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Food for Living: You Can’t Rush Destiny
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By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
One of the most discussed topics in the world is the concept of destiny. To some people destiny is predetermined, to others it is what you make out of life. Destiny can be likened to leadership. If I may ask; are leaders made or born? According to some schools of thought, leaders are born, while to another school of thought, leaders are made. It all depends on the side of the decide to key in yourself. One thing is certain however, leaders are made and leaders are born. This is because some are born to acquire the skills of leadership by reading and learning from the best while some are born with such quality and then they develop it. According to Williams Shakespeare “some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them”.
In discussing destiny, a lot of questions normally come to mind, amongst them are: is there anything like destiny? Can destiny be delayed? Must one work to accomplish/manifest destiny? These are some of the numerous questions which of course can be a discussion for another day because they are very ambiguous and somewhat sensitive. In today’s conversation, we shall focus on fulfilling one’s destiny.
In our contemporary society, a lot of people worship money. The crave of money has made a lot of people focus on what is not relevant in life thereby leading to misplaced priority. The crave for money has made many people miss their path to life. If we are honest to ourselves, the most priced wealth we may like to have is to be “fulfilled” in life. This is because when you are fulfilled, nothing else matters. It is instructive to note that you might have all the money you desire and still remain miserable because you lack joy and fulfillment. Don’t get me wrong, money is good, but we have seen rich people commit suicide despite the enormous wealth in their possession. That’s a question we need to ponder upon.
It is also instructive to note that if the only thing you have is money, you’re poor. According to some schools of thought, when they have money, it can complement their peace, passion and fulfillment to some extent. One can imagine how true the statement might sound, but a closer look will reveal that they may lack internal peace and fulfillment, especially when they don’t have what makes them happy.
One of the priceless gifts and assets one can have is peace of mind. Nor matter how wealthy you are, if you don’t have peace of mind you’re literally poor. This is because you’ll always be in a perplexed mood.
In seeking wealth, the first thing to ask yourself is, what’s my purpose? In the same vein, in seeking to know more about your destiny, the first thing you need to do is to ask your creator. Once you have been able to figure out your purpose, you’re close to fulfilling your purpose on earth. It’s quite unfortunate to know that a lot of people fail to discover themselves before leaving this world. We struggle with our identity to find purpose which shouldn’t be. It should be noted that we are all packages/gifts waiting to be opened.
It is a well-established fact that succeeding in life entails following lots of laid down principles, some of which might be unpopular. However, the big picture should be the vision as opposed to vested interest. Confident people don’t go about begging to be recognized; they know what they are made of, hence they work on their craft knowing fully well that at the right time, they will get to the end of the tunnel where light will shine.
Furthermore, genuine success in life is a gradual process. There’s nothing like an overnight success. It is very sad and unfortunate to note that due to the crave for fame and material things, lesser minds condescend to criminal and nefarious acts just to attain some level of success. This shouldn’t be the case, especially if you know yourself. The whole word literally stands out for the man who knows where he’s headed. If you truly know yourself, you don’t need anyone to sing your validation. Success will truly come to you if you play by the rules of the game, especially those destined to succeed
Globally, the world has seen rational minds who are desperate for power and material wealth and lose out simply because they were not destined to have it. One of the best things that can happen to any human being knowing himself. Once you know yourself, you can attract opportunities, especially again if you are destined for success.
At creation, you were not responsible for choosing when, how and where you’ll be born, neither are you responsible for choosing your gender. You may have the dream of working in a particular industry, company or even contest for a political election, but if you’re not destined to be in that industry, even if you’re opportune to get there, you’re likely going to crash when you get to the top. Even if you don’t crash, you might not be happy despite having everything together.
Therefore, I will strongly encourage you to maintain your lane and stay focused. Rushing to attain wealth without having substance is like setting up yourself for disaster. When you have a business, you need to be consistent in your craft. If you are a student, you need focus to study your dream course. If you’re a teacher, you need to be rich ‘upstairs’ in order to impact resourceful knowledge. The list is literally endless.
Life generally involves wisdom, sacrifice, patience and understanding in order for one to appreciate the inherent blessings being offered. You may have toiled day and night, but then that’s the price of success. You need to put in the work and hope and pray the universe will appreciate your work. We are all destined to succeed in life, but the simple reason why we don’t truly succeed is because we are either too busy imitating other people or we fail to look inwards at what’s inside of us that makes us unique. There was a story about two friends digging for gold, one was close to hitting tons of gold, but he relented while his friend was able to strike gold. He literally left all he has been doing just to continue to focus his energy on his friend’s exploration instead of concentrating on his work, not knowing he was on the verge of hitting jackpot.
When our plans don’t go as planned, sometimes we feel frustrated which can make us detour. However, if we remain focused, we’ll reap the fruit of our labour. It’s important to note that circumstances don’t say who we are, they reveal who we are.
In conclusion. destiny can be delayed, but it can’t be denied. What is for you will surely wait for you to claim it when the time is right. Therefore, don’t try to rush your destiny, otherwise, you might reroute your success.
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 and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
To be successful, everyone needs to be effective and efficient in all they do. Success does not come from nicety, speech articulation or fine diction, spotless dressing, connections, good proposal or even from having a good product. Though all these factors might play a role, a business man must not only be efficient in their business, they must also be effective.
These words, effective and efficient no doubt, are so closely related, however there’s a thin line of difference between the two. If you stay with me for awhile, you’ll understand.
One might be wondering what the difference between being effective and being efficient is. According to Dr. Yomi Garnett, a prolific and exceptional ghost writer, efficiency is the ability to do something well without wasting energy or effort, whilst to be effective is simply to do something well. Let’s talk a minute to explain how this works. One can be efficient and not effective, and one can be effective and not efficient. But a truly great mind is both effective and efficient. When one is efficient, it means that he can do the work within the shortest possible time. This may be because he has done it over and over again, and have mastered its nitty-gritty.
There’s a saying, if someone can’t explain something to a six-year-old child, that person doesn’t understand the subject very well. I agree with this saying because when someone understands something, he/she won’t go through stress explaining it, and will spend minimum time doing it. Whilst for someone who is effective, he knows the issue or has a subject matter expert on the business very well. He can literally do it when he wakes up from sleep without rehearsing. So, in summary, an effective person saves time, while an efficient person explains better.
As progressive beings, we must be proactive with not only our life, but also our business, career, and whatever we find our hand worthy of doing. By doing so, people will appreciate us and support us. In business, one of the best forms of advertising is referral. When one’s work is exceptionally good, he doesn’t need too much advertising; his work will speak for itself. For instance, anyone who may have used the product might say ‘I have used this product or service, and I can guarantee its effectiveness’. Another person might say ‘the staff are very efficient, professional, and great at customer service’.
All these are great reviews. Trust me, one doesn’t need too many reviews to believe in the authenticity of what people are saying. They can sense a genuine review devoid of sentiments and vested interest. So, imagine a case where there’s no review, one might have a challenge in believing the durability and effectiveness of the product/service.
As a business owner, one must be intentional with respect to how he treats his employers and customers. What most uninformed business owners don’t know is that when you take care of your staff, they will in turn take care of your business. When the staff are happy, they’ll treat the customers well, and when the customers are happy, they’ll in turn tell the world. Do you see how effectiveness and efficiency work in a company?
In a similar way, if one is consistent in publishing articles every week like I do, opportunities are bound to arise soon when there’s alignment. As a business owner, I can authoritatively tell you being good at what you say you do is a currency. Nobody likes shady or dirty work. I can also tell you people are ready to pay for premium services provided you can deliver.
Let me share a personal experience with you; two months ago, I visited my home country – Nigeria, for a business opportunity. During my meeting with some established institutions, I had to submit proposals to them. But because I wasn’t proficient in writing proposals, I had to hire a consultant to do the job for me. Not only did I hire a consultant, I also flew him for business meetings because I trusted his judgment, and guess work, it paid off.
Imagine, if I had to do it myself, I doubt if the work would have been given the kind of positive attention it attracted. Why am I sharing this information? When one is good at what they do, it won’t take long for them to be seen when the right opportunity comes.
Being efficient and effective does not only apply to our professional lives, it’s also applicable in our personal lives. In the world we currently live in, things are governed by perception. When people see how effective and efficient you are, they will be inclined to associate with you, but when you appear like an unserious person, they will find it hard to recommend or refer you for business opportunities.
So, today, take stock and ask yourself if are you an effective and efficient person; if your company is effective and efficient. If your answer is no; ask yourself what you can do to make you and your company effective. The answer will set you on the right path to success.
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 and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Delta State security outfit – SafeCity Security Service – in collaboration with operatives of the State police command, have arrested a wanted notorious bandit, Abubakar Usman.
His arrest followed the kidnapping of one Mrs. Blessing Chiedu, a native of Umunede Kingdom, who was abducted on July 2, 2026, along the Ani-Ifekide Farm Road, Ubulu-Uku. The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N100 million from her family.
Spokesperson for the SafeCity Security Service, Harrison Gwamnishu, disclosed this in a post on X on Wednesday
According to Gwamnishu, upon receiving the information, he escalated the matter, and the Delta State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Asaba, led by CSP Osakpolor, swung into action.
He said using their Hydra Tech Surveillance System, a coordinated rescue operation was launched, Mrs. Blessing Chiedu, a native of Umunede, was successfully rescued alive and unharmed along the Ubulu-Unor/Ashama Road.
After her rescue, he said the team immediately launched a manhunt for the fleeing kidnappers until the early hours of Wednesday when their surveillance system located the gang to their hideout in the Ogwashi-Uku/Adonta Forest of the state.
“A gun battle ensued, during which our combined team overpowered the criminals. One of the most wanted suspects, Abubakar Usman, was successfully captured, while other members of the gang escaped into the forest with their firearms.
“Investigations reveal that Abubakar Usman and his gang have been responsible for several kidnapping operations across Igbodo, Umunede, and surrounding communities, where they have extorted millions of naira in ransom from innocent families,” he said.
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd.), on Wednesday, directed troops engaged in counter-terrorism and anti-banditry operations to shoot terrorists and bandits on sight without waiting for further authorisation, declaring that the Federal government would no longer tolerate hesitation in confronting armed criminals.
Musa gave the directive in Sokoto during the commissioning of security assets worth N27.6 billion procured by the Sokoto State Government to strengthen ongoing operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.
Addressing military personnel and other security operatives at the Giginya Memorial Stadium, the Defence Minister said soldiers deployed to operational theatres must act decisively whenever they encounter terrorists or bandits, warning that any operative who refuses to engage criminals under the guise of awaiting orders would be treated as an accomplice.
“Once you are deployed, do not wait for any order from anybody to shoot any bandit or any terrorist. Anybody who refuses to shoot or kill any bandit or terrorist in the name of waiting for an order, we will treat you like a bandit. This is a general order”, Musa said.
The minister stressed that the Armed Forces were determined to sustain the offensive against criminal groups threatening Nigeria’s peace and security, insisting that troops must seize every opportunity to neutralise terrorists before they inflict harm on innocent citizens.
His remarks came as the Sokoto State Government unveiled one of its biggest security intervention programmes, comprising armoured personnel carriers, tactical vehicles and 300 motorcycles to enhance security operations across vulnerable communities.
The equipment was commissioned in the presence of senior military officers, heads of security agencies, traditional rulers, government officials and residents.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu described the ₦27.6 billion investment as a strategic intervention aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of security agencies to combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
He said the procurement forms part of his administration’s broader strategy to restore peace, particularly in rural and border communities that have suffered repeated attacks by armed groups.
According to the governor, security remains the bedrock of development, noting that agriculture, commerce, investment and social progress cannot thrive in an environment plagued by fear and instability.
Aliyu added that the newly acquired armoured vehicles, tactical vehicles and motorcycles would improve rapid response, intelligence gathering, surveillance operations and troop mobility, especially in difficult terrains where criminal elements often operate.
The governor commended President Bola Tinubu, the Armed Forces and other security agencies for their sustained support in tackling insecurity, pledging that his administration would continue investing in initiatives that complement the Federal government’s security efforts.
He also praised Musa for his leadership and commitment to the fight against terrorism and banditry.
In recognition of the Defence Minister’s contributions to national security, the governor inaugurated a major road in the Sokoto metropolis and named it General Christopher Musa Road.
Responding, Musa lauded the Sokoto State Government for prioritising security, describing the investment as evidence of visionary leadership and a strong commitment to protecting lives and property.He said overcoming insecurity requires close collaboration among the federal, state and local governments, as well as active support from citizens through the provision of credible intelligence.
The Defence Minister noted that the newly commissioned security assets would improve operational effectiveness and boost the morale of troops and other security personnel deployed across Sokoto State and the wider North-West region.
He assured Nigerians that the Armed Forces remained fully committed to eliminating terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements threatening the country’s peace and stability.
The ceremony ended with the inspection and symbolic handover of the security assets to the relevant security agencies, with stakeholders describing the intervention as a significant boost to Sokoto State’s security architecture and Nigeria’s wider campaign against insecurity.
