Metro
Food for Living: Time to Leave Your Comfort Zone
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Friends,
If we are truly honest to ourselves, we will admit that we like to be comfortable with all the good things life can offer. There’s hardly anyone who doesn’t like comfort. No, no one. We like to be financially stable/independent; we like our business to boom; and not forgetting the fact that we like our family and friends to be comfortable. We always like it when things go our way. In general, we like our path to be comfortable. Nobody likes to be stressed. Stress itself is toxic to human nature. This comfort has left a dent in the minds of some lazy beings which made them remain in their comfort zone. However, it should be noted that being comfortable in this context is relative. We are not concerned with the literal, denotative or connotative meaning of being comfortable, like being complacent and docile. Our focus here is how to go over and beyond by appreciating yourself, your business and being true to whatever you are doing as opposed to looking and wishing you have what other people have.
In order for you to move on in life, you need to leave your comfort zone. Becoming the best version of yourself means that you’re going to move away from where you are, so you must be willing to shred your old self. When you’re raising your own bar, you’re essentially creating a gap between you and people around you. As usual, your old self is going to resist, but it’s up to you to reject by not allowing the resistance to have its way.
Human beings by nature, are insatiable. We always have the urge to get the good things of life even if it means going the extra mile just to satisfy our appetite. For example, we always look for title in order to appear successful in the sight of men or approved. We believe if we become a partner in a major law firm we’ll be happy and successful; we believe if we have hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions of dollars in our bank accounts, we’ll literally be happy; we believe, if we become a lead supervisor in a reputable company or organization or even attain a particular position in life, we’ll feel fulfilled. In reality, it doesn’t work that way.
We all have what it takes to succeed in life, all you have to do is look internally and figure out one of the problem/challenges facing the world and then use your creative skill, knowledge, talent, etc. to solve it. We all have the potentials of succeeding in life. I call it the seeds of greatness living in us. All we need to do is to activate it and watch it grow. Don’t look down on your gift, talent or the little work of your hands, it might be the secret to your turnaround in life. You might even be solving one of the greatest problems/challenges facing the world today if you stay committed to your purpose. As a word of advice and encouragement, start small and build, but always have the big picture in your mind.
There’s always an underlying pressure to be the number one in the world. Nobody wants to play the second fiddle. We all want our business to top the brand/market, we all want to be seen as the most talented, successful, best entertainer, student, worker, writer, etc. Sometimes, we need these affirmations to feel good about ourselves, otherwise, we won’t feel good about ourselves. But we fail to realize that every case is different and each and every one of us is running a different race. Most times as human beings, we seem to forget who we are and the power we have in our possession. If only we can work on ourselves by striving to be a better person than what we were yesterday we’ll literally out stand ourselves. Sometimes, we even wish to imitate our friends or colleagues who go on vacation, gain promotion, etc. This attitude makes us to wish we have what other people have, and if this habit is not controlled, we might begin to breed jealousy in our hearts. But if you can stay true to your lane by appreciating yourself, your business in addition to looking internally and hearing the inner still voice speaking to you, you’ll succeed. Just play by the rules, work hard and do what you have to do.
The journey of life is not a competition, though a healthy competition is good. Let me share a little story with you; it was said that two labourers Mr. A and Mr. B were digging the ground to get gold. Both of them spent a considerable amount of time but all to no avail. They had the hope and believe that they will eventually find gold. In fact, at a stage, they were almost giving up hope because they didn’t see any hope/chance of finding gold. While one of the men felt all hope was gone, the other continued to strike the wall and luckily for him, he was able to find gold and he happily went home feeling good. When Mr. B saw his colleague had found gold, he left his spot to concentrate on his partner’s spot with hope luck will favor him, he didn’t know there were piles of gold in front of him. In fact, all he needed was little patience to reap the fruits of the labour. That’s how life works, most times, we are always busy focusing on other people’s work not knowing that we can spend the same considerable amount of time building ourselves and our empire. The moral of this post is that it’s better to concentrate on your craft than believing its green on the side of the lawn. Mr. B was too myopic to find out that he was merely surrounded by gold.
Be informed, in the journey of life, you are not running anybody’s race, you’re runing your race, and don’t make the mistake of competing with anyone, otherwise, you might be frustrated. Quit driving to outperform someone. Be comfortable with who you are, your business, and whom God has called you to be. It takes a secure person to say I’m comfortable with what I am, who I am and what I am doing or building. Don’t be concerned with another person’s story, rather, write your own story and chart your path. Don’t compare the sun and the moon, they shine when it is their time. Your race is made up of no other person but you.
Let’s share some ways on how we can be the best version of ourselves.
1. Amplify your strengths. You can be anything, but you can’t be everything. Concentrate your energy on what makes you happy. Always maximize your strength and minimize your energy. You can do this by majoring on your strength and working on your weakness. One of the best ways to figure out what you can do well is doing any positive work whenever you are called. It doesn’t matter if you are just waking up or you are not paid to do it.
2. Live your every day to the fullest by doing what’s necessary. Learn to differentiate what’s within and beyond your circle of control. Once you’ve done your best, what happens, happens for a reason. Be patient and keep grinding.
As long as you’re working in the right direction, things will work out. The most important of all, enjoy the journey — even if it sucks sometimes. In summary, let me give you a rule of thumb, don’t compare yourself, celebrate yourself. It is only by so doing, we’ll be comfortable with our lives and business.
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. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com
By Tolulope A. Adegoke PhD
…The Systemic Blueprint for Collective and Enduring Impact
“True impact scales through a virtuous cycle: the purposeful individual inspires the principled corporation, which advocates for the farsighted nation—each elevating the other to build a legacy that endures” – Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
The journey of legacy-building, as initiated in our previous discourse, begins in the quiet, deliberate space of self-examination. “Zero to Global Impact: Auditing Yourself for a Sustainable Legacy,” established the non-negotiable prerequisite of the personal audit—a rigorous introspection across the four pillars of Vision/Values, Skills/Knowledge, Influence/Networks, and Actions/Outputs. This process answers the fundamental questions of why we act and who we aspire to become as agents of change.
However, the transformation from introspection to transformation, from individual intent to systemic impact, represents the next critical phase. This evolution requires a shift in mindset: from being a solitary sculptor, carefully carving a personal monument, to becoming a master architect, designing resilient structures that others can inhabit, build upon, and thrive within for generations. The challenge, and the profound opportunity of our time, is to scale the principles of sustainable legacy-building beyond the individual to the monumental scales of corporate enterprise and national governance.
This comprehensive sequel, therefore, moves from the microscope of the self to the drafting table of the collective. We will meticulously unpack a detailed, actionable framework for constructing scalable legacies across three interdependent tiers of influence: the Individual (the Architect), the Corporation (the Institution), and theNation (the Ecosystem). By exploring the unique responsibilities, strategies, and possibilities at each tier, we provide a master blueprint for turning audited potential into orchestrated, global impact.
The Scalable Legacy Framework: An Interdependent Model of Change
Sustainable impact is not a linear path but a dynamic, iterative process. It originates from a Purpose-Driven Core, is amplified and operationalized through Strategic Pillars, and achieves genuine, enduring scale via Multiplier Effects that reshape the entire environment. The following blueprint visualizes this powerful, reinforcing progression:
As illustrated, the individual’s clarity of purpose is the essential seed from which all else grows. This purpose is then championed within and through corporate structures, which provide the resources and reach to amplify impact. Nations, in turn, can create the fertile ground—the policies, education, and infrastructure—that enables corporations and individuals to flourish in their legacy-building endeavors. Crucially, the flow is reciprocal: progressive national policies influence corporate behavior, and purpose-driven corporations attract and develop conscious individuals, creating a virtuous cycle of escalating positive impact.
Tier 1: The Individual Architect – Engineering a Life of Intentional Impact
The individual remains the fundamental catalyst for all change. With the personal audit complete, the task shifts to architectural execution—designing a life where daily actions are consciously aligned with long-term significance.
Elaborated Blueprint for Action:
· From Vision to a Strategic Portfolio of Impact Projects: The modern professional must transcend the confines of a single job description. The legacy-conscious individual strategically manages their career as a “diversified portfolio of impact projects.” Your primary employment is one key asset in this portfolio. Other holdings might include a pro-bono mentorship role guiding young professionals, a leadership position in a community non-profit, a personal research initiative into a sustainable technology, or a creative pursuit that advocates for social change. This portfolio approach not only diversifies your impact channels but also builds resilience, ensuring that your legacy is not dependent on a single institution or role.
· From Skills to Curating Knowledge Ecosystems: The goal evolves from being a mere repository of skills to becoming a curator and distributor of knowledge. This involves the systematic codification of expertise—creating detailed whitepapers, recording instructional modules, developing standardized templates, or maintaining a thought-leadership blog. By creating this “open-source” repository for your network, you transition from a knowledge hoarder to a knowledge hub. This strategy ensures that your expertise compounds, creating a living, growing ecosystem that educates and empowers others long after your direct involvement has ceased.
· From Networks to Strategic Impact Coalitions: Move beyond passive networking to the active formation of focused, mission-driven “impact coalitions.” Identify a specific, tangible challenge aligned with your core vision—for instance, “reducing plastic waste in the local supply chain” or “improving digital literacy in underserved communities.” Then, intentionally gather a small, dedicated group of diverse stakeholders from your network to address it. This transforms your network from a static Rolodex into a dynamic engine for collaborative problem-solving, creating a powerful force multiplier for your individual efforts.
The Expanded Possibility: The individual architect becomes a living prototype of integrated success. By demonstrating that professional achievement and profound positive impact are not mutually exclusive but synergistic, they serve as a powerful beacon. This influence ripples outward, inspiring peers, shifting team dynamics, and gradually elevating the cultural expectations within their organizations and communities, thereby creating a grassroots foundation for widespread change.
Tier 2: The Corporate Institution – Weaving Legacy into Organizational DNA
Corporations represent the most powerful institutional force in the global landscape. Their capacity for impact—through technological innovation, global supply chains, capital allocation, and cultural influence—is unprecedented. A legacy audit for a corporation must therefore transcend peripheral Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and even the more integrated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting. The ultimate goal is to evolve into a fully Purpose-Driven Enterprise, where legacy is the core operating system, not a sidelined application.
Elaborated Blueprint for Action:
· Audit and Realign the Corporate Soul: This begins with a courageous, enterprise-wide audit mirroring the personal one. Leadership must ask:
o Vision/Values: Is our stated purpose the definitive litmus test for all major strategic decisions, including mergers and acquisitions, market entry, and capital expenditure? Does it guide us in times of ethical crisis?
o Skills/Knowledge: Are we investing sufficiently in Research & Development dedicated to sustainable and circular solutions? Are we proactively up-skilling our workforce for the green economy, future-proofing both our employees and our business model?
o Influence/Networks: Are we leveraging our industry influence to advocate for higher ethical standards and progressive public policies? Are we engaging in pre-competitive collaborations with rivals to solve systemic issues like supply chain transparency or carbon neutrality?
o Actions/Outputs: Have we moved beyond short-term shareholder primacy to adopt a integrated triple-bottom-line framework that rigorously measures our performance against social equity, environmental stewardship, and financial prosperity?
· Incentivize Legacy-Driven Leadership and Innovation: To operationalize purpose, incentive structures must be fundamentally redesigned. A significant portion of executive compensation and bonus pools should be tied to the achievement of ambitious, measurable legacy metrics—such as net-zero carbon milestones, employee well-being and diversity indices, and supply chain ethical compliance scores. Furthermore, corporations must foster intra-preneurship by creating internal incubators and innovation grants specifically earmarked for employee-led projects that tackle social and environmental challenges aligned with the company’s core mission.
· Embed Transparency and Stakeholder Capitalism: A true legacy is built on trust. This requires radical transparency through detailed, audited annual impact reports that openly discuss both successes and failures. It also means formally embracing a stakeholder capitalism model, where the interests of employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and the environment are given serious weight in corporate governance, alongside those of shareholders.
The Expanded Possibility: The corporation transforms from a perceived extractive entity into a regenerative and integral part of society. It builds unshakeable brand loyalty, attracts and retains the most talented and purpose-seeking employees, mitigates long-term regulatory and reputational risks, and unlocks new markets through sustainable innovation. In doing so, it generates superior, durable shareholder value by actively contributing to the health and stability of the world upon which its business depends.
Tier 3: The National Ecosystem – Governing for Intergenerational Equity
Nations are the ultimate stewards of the rules, infrastructure, and cultural context that shape all other activities. The legacy of a nation is not measured by the GDP of a single quarter but by the long-term health, security, and opportunity it provides for generations of its citizens. The national audit demands a shift in perspective from governing for the next election cycle to governing for the next generation.
Elaborated Blueprint for Action:
· Audit Beyond GDP: Implementing a Legacy Dashboard: Nations must pioneer a new scorecard for progress. This involves supplementing or replacing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with a comprehensive “legacy dashboard” based on frameworks like the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) or Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness (GNH). This dashboard would provide a holistic view of national well-being, tracking metrics such as environmental asset depletion, income inequality, educational attainment, public health outcomes, work-life balance, and the resilience of critical infrastructure.
· Create Legislative and Policy Frameworks for Long-Termism: To combat short-term political pressures, nations can establish independent, non-partisan institutions like “Future Generations Commissions” or “Office for Intergenerational Responsibility.” These bodies would be empowered to review proposed legislation and policy for its long-term consequences, providing impact assessments that extend 25, 50, or even 100 years into the future. Furthermore, governments can issue “Legacy Bonds” or establish sovereign wealth funds specifically dedicated to funding century-scale projects, such as national climate adaptation networks, transformative public transportation systems, or foundational scientific research.
· Foster Synergistic Public-Private-Academic Impact Alliances: The government’s role as a strategic convener is paramount. It can launch national “Moonshot” missions—ambitious, focused goals like achieving energy independence through renewables or eradicating a specific disease. These missions are then powered by synergistic alliances, combining public funding and policy support with corporate innovation, manufacturing scale, and academic research excellence.
· Reform Education for Legacy Citizenship: The education system is the cornerstone of a nation’s long-term legacy. Curricula must be reformed to move beyond rote memorization and vocational training to cultivate the values, critical thinking, and systemic understanding required for “legacy citizenship.” This includes emphasis on ecological literacy, ethical reasoning, media literacy, civic engagement, and the skills for collaborative problem-solving.
The Expanded Possibility: The nation establishes itself as a global leader in sustainable and equitable development. It attracts responsible long-term investment, fosters a vibrant culture of innovation and civic trust, and ensures the well-being and resilience of its citizens against future shocks. This creates a legacy of stability, prosperity, and global respect that secures the nation’s position and influence for the 21st century and beyond.
The Convergence: The Virtuous Cycle of Escalating Impact
The true power of this architectural approach lies in the powerful, synergistic convergence between the tiers. This is not a top-down hierarchy but an interactive, reinforcing network:
· Informed and empowered individuals act as change agents within corporations, demanding higher ethical standards and more purposeful work, while also acting as conscious consumers, rewarding responsible brands.
· Purpose-driven corporations, in turn, become powerful advocates for smarter, more stable, and forward-thinking national policies, creating a level playing field that rewards high standards and long-term thinking.
· Forward-thinking nations create the enabling environment—through education, infrastructure, and policy—that empowers individuals to thrive and enables corporations to innovate responsibly.
This creates a virtuous cycle where progress at any level catalyzes and accelerates progress at all others, leading to a compound effect on the scale and sustainability of global impact.
The Call to Action: Laying Your Stone in the Cathedral of the Future
The construction of a sustainable legacy is the most critical project of our personal and collective lives. It is not a solitary act of grandeur but a collective, intergenerational endeavor—akin to the building of a great cathedral. You may not see the spire completed in your lifetime, nor will you lay every stone. But your solemn responsibility is to ensure that the stones you do lay are true, that the foundation you build upon is solid, and that the blueprint you follow is one of integrity, compassion, and foresight.
Facts to Uphold:
1. Your legacy is not a monument to be admired, but a foundation to be built upon. Stop sculpting a statue for yourself; start architecting a future where others can thrive
2. A sustainable legacy begins not with a grand gesture, but with a ruthless audit of the self. The blueprint for global impact is drawn from the honest alignment of your actions with your values.
3. Stop building a career. Start architecting a legacy. Audit your values, align your actions, and build systems that outlive you.
Therefore, we must all—as individuals, as leaders of institutions, as citizens of nations—continually ask ourselves the defining question:
“Does the system I am building today have the integrity and resilience to endure, thrive, and provide sanctuary for those who come long after I am gone?”
Begin with your audit. Clarify your purpose. Then, pick up your tools—your skills, your influence, your actions—and begin your work as a master architect of a future we can all be proud to inherit. The blueprint is here. The time to build is now.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke, AMBP-UN is a Recipient of the Nigerian Role Models Award (2024), and a Distinguished Ambassador For World Peace (AMBP-UN).
Globacom has entered into a strategic partnership with the Osun State Government to roll out 20,000 closed user group (CUG) lines for civil servants, teachers, local government staff and political appointees across the state.
The initiative, branded Imole Connect, is designed to foster seamless communication and collaboration among government workers, thereby improving efficiency and productivity.
Speaking at the official launch in Osogbo on Wednesday, Governor Ademola Adeleke commended Globacom for supporting the state’s digital drive. He described the project as a crucial step towards bridging communication gaps in the public sector.
“With the launch of 20,000 Glo Imole Connect lines today, we are taking a bold step towards improving our public servants’ linkage across the State. These lines, operating under a closed user group (CUG) arrangement, come with significantly reduced call and data rates,” Governor Adeleke noted.
He further explained that, “one of the challenges in public governance has always been the difficulty of seamless communication. Information does not always move quickly or efficiently and this has often led to avoidable delays and disconnections between agencies and officers across different levels. With this new arrangement, I am confident that we will begin to close those gaps and work in closer alignment.”
On his part, Globacom’s National Head, Enterprise Business Group, Mr. Adeniyi Odejobi, assured that the company was committed to enhancing service delivery in Osun State through efficient communication.
“Globacom has transformed from being just a telecommunications company to being a digital solutions provider where we offer enterprise solutions to large organisations, government and public sector organisations to enhance digital economy and enhance the operations of smart cities in some sub nationals,” he explained.
Desirous of promoting the love for sciences and pursuit of careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the Glo Foundation, Globacom’s corporate social responsibility arm, is staking millions of naira to promote STEM among girls across the country.
This is part of its programme for the celebration of this year’s edition of the International Day of the Girl Child.
The Foundation has put in place the ‘Glo Innov8’ National STEM Competition for girls in Senior Secondary Schools across the country. The competition, a STEM-focused challenge, will see the winning schools carting home N5 million in prizes.
A statement from Glo Foundation explained that the ‘Glo Innov8’ National STEM Competition is aimed at enabling girls in secondary schools to “Compete, Innovate and Win” in the competition and also enhance the confidence and knowledge of the girl child.
It also added that the competition “is our modest way at Glo Foundation of celebrating and encouraging the girl child to focus more on the studies of STEM subjects and pursue careers in these areas in future so as to become problem solvers for the country”.
The overall winning school with the best idea walks away with N2,000,000 prize, while the 2 Students who will represent the school will get a laptop each, and the Teacher/Mentor/STEM Coordinator gets a token of N200,000. The students of the schools that come 2nd and 3rd, as well as the Teachers/Mentors/STEM Coordinators will also get consolation prizes.
The registration for the Glo Foundation National Stem Competition tagged “Glo Innov8”, which kicked off on the Monday September 15th, will end on October 5, 2025.
To register for a chance to win, all that schools across Nigeria have to do is visit https://glo-foundation.com/glo-innov8/ and fill the form, to STEM their way to N5,000,000.
