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
Jigawa State governor, Umar Namadi, has cautioned against calls for self-defence from mauruding bandits and killer herders, warning that such a move could plunge the country into anarchy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Governor Namadi responded to recent comments by retired General Theophilus Danjuma, who urged Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits and armed attackers, particularly in Benue and Plateau states.
General Danjuma, a former Minister of Defence, had argued that reliance on the government for protection was no longer tenable given the spate of violence and killings in the country.
“It is now very clear that the government alone cannot protect us. We must stand up and defend ourselves, our families, and our lands before these criminals overrun the entire country,” Danjuma said during a public event in Takum, Taraba State, on Saturday.
But Governor Namadi rejected that approach, describing it as a dangerous path.
“He (T.Y. Danjuma) is a very senior security person, and his words deserve respect and analysis,” Namadi said. “But I think if you say citizens should be allowed to defend themselves, you’re causing anarchy. I don’t think we’ve reached that level yet.”
He argued that rather than encourage armed self-defence, the government at all levels must continue to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
“The government is doing its best in terms of security arrangements. If you allow the people to defend themselves, that means you are encouraging a crisis between farmers and herders,” the governor warned.
Namadi cited his administration’s approach to resolving the long-standing farmer-herder clashes in Jigawa State as a better alternative. According to him, when he assumed office, he prioritised non-violent conflict resolution strategies.
“When we came in, we decided to employ a lot of strategies and tactics, including dialogue,” he said. “We engaged traditional rulers, as well as representatives of both farmers and herders. We sat down, reached a consensus, and established standing committees to reconcile all parties.”
He added that these efforts helped halt a decades-long conflict:
“The people now understand that the 25 years spent fighting and killing each other were not worth it. Today, they are able to work, interact, and live together in peace.”
Governor Namadi further noted that Jigawa is currently not among the states facing severe threats such as insurgency or mass killings by bandits. Instead, the primary challenge had been farmer-herder clashes, which his administration has successfully curtailed.
“We thank God that Jigawa State is not affected by insurgency or insecurity for no. The major issue we are dealing with is the herders-farmers clash, and we are addressing it decisively,” he said.
Despite the worsening security in other parts of the country, Governor Namadi insisted that self-defence is not a viable solution and could deepen the crisis:
“So, I think the government is doing its best, both at the federal and state levels. The issue of asking people to defend themselves — I think we have not reached that level yet.
Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed that the North will, in the next six months, take a stand on who to support for the presidency in 2027.
He boasted that no politician can win the presidency in 2027 without the support of the region.
In a video interview he granted in Hausa language, Baba-Ahmed, who appeared alongside a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, lamented the state of the nation and urged northerners to resist divisive and deceptive politicians ahead of the next general elections.
He said: “In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands. If the rest of the country wants to join us, fine. If not, we will go our own way. One thing is clear: nobody can become president of Nigeria without northern support.
“We want a government that understands our problems and can address them. After Buhari’s eight years, we became wiser. Now, we are in another government, and we are still crying. Is crying all we know how to do?” Baba-Ahmed asked.
According to the former presidential aide, the North has suffered greatly during the Boko Haram insurgency, which affected all groups, Muslims, Christians, Fulani, Baju, and others, highlighting the need for unity.
“Before Buhari became president, Boko Haram was bombing mosques, churches, Abuja, and Lagos. That was a time Northerners had to unite. Today, no politician can just show up and expect Northerners to fall in line. Who are you?” he questioned.
He therefore warned against further marginalization of the North, noting that continued disregard for the region would have consequences.
“If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria. The North is watching, elders, masses, and interest groups will soon say “enough is enough ‘. The injustice and sidelining must stop.
Baba-Ahmed urged the northern region to look beyond identity politics, stressing that competence and integrity should guide voter decisions.
“We are tired of being deceived into voting based on religion or ethnicity. That era is over. We just want a right leader, we just want someone who will solve our problems,” he said.
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.
