News
Food for Living: What You Seek is Within
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
A man who finds no satisfaction in himself will seek for it in vain elsewhere – François de La Rochefoucauld
Human beings, by nature, are insatiable. This is because they always hunger for more money, opportunities, love, respect, sex, recognition among others. It is instructive to note that a wealthy mind is considered poor as a result of greed while a poor man is considered rich because of his contentment.
As progressive minds, we must know that whatever we seek in life is within us, if we pay close attention. For instance, we have our hands to eat yet we invented cutleries; we have our legs to move around and travel yet we invented cars, bicycles, machines, ships, trains, planes and other forms of transportation. In the same vein, we invented eye glasses when we have eyes as well as invented cooking stoves when we have firewood. The list is literally endless. You can now see we have everything we need in our body?
One pertinent fact available is knowing that nobody will give you anything on a platter of gold. If you need success, you have to work for it; if you need love and happiness, you must find it internally; if you seek opportunities, you must create it by networking, meeting the right people and showing competence.
In the journey of life, you must take the risk by making a move, or live to rue over lost opportunities. If you need something, you must take proactive steps to get it. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Nelson Mandela, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr, Dele Momodu, Rosa Park, Martin Luther King Jnr, Henry Ukazu, and numerous great men and women that ever existed had a vision, and dreamt of a future they would love to see. Not only that, they made a move by looking inside of themselves and identified their strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. They knew what worked for them and what worked against them. They didn’t plan to be like somebody else. These made them unique.
We share the same genes with these great people as human beings. You can surpass them however, by listening to your inner instincts. When you hear things in your spirit, write them down because that might be a vision that is related to you. If the creator of the universe wants somebody else to hear it, it will be revealed to that person. Moral: Taking action is a distinguishing trait that makes celebrities and legends stand out.
For you to stand out as an exceptional being, you must know yourself. According to Aristotle, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom, and according to Robin Sharma, “the DNA of self-enlightenment is self-knowledge. Benjamin Franklin, on his own part, succinctly put it that “There are three things incredibly hard: steel, a diamond, and knowing one’s self,” When you know yourself, you won’t be deterred by the noise around you. You will be focused on working on yourself and your vision. Self awareness is truly lacking in our society, and because many people don’t know themselves, they tend to work in organizations they don’t like. When you know yourself, your energy will be different. That’s why it’s always good to maintain focus. When you interfere in other people’s focus, you will lose own focus, but when you focus on your on what is uniquely yours, other people will begin to borrow a leaf from you.
To tap into the power of within, you will need to focus on your internal being, for you can never find it outside of yourself. To do this, you must speak perfection; your eyes must see perfection; your ears must hear perfection; your mind must agree with your inner feeling. Perfection.
I will summarize with the words of a philosopher, who reasoned that the power of within can be activated by what you focus on. According to him:
If you’re looking for love, look within yourself and you will find it.
If you’re looking for joy, sit quietly and move your attention to the back of your heart, and you will feel it.
If you’re looking for inner peace, choose to let go of the thoughts and emotions that usually trigger your pain and fear, instead of clinging, and you will be it.
If you’re looking for happiness, look at everything around you through the lens of gratitude and unconditional love.
If you’re looking for success, connect to all the progress that your soul has made, all the lessons that you’ve learned, and all the gifts that you’ve received throughout.
If you’re looking for appreciation, appreciate yourself and all your efforts more, and you will no longer feel the need for it.
If you’re looking for better health, listen to your body, love every part of you, and nurture yourself as you would like to be nurtured by others.
If you’re looking for connection, close your eyes, tune into your breath, and send love to yourself and all beings, especially in times of challenge and triggering.
If you’re looking for trust, trust yourself to always know deep inside what is in your highest and best good.
If you’re looking for wisdom and discernment, listen and look attentively without the bias of attachment and aversion.
If you’re looking for more, be more present and you’ll experience the vastness and richness of your experience.
If you’re looking for presence, ground yourself in your body and you will feel it.
If you’re looking for fulfillment, come into alignment with who you truly are.
If you’re looking for alignment, get in touch with your feelings and find out who you truly are.
If you’re looking for equanimity, place your consciousness at the seat of your soul and stay there.
If you’re looking for God alignment, ask for guidance and intend to hear and receive it.
If you’re looking for intentionality, do the things that matter to you most.
If you’re looking for your true self, let go of your ego and you will find it.
Whatever you’re looking for, both internally and externally, it’s already there, within you. You are a microcosm to the macrocosm of the Universe. Everything within you is a representation of the outer world. If you go within – beyond the layers of ego – you will always find whatever you’re looking for.
Tune into yourself, observe your thoughts, feelings, and emotions with detachment, and focus your attention, time and energy where you want things to grow. That is the real and only secret of manifestation.
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
The All Progressives Congress has expelled a former Minister of Interior and ex-Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, over alleged anti-party activities.
Aregbesola, who led Osun State for two terms, had spearheaded a faction within the APC known as The Osun Progressives which was later rebranded as the Omoluabi Caucus.
A letter from the APC leadership seen by newsmen on Wednesday officially confirmed Aregbesola’s expulsion.
The letter, titled “Allegations of Anti-Party Activities – Conveyance of State Exco Decision to You,” accused him of breaching Article 21 of the party’s constitution, which outlines disciplinary measures for members.
The letter read in part, “At the end of the investigation, the State Executive Committee (SEC) considered the report of the Disciplinary Committee. Having carefully reviewed the findings and recommendations, the SEC resolved to approve your immediate expulsion from the APC.
“The decision was predicated on clear evidence of your actions, which undermined the unity and integrity of the party. As a result, you are no longer a member of the APC and must refrain from holding yourself out as one or acting on behalf of the party in any capacity.”
The former minister’s expulsion followed a Sunday meeting of the Omoluabi Caucus, presided over by Aregbesola, where the group announced its decision to exit the APC, citing the party’s waning influence in Osun.
Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has vehemently opposed the establishment of Sharia Court in the State, declaring it unauthorized and illegal.
He, therefore, directed the individuals behind its creation to immediately cease operations and disband all related activities.
The governor’s response followed the circulation of a flyer announcing the launch of a Sharia Court in Ogun State by the Sharia Arbitration Committee.
The flyer stated: “Alhamdulillah, it’s eventually established in Ogun State. A Sharia Court, which Ogun State Muslims have been yearning for, for ages, is finally here.”
It further invited litigants, stating: “You can now seek redress or have your case adjudicated based on Qur’an and Sunnah by reputable Islamic jurists. The Shari’ah Court, under the able leadership of eminent, reputable and erudite Islamic scholars like Shaykh Dr. Khidri Mustafa – Grand Qadi, Shaykh Abdu-r-Rasheed Mayeleke, Dr. Musa Afis, and a host of competent Islamic jurists, is open to all Muslims, male and female.”
It also listed the types of cases the court would handle, including marital disputes, Imamship tussles, organizational conflicts, child custody and guardianship, and inheritance matters.
Reacting to this development, Governor Abiodun issued a personally signed statement, making it clear that the legal framework of Ogun State does not recognize Sharia Court.
“No Sharia Court is authorised to operate within Ogun State. The courts that are legally empowered to adjudicate disputes arising within Ogun State are those established by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or by state laws, which are: Magistrates’ Courts, High Court, Customary Courts, Customary Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.”
The governor emphasized that Sharia law does not form part of the legal framework of Ogun State and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.
“No law operating in Ogun State has established a Sharia Court, and Sharia law does not form part of the legal framework by which the Ogun State Government administers and governs society,” he declared.
While recognizing the freedom of individuals to practice their religion, the governor stressed that this does not extend to creating unauthorized courts.
“No individual or group is legally permitted to constitute a court or present themselves to the public as a court without legal backing,” he warned.
Governor Abiodun then ordered the immediate cessation of all activities related to the illegal Sharia Court, stating:
“The Ogun State Government, hereby, directs that all persons involved in the creation or operation of this unauthorised court must immediately cease all related activities and disband the illegal entity and all its apparatus.”
He further warned the public against engaging with the court, urging them to report any related activities to the authorities.
“The Ogun State Government also advises members of the public to disregard any summons, documents, or persons associated with the illegal Sharia Court. Such occurrences should be promptly reported to the State.”
The controversy surrounding the establishment of Sharia Courts in the Southwest has been growing. Just last week, the Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji, similarly rejected the creation of a Sharia Court in his state, calling it illegal.
In December last year, the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria announced plans to inaugurate a Sharia Court in Oyo town, Oyo State. However, following public outcry, the council postponed the inauguration indefinitely.
Commenting on the issue, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said Sharia Courts would only be permitted if they align with the Nigerian Constitution.
“People may try, but for us, I swore to uphold our laws and the Constitution of Nigeria. If their actions are within the law, fine. If not, they should expect that I will insist the law must be followed,” Makinde stated.
On Monday, Afenifere and CAN publicly rejected the idea, while the International Council for Ifa Religion also voiced its disapproval.
The council’s President, Fayemi Fatunde, warned that the introduction of Sharia law in the Southwest could have hidden motives.
“We have witnessed the consequences of Sharia law in the northern parts of Nigeria. The introduction of Sharia law to the South-West has a hidden agenda of Islamisation, contrary to the narrative being presented,” Fatunde argued.
As the debate over Sharia Courts in the South West continues, the Ogun State Government has made its stance clear—only courts recognized by the Nigerian Constitution will be permitted in the state. With similar resistance in Ekiti, Oyo, and other states, the issue remains a subject of intense national debate.
The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) has debunked reports about an ongoing recruitment in the Commission, saying it is not true.
The Public Relations Officer of the FCSC, Mr. Taiwo Hassan, quoting the Chairman Tunji Olaopa on Monday night, clarified that there is no fresh recruitment currently going on at the commission.
“The attention of the FCSC has been drawn to information making the rounds on various media platforms about advertised vacancies and recruitments in the commission.
“The commission unequivocally declares that the information containing the commission’s website and the name of the Director (Recruitment and Appointment) did not emanate from the commission.
“It is fictitious and should be disregarded,” Hassan said.
He warned members of the public to be wary of activities of fake recruitment syndicates and racketeers.
He said the commission would officially announce to the public on national dallies and through its website whenever such recruitment exercise commenced.
