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Food for Living: The Six Pillars of Success (Pt. 2)
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
This is the continuation, and concluding part of last week’s article on The Six Pillars of Success.
Success is something everyone desires. Success is not only endearing, but also nourishing to the heart. It is important to note that there’s something about success which can’t be explained; it just hits differently, especially when one truly earns it.
One of the good things about success is the fulfillment one gets after achieving it. Fulfilment can’t be bought. No matter the level of success one has attained in life, if one has not experienced fulfilment, then success is not complete.
Last week, we discussed the three pillars which I called the foundational pillars of success apart from Spirituality which I strongly believe is the foundational pillar of success because all pillars rest on it.
A recap of last week’s article. On pillar one, we x-rayed the importance of discovering one’s purpose and how it helps in the personal growth of a progressive mind. On pillar two, we discussed the importance and relativity of career and vocational excellence as a tool the world will use to evaluate the tap root of success. Finally, we concluded by highlighting the most controversial topic everyone talks about when the word success is mentioned: Financial Independence and Financial Freedom. It will be hard for people to believe someone is successful without the element of financial success at play. Well, that’s an analysis for another way.
In today’s epistle, we shall be discussing the other three components namely: Health and wellbeing; Healthy family and Social relationship; and Spirituality and Inner grounding.
The Fourth of Pillars of Success: Health and Wellbeing:
Success has no sweetness without good health. This pillar recognizes the interconnectedness of physical vitality, emotional balance, mental clarity, and rest. A sustainable life requires a body and mind strong enough to sustain dreams, relationships, and responsibilities.
Health is one of the most critical aspects and pillars of success. Apart from spirituality, I believe it is the most important pillar of success. Regardless of any amount of money, connection, knowledge, career, family or even spirituality one may have, if one does not have good health on their part, they may not be able to function at optimal capacity. This is simply because, without health on one’s side, one is merely existing as opposed to living.
To show you how important one’s health is, if you don’t have good health, one will find it hard to read, work, exercise, fulfil purpose and even pray. Do you see why health is a critical foundation and pillar of success?
One influential Nigerian politician, Hon. Barr. C. M. C. Onuoha once shared with me a powerful insight from Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He said: “Before you contest for any office, you must have three things: health, money, and connection. But above all, the number one factor you need most is your health.” This is true because money can return, and connections can rebuild. But health, once significantly compromised, does not offer guarantees.
Attaining good health is not rock and science, all one needs to do is exercise, eat good food, sleep well and practice preventive care by avoiding harmful substances and visiting your doctor to check annual medical check-ups, Blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring, cancer screenings (age-appropriate) dental check-ups, eye examinations and taking vaccinations where recommended
The fifth pillars of Success: Healthy Family and Social Relationships.
No one succeeds in isolation. People flourish through connection, support, and community. This pillar affirms the value of nurturing your closest relationships, which include family, friendships, mentors, and networks. These bonds provide strength in difficult seasons, perspective in confusing ones, and joy in victorious ones.
Informed minds know that family is everything. It’s only in family that one can find “ily” which means “I love you”. All other acquaintances have an “end”. E.g. friend, girlfriend, boyfriend and even best friend. It’s sad that most people don’t understand the power of family and relationships in the development of a better society. Some people even sacrifice their family for their job. I think that’s one of the most expensive mistakes one can make. They forget that the moment they kick the bucket, it won’t take the company 24hours to advertise their position. Advice: Maintain family and career balance.
The importance of relationships cannot be over emphasized. We need family, friends, mentors, and even strangers to succeed. Uniformed minds don’t know that relationships are a currency. According to Robin Sharma, the business of business is human relationship, but the business of life is human connection.
The value of relationships to success is priceless. Nobody knows it all, we need each other to survive and succeed. We also need a strong family culture. We need to maximize our friendships and networks to move to the next chapter of life.
The sixth pillars of success: Spirituality and Inner Grounding:
Every human being draws strength from a deeper place. Some call it faith or spirituality; others call it conviction, conscience, or spiritual grounding. This pillar focuses on the inner life: values, belief systems, moral compass, and connection with God. For those who embrace faith, this becomes the source of clarity, integrity, resilience, and peace. It is the secret power that holds all other pillars together.
This pillar here is the most important pillar of success. I believe that’s why it’s saved for the last. If you agree with me before anything happens physically, it will happen in the spirit world. Yes, success happens in the spiritual realm. This can come in the form of dreams or prophecies.
There are many powers that come with spirituality and one of them is words. We can shape our worlds with the power of spoken words. Imagine having a bad dream at night, to overcome the power of the dream, one is expected to pray. Imagine having a bad experience, instead of accepting your fate, say, I am blessed, I am favored. Instead of saying, I am poor, say, I am rich in abundance. Instead of saying the world is against me, say the universe is conspiring for my success.
I vividly remember when I was in New York Law School preparing for an examination, a friend asked Henry, if your exam is tomorrow, how do you feel you will perform? In all honesty, I do know the best I can score is a C in my course. I told her, well, I’m looking at A-. Guess what, I made 3.5GPA that semester which earned me a scholarship. Can you see how significant words can be?
Another dimension of spiritual power of words can be seen in parental blessings. Apart from God, nobody and I repeat, nobody can bless you more than your biological parents. Your parents carry within them the foundational gene of blessings one needs to succeed. I am a living testimony to parental blessings. My first appearance on television was made possible by the prayers of my late grandmother.
Another important aspect of spiritual power is giving. I call it the ultimate gateway to spiritual blessings. Again, this is one of my strengths. I love to give even when it is difficult for me. I believe when one gives to anyone in need, it has a way of coming back in hundreds of folds.
In conclusion, essentially, anyone who claims success, in its fullest sense, will eventually touch all six pillars. Missing one doesn’t mean failure; it simply reveals where to build next. An Igbo proverb says, “Whenever a man wakes up, his morning begins.” No matter your age or stage, you can wake up to a stronger, clearer, and more fulfilling version of success. If you are yet to read the Six Pillars of Success, head fast to Amazon and grab a copy of the trending book with this link. The Six Pillars of Success.
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 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.
