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Food for Living: The Success of 2023
Compliments of the season. Today is a special day globally because many countries are already celebrating New Year’s Eve. No doubt, the year 2022 has been an interesting and eventful year. Depending on who you are speaking to you, some will opine that it was filled with challenges, experience, success, and memorable feelings. But one thing is certain, we came, we saw, and we “conquered” by the special grace of God. This is because we were not consumed by 2022 despite the numerous setbacks and challenges.
The greatest testimony anyone can appreciate in 2022 is practicing gratitude and appreciation. It will be foolhardy for anyone to say there’s nothing to celebrate in 2022 simply because they couldn’t meet their expectations. If nothing else, celebrate the fact that you are alive, or your family member is alive. Feeble minds fail to realize that once there’s life, there’s hope. That your plans didn’t work out in 2022 doesn’t mean that you are a failure. Sometimes in life, you will have to fail to gain. There might be lessons or nuts you must tighten up.
As the New Year unfolds in less than twenty hours time, it is pertinent to examine how your life was structured in 2022. Taking a holistic stock of your life will let you know what you did right and wrong. As we all plan to enter the new year in a grand style, it’s important to define what the New Year holds for you. You need to have a realistic vision board to decide what you’ll like to do in 2023.
I will be sharing ideas on some of the principles and strategies you can use to overcome 2023. It’s instructive to note that there are spiritual laws of success and there are principles of success. These laws and principles are universal if properly applied. Your ability to decipher how they work will be the game changer in 2023. I will be sharing some examples of spiritual laws of success and principles of success. Let me make a disclosure here, these principles and strategy are not exhaustive, they are merely suggestions you can apply. Everyone works differently. However, if you can apply them, I strongly believe you’ll thank me later.
To succeed in 2023, the first point of call you need is your creator. I don’t know what you believe in, but as for me and my household, we serve the living God. I cannot overemphasize the importance of God in your life. Most people just believe on their own they can achieve success without God, some don’t even believe in the existence of God, yet this set of individuals can’t authoritatively and intelligently say how they came into existence. To understand how God works, can you tell what happens when you are asleep? Can you determine the kind of dream you dream? Do you control what happens in your dream? Finally, do you decide when you’ll wake up from your sleep? I believe your answer is no. This is simply because when you are sleeping, you are practicing how you will die. If you wake up, it’s God that decides to give you a new life. Do you see that life and dreams can be spiritual?
I strongly believe there are forces that control heaven and earth which mere mortals like us don’t know. As generally acclaimed, the spiritual controls the physical. I also believe success in life is a result of principles and strategies and that’s what I will be sharing with you today.
For you to succeed in 2023, there are spiritual laws of success you must apply and there are principles of life you must apply. You can’t afford to miss them and expect to succeed. There might be other variable factors that can facilitate your success.
The first question you’ll need to ask yourself is, what do I want in life and what I do I want in 2023? These questions might sound so easy, but trust me, they are the hardest questions anyone can answer. Your ability to answer these questions will set you apart from your contemporaries. Your ability to know what you want will determine how to work on your long- and short-term goals. It will also determine how you can use the S.M.A.RT. (Specific, Measurable, Articulate, Realistic and Timely) goals to achieve success.
The second step will be writing it down. I have a workable plan which I call P.L.A.N. (Plan carefully; launch globally; Adjust your plan; and Network globally). This second step encompasses all you need to strategically win in 2023.
There are some spiritual laws of success which you can strategically apply. These laws are very dynamic. They don’t happen spontaneously; you must literally live with them daily just like you breathe. For example, the law of giving says, the giver’s hand is always on top, and the giver never lacks. To reap the fruits of this principle, you must know how to give right. You can’t give foolishly and expect some form of spiritual blessings. However, when you sacrificially give, God will look at your intention to reward you. You may be wondering how this works; you must look for people in need and share with them. For instance, when you give to widows and those who can’t help themselves and they pray for you, their prayers can go a long way.
You can also give to your contemporaries who are in need. Their kind words and wishes might be the prayer God can answer. Giving is like laying seeds on fertile ground, you don’t know soil and seed that will produce a plantation. Giving can also take the form of giving those who already have, like your mentors or those in position of authority. This form of giving does not entail giving them so they can support you, rather it should come in the form of appreciation or gratitude to them.
Another way you can benefit from 2023 is by going all out to help people selflessly. Whenever you find an opportunity to help anyone, please don’t think twice about it. Do it if you can. The universe has a way of paying you back. I strongly believe in the principle which says, you will get what you want faster when you help other people to achieve what they want. This principle works well when you help people who can’t pay you back for what you have done for them.
Another principle that triggers success is practicing gratitude. It is often said when you thank someone for what they have done, they are more likely to do more for you. In our contemporary society, gratitude is lacking. Most people are always in the habit of asking as opposed to thanking people who have assisted them in the past. Progressive minds who truly understood how this principle works tapped into it and cashed out. As human beings, most times, we are always in the habit of looking out for what we lack as opposed to looking inwards on what we have.
To truly understand how this principle works, thank the universe for all that happened to you whether it’s negative or positive. There might be one or two things you can learn from each experience regardless of if it was negative or positive. Moral: Look at the bright side of life and learn from your experience.
Furthermore, in 2023, you must learn to strategically know how to network. I call this strategic principle the universal game changer because it works like magic. Most times, as human beings, we think our grades, skills, intelligence and God factor will help us get us an opportunity. Yes, to a reasonable way, they can, however, your ability to know the right people and how to approach them can be the ultimate game changer because the right contact might prefer to work with you more than the person with skills, grades, God factor, intelligence etc. if they like you and you have the basic needs key performance indicators especially when they, trust and like you.
In conclusion, 2023 is like any other year, the only difference will be how you will make it work for you. If you need assistance on how to make 2023 work for you, please feel free to contact me with the email below and I’ll be glad to serve you.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer. 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
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has sent a veiled message to Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, saying support for President Bola Tinubu alone will not guarantee any election ticket.
Wike made the statement on Sunday during a public outing in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
His remarks were widely seen as directed at Governor Fubara, amid lingering political crisis in the State.
The former Governor of Rivers State said political loyalty must be tested during difficult times, not after power has been secured.
He mocked those he described as late supporters of President Tinubu, insisting that sudden alignment would not earn political rewards.
He said: “So the issue is not whether you are supporting Tinubu. That one, we have taken too long, long… Yes, oh. So Tinubu’s issue is not an issue again. Yes. Do you understand me? Yes. Tinubu’s issue is that nobody should be coming here to tell a day. We are for Tinubu; I am against you. Who is for Tinubu University? (laughs) That cannot give you any ticket oh! (laughs again) Direct, direct. It will not. Direction. Direction.”
Wike stressed that his political camp stood with Tinubu when the decision was unpopular. He said that support given under pressure carries more weight than alignment after victory.
He also recalled how the Rivers State House of Assembly openly backed Tinubu early, long before the election outcome was certain.
According to him, some of those now making public declarations were absent during the critical period.
“The same people now who came to declare, put them to God… But they should declare they are saying it for a candidate. Yes. Don’t you see characters? (laughs) So I send the sword far ahead of them.”
Wike further spoke on governance and continuity. He defended projects and agreements initiated during his tenure as governor. He said it is often difficult for successors to acknowledge past efforts, even though government is a continuous process.
His comments come weeks after Governor Fubara formally aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party of President Tinubu.
The move followed months of political crisis in Rivers State, which led to federal intervention and a declaration of emergency rule.
Political watchers believe Wike’s remarks constitute a direct response to Fubara’s recent positioning as a key Tinubu ally in Rivers politics. Critics argue that Fubara’s support surfaced only after the political storm had settled.
Wike, who remains a dominant force in Rivers State politics despite serving in Abuja, appears to have drawn a clear line ahead of the 2027 elections.
He suggested that political tickets would be decided by proven loyalty, not convenience.
Videos from the event in Rumuche, Emohua, spread rapidly on social media. Many users described the speech as a coded warning to the governor.
As of press time, neither the Rivers State Government nor Wike’s media team had issued an official clarification.
The comments, however, suggest that the political rift between both camps is still active, despite earlier peace moves brokered at the national level.
The opposition African Democratic Congress and the Labour Party on Sunday criticized President Bola Tinubu for departing Nigeria for Europe on holiday at a time the country is grappling with rising insecurity, including foreign military interventions in the North.
The Presidency announced on Sunday that Tinubu left Lagos for Europe for his end-of-year holiday ahead of an official visit to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he is scheduled to attend the 2026 edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit.
President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the trip was by invitation from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to participate in the summit, which gathers global leaders from government, business, and civil society to advance sustainable development strategies.
“His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit, which will take place in the emirate early in January,” the statement read.
Reacting to Tinubu’s departure, the ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, faulted the timing as inappropriate given the security challenges facing the country.
The ADC noted the deadly terrorist bomb blast in Zamfara and the ongoing foreign military involvement, calling the President’s move insensitive.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s lack of care is alarming. In the wake of another deadly bomb blast in Zamfara, and following an unprecedented foreign military attack on Nigerian soil, the nation is waiting for reassurance from its leader. Instead, we learn the President has gone on holiday. What a President!” Abdullahi said.
Similarly, LP’s acting National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, described the trip as “insensitive and devoid of empathy” for Nigerians facing violent attacks and humanitarian crises.
Speaking through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, she stressed that the President should have remained in the country to coordinate security responses.
“This is the most inauspicious time for the President to leave the country. Even the Christmas holiday in Lagos seems ill-timed, given that a bomb exploded in Zamfara today, killing nine people,” Usman said.
She further alleged that Nigeria was under external attack and accused the government of downplaying the severity of the situation.
“Nigeria is under attack by a foreign nation. No matter how the government tries to frame this, it is a violation of our sovereignty. This is the time for the commander-in-chief to coordinate the response, not embark on a holiday,” Usman said.
She added that the President had not convened critical security meetings since the U.S.-led bombardment of terrorist camps in Kwara and Sokoto States and condemned the perceived lack of engagement with military leadership.
The President’s trip comes amid heightened security concerns. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump authorised AFRICOM to conduct airstrikes on terrorist camps in Sokoto State, hours before Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the operation. A deadly bomb blast in Zamfara on Friday claimed several lives.
The 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will run from January 11 to 15 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre under the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go.”
The event aims to connect innovation, finance, and people to advance sustainable development.
Onanuga confirmed that Tinubu would return to Nigeria after the summit.
Hosted by Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy company, the summit will feature the invitation-only ADSW Summit, the World Future Energy Summit, the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony, and specialised sessions on hydrogen, climate finance, water security, and utilities in the Global South. Organisers expect more than 50,000 participants from over 170 countries, featuring over 700 global brands and exhibitions of emerging clean technologies.
The UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, noted that ADSW 2026 builds on two decades of the UAE’s leadership in renewable energy.
Tinubu previously attended the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January 2025, where he held meetings with Gulf investors and officials on trade, energy cooperation, and climate finance.
Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, Tinubu has undertaken at least 46 foreign trips, spending an estimated 192 days abroad as of October 2025. In 2025 alone, he travelled internationally no fewer than 15 times to countries including Ghana, the UAE, Tanzania, France, Italy, Saint Lucia, Japan, and Brazil for summits, bilateral engagements, and holidays.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Ever wondered how one sleeps and wakes up? Ever wondered where the spirit goes while we sleep? The answer is hidden in mysteries because life, and by extension, existence, is full of mysteries.
On a personal note, I do believe that whenever we sleep, we are basically practicing how to die because no one knows the whereabouts of the spirit and souls. All we know is that we wake at the break of dawn, or when there’s a stirring, either naturally or artificial. That is a mystery!
Have you also ever imagined how a man will have sexual intercourse with a lady and a child is born? Have you also ever wondered about the mystery surrounding death? Have you also imagined how human beings fall in love with the opposite sex despite various variables. Again, each time I fly in the air, I begin to wonder about the invention surrounding the aeroplane. So many questions begging for answers. The mysteries surrounding life is inexhaustible.
For the benefit of hindsight, life is indeed a mystery. Sometimes, we think we understand it, and other times, it humbles us with its complexities. Life can be likened to a woman; the more you try to understand them, the more confused you become.
I had to give this introductory analysis to buttress the significance surrounding the mysteries of life. Why do I say this? Nothing is permanent in life, and as such anyone can be great and successful tomorrow. In my native Igbo (Nigerian) language, we have a saying that “nobody knows the stomach that will birth a king tomorrow”, and “tomorrow is pregnant”. These are evidence of the mysterious nature of life.
In my journey through life, I have met angels and devils in human form, who have played different roles in shaping my thoughts and outlook towards life. While I thought certain people will bring smiles to my life, they turned around to make me question their intentions and mindset. But the people I had some reservations with turned out to be some of the best things that have happened to me. For instance, I have a dear friend turned brother, whom I hold in high esteem. His name is Sodeeq Sulyman. He is the Chief Operating Officer of my company.
As a matter of fact, today is his birthday. He met me on X and reached out to me to be his mentor. I was literally humbled because that was the first time someone was making a firm request of me. I gladly accepted the request, and today our friendship, brotherhood and relationship has truly blossomed. This young man is literally one of the best things that has happened to my life. If I was told he will change the outlook of my life, business and life generally, I wouldn’t have believed it.
But as my late mother would always say, when you meet people just take the good part and leave the bad part. In all sincerity, I strongly believe our meeting was predestined, and mysterious if the circumstance of our meeting is x-rayed.
Here is the message, never look down on anyone except you are helping them to do something or pick something. Another message is don’t give up on anyone because you don’t know what tomorrow will unfold. Even the Bible book of life states in Proverbs 118:22, “the stone which the people rejected has become the cornerstone”. So, it’s instructive for one to be kind, courteous and humble in relationship with human beings because nobody knows what life will unfold tomorrow.
Imagine, if I had not treated this young man very well or even accepted him, I would probably have met other minds, who would have given me an experience of a lifetime I wouldn’t forget in a hurry.
The mystery of life can be seen in wealth creation. A man of means today can become a beggar tomorrow if the wealth is not properly managed, and the child of a certified pauper can become a man of means tomorrow. There have been stories of wealthy men whose children mismanaged their parents’ and became hungry, while slaves of wealthy men became stupendously wealthy. What does that tell you? Nothing is guaranteed in life. I often wonder how people take life very seriously thinking everything is about them. They don’t even know they can sleep and not wake up the next morning, nor are they aware of the fact that pride and ego are the two greatest enemies that can fast track the downfall of a man, while humility can jump-start their elevation.
As human beings sometimes, we wonder where our next meal will come from. Where would our next business, money, spouse, opportunity come from are some of the questions that bug our minds? One might have a business that has little or no hope of succeeding, but with determination and favour from God, the business will turn around for good.
On a personal note, I have been in a scenario where I lost hope of succeeding or moving to the next round, but I was surprised when the universe came through in ways and manners I couldn’t comprehend. I believe we all have one story or another to share as it relates to the mysteries of life. I can vividly recall when my late dad was very sick in the hospital. As a matter of fact, he was adjudged to be the sickest patient in the hospital. The doctor who was treating him said, he lost his mother to the exact sickness my late dad was facing. But with prayer, my late dad was able to survive to the amazement of everyone. He was later adjudged to be a miracle patient because he was given a slim opportunity to survive.
I don’t know what your storyline might be nor do I know what you are experiencing in your academic, business, health, career, or family life. One message I have for you is that nothing lasts forever. If you give it time, one day you’ll laugh and thank God for the experience and lessons life has offered you because life is a mystery one may not understand. It unfolds as it chooses.
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
