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Food for Living: Time to Develop Yourself is Now
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
As fondly stated, change is the only thing that is constant in life. One of the best things that can happen to anyone is to continually improve himself. As a Human Capacity Coach, I cannot overemphasize the importance of personal and professional development. What most people don’t know is that, before you succeed in business, you must succeed in your personal life. This is because people will believe in you before they invest in your business. You may be wondering how this work. It’s very easy. If you are teaching people how to get rich, they want to see you as a rich person. If you are teaching people about leadership and service to humanity, they would like to see you exhibiting such traits. Even in social media, celebrities normally have more followers than their business pages. That goes to tell you people will buy into you before they buy into your product.
You may be wondering what self-development is. Self-development is basically adding value to yourself. This value can be by reading, learning a skill/trade, getting a degree, or improving yourself in an area of interest. In a nutshell, self-development refers to doing better than you did yesterday. The best way to develop yourself is by competing with yourself as opposed to competing with other people. The hallmark of self-development is improving yourself by engaging in any productive activity than you did the previous day.
The benefit of self-development is priceless. It enhances your self-worth, increases your value, and enhances your personal and professional outlook. I will share with you a personal experience. About a decade ago, I was a horrible writer, I used to have stage fright speaking in public and engaging people. Over time, I had mentors who were willing to groom me to be a great writer, public speaker, and awesome communicator, in addition to the fact that I was intentional in improving myself. The desire to improve my writing skill was the catalyst I needed to inspire myself. When I look back on my writing, speaking, and personal relationship skills, I do know a lot of transformation has taken place.
When you develop yourself, you are bound to develop self-confidence. Self-confidence has to do with what you know, how you do what you know and who you know. All these fuels your self-confidence. When it comes to attaining knowledge, the biggest danger is not knowing what you don’t know. So, in order to improve yourself, you must engage in activities that can help you to improve yourself in the area you are lacking.
How to develop yourself
To develop yourself, the first point of call is the mind. You must be willing to change and leave whatever has made you fail. In other to do this, you must have a growth mindset which helps you to learn by thinking out of the box.
Acquire knowledge
There’s no end to learning. We’ll continue to learn until we leave this sinful earth. The moment we stop to learn, we stop growing. It should be noted that you’ll have to learn first before you earn. Learning comes in several stages; it can be online or in-person. One can even learn a language. In our contemporary society, learning a language has become additional value to one’s resume, especially when applying for certain international jobs.
Learn a skill
You cannot overemphasize the importance of learning a skill. In this 21st century, we live in skill and knowledge-based economy. Every progressive and rational being is expected to have little knowledge about technology to compete favorably in the global space. In any capacity you are working in, your ability to be technologically savvy will give you a winning edge among your contemporaries and competitors, especially the knowledge to reinvent.
Build on your strengths
Another good way of developing yourself is by focusing on your strength and working on your weakness. The irony of life is that most people focus on showing the world their weakness instead of their strength. The world don’t care about your weakness, they want to know how they can engage with your strength. Hence, it is imperatively important, that you maximize your strength and work on your weakness.
Focusing on good habits
If you are serious about developing yourself, a critical area you need to pay attention to is your habit. Habits play a big role in the development of any individual. For instance, if you are a consummate alcoholic drinker, it will be difficult for serious-minded people to take you serious. If you are determined to achieve a set target, you are generally expected to wake early, and sleep late. And if you want to improve your physique, you are expected to go to the gym on a regular basis and work on your diet.
Write a letter to your future
Another area that can inspire you to develop yourself is to write a note or letter to your future self on what you would like to be in the nearest future. Place this note on your bed or at a conspicuous area you can see it every day when you wake, and before you sleep. Do yourself a favour and recite the note to yourself. Trust me, if you do this for a substantial period of time, you’ll subconsciously be inspired to work on it.
Feedback
The final, but not the least point in developing yourself is by requesting feedback from friends, associates, colleagues, mentors’ family members, and from the general public on how you can improve. Sometimes, constructive feedback helps us to improve our product and personality. If you are a writer, actor, leader, artist, etc., always endeavor to ask for feedback from people to know how you can improve. Trust me, if you do this, you will be surprised to see the kind of feedback you will get from people, who ordinarily might not be open to reaching out to you.
In conclusion, make a conscious effort to add value to your life or business by developing yourself because people will buy into you first before they buy into your product. When is the time to develop yourself? Now!
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 and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Telecommunications giant, Globacom, has charged Christians to embrace the virtues that Christ preached as the 2025 Easter celebrations hold this weekend.
While congratulating Christians in Nigeria in a goodwill message released from its Lagos Head Office on Thursday, Globacom admonished them to imbibe the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
According to Glo, “Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”
Globacom charged all Nigerians to espouse the lessons of selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society and called on all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
The company praised their perseverance through the 40-day Lenten period which comes before Easter as it emphasized the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
Easter comes yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of unhindered voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
Dear Destiny Friends,
Every human being loves to get approval, either for the great work they have done or the ones they are doing. They love to be appreciated and admired. They also love to be given attention when they have something valuable to say or do. In all of these, one thing is certain, there is something special about us, and this special thing makes one unique, and ultimately attracts people to us.
Let’s face it, nobody will admire you, appreciate you, approve you and give you attention if you don’t have anything to offer. The reason most people associate with someone is because they feel or know there’s something they can gain from the person. It’s hard for someone to relate closely with someone who they don’t see potential value in.
There is no doubt each and everyone of us is unique, yes, there’s something unique about you. You can sing, you can write, you can dance, you can lead, you can serve, you can cook, etc. One can even be a good actor, athlete, comedian, or preacher. The list is literally endless. Now, what’s unique about you?
When you discover what’s unique about you, please do all within your reach to nurture and develop it. One day, the right person, who truly appreciates and knows your value will celebrate you.
I have a friend who is exceptionally skilled in writing and developing creative contents. I call him a genius because he can literally write a book within a week. How he does it is what I don’t understand. I was surprised when he once told me he wrote a book and manuscript in one week. According to him, he has been developing the contents mentally, but hasn’t found time to put his thoughts together, and when he finally gets his thoughts together, he was able to write the book and manuscript. This is a typical way of knowing a unique being.
Many, however, do not know what’s unique about them. We focus our energy chasing what is not chasing us instead of focusing on developing what we already have. It’s sad to see young and old people living their lives in an unintentional manner with a belief that somehow lines, favour or opportunities will fall in place for them.
Sometimes, we rely on other people’s affirmation and opinion, and accept it as our fate. For instance, just because one is tall, he might be told he will be a great fit for basketball without considering if the athlete loves basketball; again, just because someone is very intelligent, his parents will encourage him to major in a particular discipline, which is perceived as lucrative without considering if the person likes it pr not.
I once experienced this fate when my late dad inspired me to study taxation law in New York Law School, a major I detest with passion. It was like a suicidal mission for me because I do know, it will take miracle to graduate from the program. How I was able to get a scholarship for my grades and graduate in record time is a story for another day. I’m not wired as a finance person, I will better serve humanity in the social and developmental space where my skills, talents, gift and passion will be better utilized. And ever since I joined the space, I have seen results.
There are many cases where many people lose their identities without knowing they are unique. We are all unique in our individual ways. Just like there are several gifts and talents, we have different skills. When you know what’s unique about you, you will stand out and the world will not only appreciate you, but will celebrate you.
When one discovers the power of their uniqueness, we will gather strength to unleash it to the world. Uniqueness works in several ways. For instance, the mere fact that ten people are genius, talented, skillful or valuable in a particular work, the person with the unique gift is the person who will not only stand out, but will be called upon to do the work.
Let me share more insight. If ten people sing a particular song with a great voice, the person who is called to be a singer will receive a unique appreciation because he/she is working on purpose. That is why it is easy to see a lot of people venturing into a particular form of business, but the favour of the business will not locate them because they are not uniquely destined to do business.
Few years ago, one of my mentors shared a deep insight with me. He said that, as a trained medical doctor, he once observed that despite the fact there are hundreds and thousands of medical doctors practicing their profession. One fateful day, he noticed a particular patient was not responding to treatment despite all the medication that had been given to him by a nurse, his health was deteriorating, then another nurse came and administered the same pill a nurse gave the patient, and the patient began to feel better. What does that tell you? The second nurse was probably working in her purpose which aligns with her profession, and as such the corresponding success. This goes to show that when one is unique, it has a way of robbing off on their work.
Furthermore, he stated that Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and Beyonce are some of the gifted singers and dancers the world has ever celebrated. He went on to say that we have hundreds and thousands of musicians, but only a few have got the spotlight.
What does that tell you? When you are unique, the world will celebrate you. I have understood that the fastest way to get recognition in life is to work in areas where one’s strength and unique gift will better serve the purpose. This is simply because the world does not celebrate one’s weakness, rather, the world celebrates one’s strength.
In recent times, I have seen myself as a counselor and human inspiration. My counseling skills have enabled me to influence people to live positive lives. Overtime, I have realized that when people share their burden with me, they feel relieved after speaking with me. What amazes me most is the fact that even my elders feel comfortable to relate with me on a cordial basis. Maybe, I have a unique gift for counseling and educating.
Today, I am going to charge you to focus your energy and time on whatever will bring you the highest satisfaction. Even if you are looking for a job, applying for school, or seeking any opportunity, your focus should be centered on what you have that the job, school or opportunity will amplify. When you do so, you will be in high demand.
In conclusion, please affirm to yourself today, I am a unique being with a unique personality, purpose and gift.
Say to yourself, ‘I am original’, and refuse to be fake.
Again confess that your originality, authenticity and uniqueness will attract favours, blessings, opportunities from leaders and queens to you, and you will be celebrated.
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
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has emerged as the Best Road Safety Agency in Africa. This monumental achievement corroborates the Corps’ almost four decades of dedication, resilience and passion towards safeguarding lives on Nigerian roads.
The Corps, according to a statement made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), received the award at the 3rd edition of the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award held in Elzuwini in the Kingdom of Eswatini, South Africa between 14th and 15th of April 2025.
You may recall that Kofi Annan Road Safety Award was initiated by the Office of the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Road Safety in collaboration with Kofi Annan Foundation to immortalize the contributions of African illustrious son Kofi Annan who served as the Secretary General of the United Nations.
The prestigious Road Safety Management Award represents a badge of honour for Nigeria, and a pure testament of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to unflinching support for the Federal Road Safety Corps and his believe in the Corps’ potential to serve as a model for other African nations. Indeed, FRSC’s tireless efforts to reduce road crashes and promote safe driving practices have paid off, earning recognition across the continent.
The recognition further speaks volume, as well as justifies the giant strides Nigeria has made in ensuring safety of road users and her leadership role in the Sub-region.
Reacting to the recognition, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed said that it is a testament to FRSC’s unrelenting passion for road safety. He thanked the entire community of the motoring public, stakeholders, partners, and the Nigerian people for their support. Emphasising that together, the Corps was able to achieve the enviable feat because of the collective energy and all round support received from the motoring public.
The Corps Marshal also revealed that FRSC’s winning formula includes, innovative strategies, implementing cutting-edge road safety initiatives that drive results, collaboration, fostering partnerships with stakeholders to promote road safety awareness, community engagement, educating the public on safe driving practices, full deployment of technology and road safety protocols.
The award was received on behalf of the Corps and the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the Principal Staff Officer to the Corps Marshal ACM Meshach Adigizi Jatau.
