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Food for Living: You Deserve the Best
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Growing up as kids in middle/primary schools, our dreams centred on claiming the first position in class. As an athlete/sportsman, the basic dream is to win the race and take the coveted prize. As a social being going into any relationship, your desire is to go for the best. As an employer scouting for the right candidate for a job, your goal is to hire the best applicant. As a leader, your joy will be not only to select competent people to work with, but also get a good successor. The list is endless.
In the journey of life, everyone deserves the best. No one wants to be cut off. But to get the best life can offer, we have to consciously plan for the best, and make provision for the worst if plans fail to go as planned. In the course of this article, we will be exploring options on how we can get the best out of life.
Due to the vicissitudes of life, it is normal for one to feel he/she is a victim of circumstance. This feeling might make one to give up, especially after investing great time and resources into a failed project. The truth is that, we all deserve the best, but the reality remains that sometimes in the pursuit of our goals, we don’t give our very best.
Regardless of the challenges and obstacles you may have experienced, I want you know that you are a force to reckon with. If you are human, you must surely face challenges, one way or another. These problems and challenges are programmed to make you strong provided you are willing to learn the inherent lessons in addition to overcoming the challenges. It is generally believed that the bigger the head, the bigger the crown, but the irony of life is that, problems are structured to make one grow. It is the growth process that will make you a more refined person. Once you are refined, the best in you will begin to see the light of the day.
Most situations that come our way appear permanent, prompting one to ask if the unhealthy circumstance will ever go away. Sometimes, due to the topsy-turvy nature of life, people tend to distance themselves from you with the erroneous belief that something isn’t right with you.
My kind thoughts and advice to you is, be you and do you because those that matter don’t care and those that care don’t matter. The people you need in your life are the right people who believe in you and share the same values and vision with you. These are the people that deserve your time and attention.
In determining the best route to take in life, it is imperative you reconsider your vision and mission statement. Your vision and mission statement determines the choice you make in life. This is because your values are determined by your choice and decision. It is worthy of note that when you make a conscious effort to engage in any act, you are bound by whatever comes with it. For instance, if you have the vision of making the world a better place; where peace and harmony thrives, you must endeavour to marry a spouse who believes in your vision and values. Once you miss that, you are likely going to hit the rock, and bound to live the outcome.
It should be noted that the choice we make has a role to play in our life. Your attitude is a choice, your happiness is a choice, being optimistic and pessimistic is a choice, and life generally is a choice. Your choice normally shows up in your taste and brand of quality you value.
If you have a product of interest you would like to share with resourceful minds, your manner of approach is very critical in the reception you will receive. It is however, normal for some people to reject your product for reasons best known to them. In marketing, it is immaterial what people think about you and your product, your paramount concern should always be how you can improve yourself and your product. According to Wayne Dyer, “What other people think of me is none of my business.”
When you believe in yourself, you’ll have the uncommon courage to thrive. You don’t really need the approval of men. You may have been told, you will amount to nothing due to one or two limitations you have; don’t be deterred, only look at the bigger picture, and have confidence, and you will realise it won’t take time before you overcome.
One of the reasons we don’t get the best out of life is because we allow fear to live in our hearts. It’s high time we kicked out fear from. Fear keeps us from true happiness because it prevents us from taking risks.
In relationships, refuse to settle for less than you deserve. If there is a particular quality you desire in a partner, search and uncover it. According to Bianca Sparacino, “You deserve to find someone who does not ask you to lessen your roar, who is in awe of the magnitude by which your passion burns. You deserve to find someone who will only ever want to add to your fire, someone who will use their own matchstick heart to encourage your passion, to magnify your flame.”
In same vein, if you are a male or female, you must believe in yourself by stooping to conquer. The honest truth is that, when you are fake, you deprive your true friends the opportunity to relate closely with you, and when you are real, you give fake friends the opportunity to run away from you.
Furthermore, true love is supposed to be amazing and a life-changing experience. It is not supposed to be fearful. Love means accepting a person, flaws and all. It’s about fully appreciating a person without trying to change them. It’s about free will. When it comes to love, you shouldn’t settle for anything but the absolute best. You deserve someone who’s going to leave an imprint in your life; someone who’s going to show you that they care about you. However, what people don’t understand is that, “You can’t force a relationship, and you can’t force love. Any one who genuinely wants to be with you will make an effort to be with you. Moral :You can’t change someone.
You deserve someone who will challenge you and make you think about what you really want out of life. You deserve someone who incorporates you into his life. You deserve someone who makes you better by making your dream come true. Brianna Perry, when asked about his advice to intending couples, said, “If you don’t feel lightning in your bones, don’t stay.”
In conclusion, as you journey, I hope you find what you truly deserve. I hope you discover the type of energy and love that you’ve wasted upon others; and finally, I hope you understand that what you demand is never too much.
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
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.”
