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Food for Living: The Secret Behind Solving Other People’s Problems
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
As human beings, we all have problems, but what differentiates our problems is how we manage them. In the same vein, each of us have a secret frustration which no one knows.
According to some schools of thought, we have three forms of lifestyle; public life, which we exhibit when we are in public arenas, private life which only our family members and close friends know, and secret life which only us know.
We all harbour a form of guilt which we believe we ought to have handled or managed differently. In the same way, government agencies, private and non-for-profit organizations have problems they all battle with. Solving these problems can be a herculean task.
Every problem has a solution. Any problem that doesn’t have a solution is because the right person with the solution hasn’t arrived. I liken every problem or challenge to a door. If you have the wrong key, you won’t be able to open a door. It’s just like solving a mathematical problem, without the right formula, you’ll have a hard time arriving at an answer.
You may be wondering what the secret to solving a problem is. The answer is not far-fetched; it lies within you. This article is structured to assist any progressive mind to be selfless in addition to living for humanity.
In the global world, we are taught to know that in order to have money, you must solve a problem. Yes, it is true to a reasonable extent, but in reality, solving a problem can be relative. People like it when we solve their problems, we also feel good when we solve other people’s problems.
As human beings, we all have problems. These problems make us insatiable and blind to the needs of others. The question we normally ask ourselves is, how do we solve other people’s problems while having our problem living inside of us? That’s the crux of this article.
Problems exist around us; within our families, personal life and even in religious organisations. As human beings, sometimes we find it difficult living for humanity; we fail to understand that the joy of life is not how happy you are, but how happy others can be because of you. If you are creative enough to look around and solve the needs of your immediate environment, you may be surprised to know the recognition that will be accorded to you due to your selfless act. I charge you today to look around your environment and attend to that little problem you can conveniently solve without blinking an eye.
We all have friends who face different challenges. Sometimes we look at the other side of life just because we feel we have our concerns, but the reality of life is that we are doing ourselves a disservice by not assisting in solving the problems, especially when we have the capacity to do so.
The question now becomes, how do you solve a problem? You can do this by leaving yourself out and focusing on assisting other people. Don’t withhold opportunities to help people if you’re in a position to help. As a leader, use your opportunity to empower people and see how you’ll be remembered when you leave office. You will be surprised to see the universe will work in your favour. Isn’t it true that the joy of life is not how happy you are, but how happy others can be because of you.
The real secret of solving a problem lies in getting what you want faster. This always happens when you help other people to get what they need. It’s just like when you use your time, resources, talents, gifts and knowledge to mentor a kid, you’ll be surprised to know that the same kid you mentored yesterday may turn around to mentor your kid tomorrow and the cycle continues. Isn’t it true that when you spray fragrance on someone, you leave some fragrance on your palms? The laws of success vary. Sometimes your true success lies in helping other people to reach their peak. It’s always good to celebrate other people’s success because you never know, their success may be tied to your success.
If we are honest to ourselves, it can be difficult to help others while we are in pain, but then, when we do the little we can, the universe has a way of compensating us. You can solve a problem in several ways including sowing a seed. Then watch how the seed will metamorphose into something greater, tomorrow. Again, you can support someone by your words of encouragement, gifts, time and knowledge.
As you help others, you may not see or feel it, but you are helping yourself. What most people don’t know is that you’ll get what you want faster when you help other people to get what they need. Try helping someone despite being in need or in pain yourself, and see how the universe will pay you back. For example, if you are believing God for the fruit of the womb, pray for other women in similar need. If you’re in need of financial success, try giving others even when you don’t have enough to pay your bills.
Sometimes the reason you can’t have your problem solved is because you need to solve other people’s problems. Today, I charge you to make a commitment to solving a problem by sowing a seed in someone’s life.
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 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.
