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Food for Living: Time to Hit the Ground Running
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
It is my pleasure to officially welcome everyone to the year 2023. Permit to say a Happy New Year to you. I trust you all had a wonderful New Year celebration with your family and loved ones.
The New Year normally comes with many wishes, resolutions, aspirations, and renewed zeal to accomplish certain personal desires. It is easy to make resolutions and wishes, but the challenge is executing those tasks. If we are honest with ourselves, last year and in previous years, we made several resolutions regarding what we planned to do and what we would stop doing, but it’s quite unfortunate that within a few weeks of making such resolutions, we tend to fall back to our bad habits. The question now becomes, what’s the cause? This will be answered in a jiffy.
It should be noted that it is easier to learn a bad habit than learning a good habit. This is because it is easier to fail in life than to succeed. Failing in life is one of the easiest things, you don’t need to do much, all you need to do is do nothing, but for you to succeed, you need a lot of work.
In this article, I will share practical ways you can have a blissful 2023, and overcome any limiting beliefs in your mindset. It’s instructive to note that success is our heritage, but the mistake most of us make is the inability to grab what belongs to us. If you would like to make this year a success, you must be ready to roll your sleeves and do the needful. Nobody will do it for you. Most of the people we celebrate globally are celebrated because of their contributions to making the world a better place. They are not celebrated because they are nice, no; they are celebrated because of the work they did.
It should be noted that these great people were nobody the years before their exploits, but because they were intentional and strategic to get their work done, they did what they needed to do, and today, they are celebrated. So, if you want to be celebrated in 2023 or 2024, you must spend quality time to invest in your project.
As generally stated, success is not an accident, neither is it by luck. Though luck constitutes about 10%, but before the ten percent can manifest, you must be prepared to actualize the opportunity. But how do you actualize the opportunity? Simple. You can actualize it by hitting the ground running.
We are in the first week of 2023 and it seems to be moving fast. To make 2023 work for you, you must be ready to hit the ground running. As you rightly know; time waits for no one. The way you announce yourself matters a lot. Whether in politics, academics, family, personal or professional, people will address you the way you present yourself. Since this is the first week of 2023, you must hit the ground running by being disciplined in what you plan to do. When people tell you how disciplined and intentional they are, they will have no option than to give you the desired space you need, especially when you have made your intentions clear to them. Isn’t it true that the world sets apart for the man who knows where he is headed?
Since we are in the first week of 2022, you must take time to evaluate what worked and didn’t work for you in 2022 and previous years. Apply what worked and disregard what didn’t work. It is instructive to note that the world will not give us what we desire, rather, it will give us what we deserve. If you are aiming for any opportunity, you must hit the ground running by being innovative and creative. When you hit the ground running, the universe has a way of aligning with you by bringing all you need to actualize your dreams and desires.
Many of us came into 2023 with vigour, but it’s quite unfortunate that many of us have fallen out of track within this first first week of January. Again, what might be the cause? A lot of factors might have contributed to it. It could be that we didn’t prepare well. It could be that we didn’t have an accountability partner, it could also be that we overestimated ourselves and tried to overstretch ourselves; as a result become overwhelmed.
To make 2023 work for you, you need to be mindful of who you are? You need to ask yourself, who am I? This is the most important question you need to ask yourself. When you know who you are, what works for you and what doesn’t work for you, then you will know how to approach 2023. Why is this important? Most times we tend to judge ourselves by the work and standard of other people without minding the fact that we are all wired differently. When you understand what is unique about you, you’ll begin to unleash your potential.
Understanding who you are enables you to make the right choices because you are self-aware of your abilities. You wouldn’t want to do things that are beyond your capacity.
Another of the many ways to make 2023 work for you is by being disciplined. Discipline means being intentional in what you will do or will not do. The major reason most people don’t succeed in their resolutions is because they are not disciplined enough to know how to approach their plans. For instance, some people make bogus plans of the amount of money they will save every week or month without being realistic with their income. Some who are heavy drinkers might decide they won’t drink again instead of saying I will reduce my drinking habit from five to three. The point here is that success in life is a gradual thing, you can’t rush it. So, if you have a goal you will like to accomplish, you have to be honest with yourself on how you can achieve it. You can decide to break it down in small steps.
Another great way to make 2023 work for you is by tracking your progress. It’s normal to feel a certain way when you don’t measure up based on your expectations, especially when you put in the work and do the needful, let me tell you, if you have a heart of gratitude, you will realise that you made an effort which didn’t work. Imagine, if you have not done the work, how would you have felt? Do you know that done is better than perfect when perfect is not done? Someone can appreciate you for the effort you have put in, you can even develop it by improving it.
Finally, endeavour to have mentors or accountability partners who can help you critique or advise you on how you can improve. In one of my articles, Mentors Are Life Savers, I stressed on the importance of having mentors as a catalyst for success.
In conclusion, the year 2023 will be what you decide to make of it. 2023 will answer the name you give to it. If you call it discipline, gratitude, hard work, smart work, intentionality or even wealth, it will respond. But if you decide to call it luck, whatever, game, or life, it will give you the desired results and answers you deserve. The choice is yours.
That said, I wish you a blissful 2023 filled with vitality and opportunities. If you need someone to guide you through, feel free to reach out to me via the information below.
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
Three Nigerian secondary schools are in the ring for the grand prize of N5m in the ongoing Glo Innov8 National STEM competition for girls in Senior Secondary Schools across the country.
The three top finalists were selected for their originality and innovation in the different entries for the competition. A total of 20 secondary schools were picked from over 200 schools which registered for the competition. After a series of considerations, 10 of them made it to the semifinal from which three; Ephraim High School, Isolo Campus, Lagos; Regina Pacis International School, Onitsha, Anambra State; and Peakfield Academy, Jos, Plateau State eventually coasted home to the finals.
Schools from Plateau, Kano, Lagos, Rivers, Edo, Borno, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Oyo, Anambra, FCT, Delta, Kaduna and Adamawa states had signified intentions to participate following a call for entries by Glo Foundation, Globacom’s corporate social responsibility arm as part of its celebration of the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child.
Glo Innov8, a STEM-driven challenge, has scheduled prizes worth N5 million to the three schools in the finals. The competition “is geared at inspiring young girls to Compete, Innovate and Win, while also strengthening their confidence and expanding their knowledge in STEM subjects”, Glo Foundation explained.
The eventual overall winning school will go home with a cash prize of N2,000,000 while the 2 students representing the school will each get a laptop. The Teacher/Mentor/STEM Coordinator also gets N200,000.
The schools that come second and third places and their Teachers/Mentors/STEM Coordinators will also receive mouth-watering consolation prizes.
The three female judges of the virtual phase of selection of the top 20 schools said they were excited by the quality of presentations by the competing schools. One of them, Tosin Olabode said: “I was particularly impressed by the prototype presentations from some schools. They demonstrated that they had done their homework”.
In the same vein, Amina Gabriel disclosed that she was thrilled by the variety of ideas that the schools came up with. “The schools presented innovative solutions tackling issues in agriculture, security, waste management, and firefighting. The top 10 schools showcased outstanding prototypes, from apps to robots, making the judging process truly competitive. I’m grateful to Glo Foundation for the opportunity to serve and support young girls in STEM”, she said.
According to Sharon Ibejih, the third judge, “This competition has showcased a highly competitive next generation of women leaders in STEM. This was an excellent exercise and a means to encourage more students in STEM to develop problem-solving and innovative thinking skills”.
The overall winning school will emerge at an event set to hold later this year at the Mike Adenuga Centre (Alliance Française), Ikoyi, Lagos.
The leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Nnamdi Kanu, has filed a motion to stop the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in his trial for alleged terrorism.
Justice James Omotosho, on November 7, fixed November 20 for judgment on the case.
The judge fixed the date after Kanu’s defence was foreclosed following his insistence that he would not enter his defence under a repealed law.
However, in the motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, he personally filed, the IPoB leader sought seven reliefs.
In the application dated November 10 and filed same date, Kanu sought an order arresting the delivery of judgment in charge no: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015.
The document was made public on Tuesday.
In it, he alleged that the proceedings were conducted under a repealed and non-existent statute and in disobedience to the Supreme Court’s directive contrary to Section 287(1) CFRN 1999.”
He sought a declaration that by virtue of Section 287(1) CFRN, the trial court was constitutionally bound to give effect to the Supreme Court’s finding that count 15 (now count 7) “does not exist in law,” and its failure rendered all subsequent proceedings null and void.
He also sought a declaration that the court’s failure to take judicial notice of the repeal of the 2013 Terrorism Act, contrary to Section 122 Evidence Act 2011, vitiates all steps taken thereunder.
The IPOB leader equally sought a declaration that by virtue of Section 76(1)(d)(iii) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to try him in the absence of proof that the alleged conduct constituted an offence under Kenyan law or of any Kenyan judicial validation or extradition order.
Besides, Kanu sought “a declaration that the plea purportedly taken on March 29, under a repealed and non-existent statute and in violation of Section 220 ACJA 2015 is void and incapable of conferring jurisdiction.
President Bola Tinubu has dispatched a strong delegation to London to address the situation of Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, who has been imprisoned in the UK since March 2023.
The delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi.
The team arrived in London on Monday and held discussions with officials from the UK’s Ministry of Justice.
Alkasim Abdulkadir, spokesperson for Tuggar, said on Tuesday that the presidential delegation was in London to engage with UK authorities to consider the possibility of Ekweremadu serving the remainder of his prison sentence in Nigeria.
The London Metropolitan Police detained the Ekweremadus in June 2022 after a man was deceitfully presented to a private renal unit at Royal Free Hospital in London as a relative of their daughter Sonia, in what turned out to be a failed attempt to convince medical professionals to perform an £80,000 transplant.
The 21-year-old man, who had allegedly been promised employment in the UK, reported the incident to the police in May of that year, saying that he had been brought to the country for an organ transplant.
In March 2023, the former presiding officer of Nigeria’s Senate was convicted of organ trafficking by a UK court. Beatrice, his wife, and Obinna Obeta, a doctor connected to the case, were also found guilty.
This verdict marked the first of its kind under the UK Modern Slavery Act.
On May 5, 2023, Ekweremadu received a nine-year and eight-month prison sentence, while his wife was sentenced to four years and six months, and Obeta was given a ten-year prison sentence.
In his ruling, Judge Jeremy Johnson determined that Beatrice should serve half of her sentence in custody and be supervised for the remainder. However, she was released from prison in January and has since returned to Nigeria.
