in life involves a lot of hard work, smart work, dedication, discipline, network, sacrifice, prayers, and determination among a whole lot if one is intentional to succeed.
Of a truth, success is not for the faint-hearted. In all honesty, everyone wants to be ahead of everyone, especially contemporaries and funnily enough, the average human being sometimes have a bit of ill- feeling when competitors arise or seem to outsmart them either with better quality or price. The good thing about this however, is that it makes one sit up.
Now, this brings us to the essence of today’s article. For anyone to be ahead of their competitors, they must fly like the eagle. Eagles are known for their powerful build, sharp vision, and fearless nature. They are highflyers, capable of soaring to great heights, and gliding for extended periods. Eagles are also known for their tenacity, using storms to their advantage to gain altitude. Other notable characteristics include their strong talons and beaks, used for hunting, and their protective nature towards their young. These are some of the qualities that make it unique.
The eagle is not regarded as the king of the sky for fun, no. The eagle flies so high because that’s where it gets a chunk of its strength. This ability enables the eagle to take its prey and predators alike to it’s abode where it will have enough emotional and physical strength to dismantle them.
I will be sharing characteristics of an eagle to enable us know why we ought to be like the eagle if we want to soar.
VISION
The eagle has a sharp vision. Their vision is so precise. They can see farther than any animal. They possess exceptional eyesight, allowing them to spot prey from great distances. As human beings, we must have eagle eyes to know what we really want, and what we don’t want. Vision allows us to go for what we desire and deserve. When we have vision, we won’t wait for anyone to tell us when to strike. We flow through the wind despite the waves and heavy current and associated challenges. When our vision is precise, it will give people clarity to understand how they can assist us.
Let’s take a closer look at great leaders of this world who have come and gone. There are many great leaders that came and went but one characteristic that is common in all is “Vision”.
Vision is a successful leadership characteristic
You must have a vision that guides and leads your team towards the organizations or societal goals. The vision must be big and focused. A big, focused vision will produce big results
FLIGHT
Eagles are known for their ability to soar and glide, using their large wings to their advantage. Eagles can fly up to an altitude of 10,000 feet, but they are able to swiftly land on the ground. At 10, 000 feet, you will never find another bird. If you find another bird, it must be an eagle.
An eagle doesn’t mingle around with the pigeons. It was Dr. Myles Munroe who said that. Pigeons scavenge on the ground and grumble and complain all day long. Eagles are not. They fly and make less noise waiting for opportunities to strike their next prey or glide with the current of the storm.
Great leaders are problem solvers. They don’t complain like the pigeons do. They love to take challenges as the eagle does when the storm comes. As human beings, we all have our strengths and weaknesses.
It’s always good for one to take any fight to their home ground where it will give them advantage over their predators. For instance, a fish is stronger in water, but weak on land, a lion is stronger on land, but weak in water, a monkey is strong on trees but weak on air. Just like an eagle is strong on air and weak on water and land. That’s why it always takes its prey to the sky where they have greater advantage to shine.
As human beings, we also must know what we are naturally good at, the ability to know this will enable us to maximize our strength and work on our weakness. We can only do this when we know ourselves and what we are naturally good at. Our ability to focus on our expertise and what we are naturally good at will make us unique and ahead of our contemporaries.
TENACITY
The eagles are known for their ability to withstand storms and use them to their advantage, rising above the challenges. Watch an eagle when a storm comes. When other birds fly away from the storm with fear, an eagle spreads its mighty wings and uses the current to soar to greater heights. The eagle takes advantage of the very storm that lesser birds fear and head for cover.
Challenges in the life of a leader are many. These are the storms we must face as leaders to rise to greater heights. Like an eagle, a leader can only rise to greater heights if he takes up the challenges head on without running away from it. This is yet another leadership characteristic.
As humans, we all will experience challenges and setbacks, however, the ability to apply strength will go a long way to show how determined we are to overcome the hurdles that pose as challenges.
FEARLESS
An eagle will never surrender to the size or strength of its prey. It will always give a fight to win its prey or regain its territory.
Successful leaders are fearless, so we are expected to fear no man, but respect all men. They face problems head on. We are supposed to have the eagle fearless mindset regardless of how big the problem may appear. Confront your fear and rise or face your fear and run. The choice is yours.
VITALITY NATURE
One of the strongest characteristics of an eagle is their vitality. Eagles are full of life and are visionary, but they find time to look back at their life and re-energize themselves. This happens at about the age of 30. What happens is that when the eagles reach the age of 30, their physical body condition deteriorates fast making it difficult for them to survive.
What is interesting is that the eagle never gives up living, instead it retreats to a mountaintop and over a five-month period goes through a metamorphosis. As humans, we are expected to reexamine ourselves, retreat to a safe zone. We can do this by fasting as Christians, we can also do this by learning new skills, volunteering our time and seeking for mentors who can hold us by the hand to show us how the appearance of life is not the reality of life.
In conclusion, as human beings, we are encouraged to be like an eagle if we want to scale through life.
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
