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Food for Living: What Do You Want?
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny friends,
“If you could say in one word what you want more of in life, what would that be?”
As human beings, we have so many demands, needs, dreams, aspirations, goals, ambitions, visions, and desires. All these thoughts are constantly in our minds. However, one of the nutty issues we battle daily as rational beings is the ability to differentiate between our needs and our wants. Sometimes, we concentrate our energy on our wants instead of our needs; don’t get me wrong, focusing your energy on your wants is not a bad idea, but we should be able to balance our life by spending quality time working on what will add value to our life.
It’s instructive to note that the world doesn’t care about your weakness, rather they appreciate your strength. That’s why you ought to major in your strength and work on your weakness.
If you are asked, what do you want? Depending on the stage and interest you have in life, your answer may vary. As a young lady who is due for marriage, you might say, husband, if married, you might say a child. As a student, married man, businessman, politician, athlete, actor, etc., your answer will definitely be different. For example, in a relationship, many couples experience challenges that are not limited to money, communication, conflicts, sex, expectations, and personalities in marriage. All these factors play a role in meeting their expectations, especially when conflicts arise.
As a professional you may want may be to write a book, start a new business, travel abroad, attain a second or third degree in an IVY league school, attain financial freedom, etc. To some other person who is not literally attracted to material things, the desires and wants might be happiness, peace, joy, freedom, fulfillment, etc. To another, their desire might be how to have self-confidence, being able to make decisions and execute as opposed to having a biased mind. The list is literally inexhaustible.
Furthermore, to know what truly matters to you, if you are asked, what is the one thing you will do, and you know you won’t fail, what will be your response?
As a self-discovery coach, I discover that one of the challenges most people have is how to discover their purpose. When you discover your purpose, you will be able to decipher what you want. As a self-discovery coach, I help people to discover their purpose and what’s unique about them by assisting them to make the right choice, turning their failures into their friends for them to unleash their potentials.
Almost on a daily basis, I see many people struggling with this question, who am I? It should be noted; self-discovery is one of the hardest things in life. The moment you discover what’s unique about you and your purpose in life, you have answered one of the most difficult questions in life. As a matter of fact, the day you discover yourself, is the day you become a millionaire.
In the journey of life, we’ll continue to discover new things about our self because as human beings we evolve daily. According to Alvin Toffler, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” We live in a dynamic world, and a great way to survive is by adapting to the new realities.
Just like we have different taste buds, we also have different tastes in life, especially as it relates to the luxuries of life. For example, if you have an interest in cars that speed, you are more likely to get a Mercedes Benz, if you have an interest in a car with durability, you are better of with Toyota and Honda. It should be noted that both of these cars will give you comfort, they will take you to your desired destination, but they have specific functions which attracted you to them. Again, I ask you, what do you want?
The same analogy is applicable to a house. All houses are literally the same, the only difference is the space. If you have one-bedroom, two-bedrooms, three-bedrooms, five-bedrooms apartment, bungalow, duplex, etc., they are all decent houses, the only major difference here is your choice and the space they accumulate, otherwise, they’ll have the basic interiors a house is supposed to have like television, air-condition, chair, refrigerator, etc. You will even get the same level of comfort.
It’s quite unfortunate some people with poor mindsets think they are living a low life or even suffering because they don’t have larger rooms or space. Please change that mindset; you not suffering because you are living in a one-bedroom apartment neither are you living a low life because you are driving a particular brand of car. Life is a matter of choice. Some wealthy minds drive lower brands of cars while some average people drive luxury cars just to impress people. But the irony of life is that people who literally have money, don’t live to impress people, they just live their life and you can see they are very comfortable as opposed to average people who might struggle to live up to expectation. Again, what do you want?
Regardless of what your desires and dreams might be, I want to tell you that they are valid. You just have to tell yourself the honest truth about what works for you, not what others say to you. You know what you want. Your desires, expectations, and interest are unique to you. You don’t literally have to care for other people’s opinion, the best you can do is to give it a thought; if it aligns with your values and interest, then make the necessary adjustment.
The best way to make a decision is to look into your inner heart and ask yourself if you have inner peace, and to know if you have inner peace, you will be fulfilled in your heart.
In conclusion. I charge you today to critically evaluate your interest, values, passion, vision, and most importantly what will be the greatest impact in your life at any point in time, and then decide what you want.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a mindset coach and public speaker. 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
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.
A Chief Magistrate in the Rivers State Judiciary, Mr. Ejike George, has resigned his appointment.
He hinged his decision on the unease over the appointment of a Sole Administrator to oversee the affairs of the State.
His resignation was contained in a letter dated April 11, 2025, and addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State through the Secretary of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission.
The letter was titled “Voluntary Retirement From Service.”
George, who disclosed that he had put in 16 years in the judiciary, said the appointment of a Sole Administrator is tantamount to a “quasi-military administration.”
He expressed dismay over the direction of the governance of the State, which he said is “alien” and “antithetical” to the values of the legal profession.
The statement read: “This present is intended to convey my decision to voluntarily retire my appointment as Magistrate of the Judiciary of Rivers State.
“This difficult and regrettable decision is informed largely by my discomfort with the recent appointment of a quasi-military administration to run the affairs of a modern state like ours.
“Milord will agree with me that this type of governance system is not only alien but also runs antithetical to our hallowed profession as legal practitioners and adjudicators.
“Having put in a whopping 16 (sixteen) out of my 22 (twenty-two) years of legal practice into this Judiciary as Magistrate under successive democratic administrations, I find it difficult to work with the current setting, as doing so would amount to a tacit and naive acquiescence.
“Thanks Milord, for the opportunity to serve.”
