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Food for Living: Your Vision, Your Life
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others” – Jonathan Swift
We all have vision. Whether you are a student, businessman/woman, teacher/professor, art man/woman, politician, leader or even a family-oriented person, you have an idea of the kind of life you will like to live and how you will like the future to look like depending on your interest. One of the most reliable ways of making your dreams come true is having your vision at the back of your mind. Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon, in his book: The Big Picture, painted a picture about finding a vision for your own life that can reframe your priorities, energize your efforts, and inspire you to change the world around you.
Vision is what separates an ordinary mind from an extra-ordinary mind. Vision differentiates one company/organization from the other. Vision can be regarded as the fuel and energy of life. This is because, without vision, passion dies.
When you have a vision, you’ll definitely have the modus operandi (mission) to carry it out. The mission is the process or instrument which anchors the vision. Vision is necessary for growth. It is the vision every rational being considers to decipher the mindset and concert of any person or organization.
There’s nothing bad in aspiring for greater opportunities in life. The only major obstacle for anyone with a plan to succeed in life is having the courage to pursue his/her dreams when the desired plans don’t add up.
In understanding vision, let’s consider a group of students who just got admission into a reputable university or a group of employees who just got hired. These set of individuals will normally be excited because of the opportunities staring at them. But on a cursory look, if you ask each person their career plans, you may be surprised to know that they all have different visions and understanding towards life. Some just to get the certificate, some just want to get a job and pay bills, while some have the mindset of – this is just the beginning of an enterprising journey for me. This being might have plans of acquiring more degrees and certificates in order to move up the ladder of success. This is simply how vision works.
To put words in proper perspective, we all look at the same thing but don’t see the same thing; we all sit in the classroom but don’t understand the same thing, we all walk through life but get a different taste to life. Just like we all have tongues but have different taste buds. Even in business, the pattern of Mr. A is quite different from B. So, what vision do you have in life?
It’s interesting to know that your life’s vision defines who you want to be, what you want to be known for and the set of experiences and accomplishments you aim for. Your vision helps define your goals by giving you a framework to evaluate those goals. Your vision helps to define your why. You can say, your vision becomes your why.
Most notably, a vision is about your future and who you want to be, whilst the mission statement focuses on today and what you do through your actions and behavior.
To know about the vision of any company or human being, ask the person or management of the company, where they plan to be in five to ten years and ask why they do what they do. This will give you an idea about how their mindset works.
Vision is what drives a company’s success. Vision is what propels a human being to desire change in any established organization, society or learning environment. Vison needs to be properly communicated so that all interested persons can be in the loop. This helps to create understanding and enables rational minds to make an informed decision if they will like to key in into the idea.
Your vision might be too large for little minds to comprehend, however, it’s not up to you to lower your standards or values in life to accommodate little minds.
In order to determine one’s vision, you’ll have to determine the values and what matters in the person’s life. It can be health, relationship, youths, women empowerment, leadership, family values, education, religion or even politics
For each of your categories, write down what you want or need from each. Think about the things you want to accomplish or experience, and look at the loopholes you’ll like to address.
Discovering Your Vision
Each of us is put here on earth for a purpose. We want to achieve and accomplish certain things during our lifetime, and for most of us, the passion we feel deep down ignites us and brings our hopes and dreams to the surface. In understanding vision, let’s take into consideration the following point:
What are you deeply passionate about?
What type of work do you find engaging and truly enjoy?
If someone were to describe you, what words would you want them to use?
At the end of your life, what will be the greatest accomplishment?
According to Thomas Edison, “Having a vision for what you want is not enough…Vision without execution is hallucination.” Therefore it is imperatively important to key into action when you discover your purpose and vision in life.
The first thing we must realize is that our vision will never become a reality if we sit back and wait for it to happen. Like all things in life, talking about our vision is not enough, we must get busy and work towards our goals.
According to a school of thought, the A,B,C of defining your vision can be classified as:
· A — Assess where you currently are. Look at all aspects of your life; physically, financially, spiritually, and emotionally. By knowing where you now, will cause you to see where you need to go and what you need to do to get there.
· B — Begin to move forward. No matter how small it may seem, one step closer towards your vision will help you in reaching your vision.
· C- Create a vision statement. A written statement can encourage you when feelings of doubt creep in. Describe what you want to accomplish, how you plan to get there and include a timeline for tracking your progress.
· D- Determination is critical. One of the biggest discouragements you may face is the obstacles that most certainly will come your way. There will be doubters that feel the need to share their unsolicited opinion. There may be financial or physical limits, but the determination to persevere can be the difference between failure and accomplishment.
· E- Enlist the help of others. Alternatively, you can seek the help of others in actualizing your vision.
· F — Finish Lines aren’t the end. Having a vision or dream is an ongoing process. You will find that as long as there is breath inside you, there is no finish line
Just like we are all wired to do different things. We weren’t born to do everything, but you were born to make an impact in this world. By discovering your vision, you have the extraordinary ability to contribute to this world making it a better place.
I will conclude with great quotes from great minds to keep us inspired when we decide to pursue our vision.
“The only thing worse that being blind is having no vision – Helen Keller
“Vision is the picture of the future that produces passion -Bill Hybels
Vision is the ability to see what others over -Rick Warren.
Chase the vision not the money, the money will end up following you- Tony Hsieh.
Where there’s no vison there’s no hope- George Washington.
In summary, what’s your vision in life?
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
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of “weaponising hunger” and using food prices as a political tool, alleging that the Federal Government’s claims of improved local food production are false and intended to mislead Nigerians.
According to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the government’s economic narrative as “deceptive,” saying it was designed to create an illusion of progress while millions of Nigerians continue to face worsening hardship.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the Federal Government’s misleading narrative around the so-called drop in food prices. Contrary to what is being celebrated in official circles, the reality on the ground, as confirmed by the voices of struggling farmers and families across the country, is that the Tinubu government is manipulating food prices and weaponising hunger for political gains,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC claimed that the reported fall in food prices was not a result of improved local production, but rather an artificial outcome of government import waivers that have flooded the market with cheap foreign goods.
“The reported drop in the prices of some food items is artificial, and a result of import waivers that have flooded the market with cheap foreign food. It is neither evidence of sound policy nor proof of increased local production.
“And while that may offer momentary relief in food prices, it has, and will, come at the heavy cost of sabotaging local farmers who can no longer compete due to soaring input costs, especially fertilisers, and worsening insecurity,” Abdullahi stated.
The party further criticised the government’s claim that its agricultural policies were encouraging domestic production, calling the assertion “dishonest” and “out of touch with reality.”
“Additionally, we find it particularly strange and dishonest for the government to claim that its policies are encouraging domestic production at a time when many farmers have been displaced by bandits, and those who remain are barely able to afford the cost of planting. How can production be increasing when the rural economy is under siege by bandits, and the costs of planting are now beyond the reach of the average farmer?” the party queried.
Rejecting government denials that imported food had been released into the market, the ADC described such claims as “false and cynical,” questioning the logic behind hoarding food in the face of national hunger.
“We also take note of the government’s claim that it has not released imported food into the market. If we are to even momentarily entertain this falsehood, it begs an even more damning question: why is the government hoarding food while the people go hungry? What sort of administration stores food in warehouses during a hunger crisis?” the ADC said.
The opposition party warned that any current decline in food prices was “temporary and unsustainable,” insisting that the government was engaging in propaganda rather than genuine economic reform.
“This is propaganda. What we are witnessing is a deliberate manipulation of food prices for short-term political gain, designed to create the illusion of economic progress while citizens continue to suffer. Any current drop in price is temporary, unsustainable, and driven by panic, not strategy and deliberate planning,” Abdullahi maintained.
Calling for urgent reforms, the ADC urged the Federal Government to “end the politicisation of hunger” and prioritise policies that safeguard local farmers, ensure fair pricing, and guarantee long-term food security.
“The ADC condemns in the strongest terms the weaponisation of hunger and calls for a complete overhaul of the current agricultural approach. We must protect local producers, address rural insecurity, and invest in long-term food sovereignty, not temporary political optics,” Abdullahi stated.
The party concluded by urging the government to put citizens’ welfare above politics, saying: “The Nigerian people deserve truth and food, not manipulation and a false narrative of renewed hope.”
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to commence an indefinite nationwide strike starting November 1, 2025.
NARD President, Mohammad Suleiman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the strike directive was issued after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier given to the Federal government over unresolved demands.
This latest action comes after a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) on Saturday.
“The NEC has marshalled out minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay/no pay, no work’ resolutions needed for a successful execution of this action,” the statement reads in part.
According to Suleiman, the decision followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal government to address its demands.
“Today, after a 5-Hour Extra-Ordinary National Executive Council Meeting, the Members of NEC have issued out new marching orders to us once again.
“The NEC has unanimously directed us to declare a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action to commence on Friday 31st October 2025 at 11:59pm.”
Suleiman said the National Officers Committee (NOC) has been mandated to ensure full compliance with the directive and to implement strike monitoring and enforcement measures across all centres.
He added that the association’s centre presidents and general secretaries have been directed to convene emergency congress meetings to brief members on the resolutions.
“We have reported to NEC and NEC has decided. The NOC will carry out this directive to its latter and in full compliance.
“NEC has also decided that centre Presidents and General Secretaries shall go back and call Emergency Congress Meetings to brief Members on the details there-in.
The NARD President accused some government and non-government actors of “evil and exploitative plans” against resident doctors, adding that the union will “collectively resist” such moves.
He also called on members of NARD to use the next few days to hand over patients, engage community and religious leaders, and sensitise the public ahead of the strike.
The industrial action is expected to cripple medical services in hospitals nationwide, as resident doctors constitute the backbone of clinical care in the nation’s healthcare system.
On September 26, NARD issued one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government to address the lingering issues affecting the welfare and training of resident doctors and medical officers across the country.
Part of the grievances listed by the association are excessive and unregulated work hours, nonpayment of outstanding arrears from the 25 and 35 percent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and the unjust dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
The resident doctors also expressed frustration over the non-payment of promotion arrears to medical officers in various federal tertiary hospitals, as well as the failure of the government to pay the 2024 accoutrement allowance despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Health.
They further cited bureaucratic delays in upgrading resident doctors’ ranks following the completion of postgraduate medical examinations, leading to non-payment of new salary scales and accumulated arrears.
NARD also condemned their exclusion from the specialist allowance, despite their critical role in providing specialist-level care to patients across the country.
The association faulted the exclusion of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme — a policy it said denies them rightful salaries, professional recognition, and career progression.
NARD also decried the downgrading of newly employed resident doctors from CONMESS three Step three to CONMESS two Step two, resulting in reduced earnings and unpaid salary arrears in several federal hospitals.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Secrets are exclusive preserves of certain individuals or institutions. They are one’s advantage over others, in the sense of ‘there’s something I know, which no one else knows. No one can ever claim that they don’t have a secret, either in the good or bad light.
Secrets therefore, exist in the family circle, business terrain, academic environment, career/professional pursuit, health management, spiritual connectivity and even in everyday personal living. It is an undeniable fact that everyone has a secret that works for them.
Let’s take a minute to discuss some of the aforementioned secrets.
Family
Every family has a secret. It will be foolhardy for anyone to disclose family secrets. Most families die with their secrets. To understand how family secrets work, imagine the Coca-Cola company. The family is said to be the only one in the world that has the formula for the beverage; a trade secret that originated with its creator, John Pemberton.
It is said that not even all family members enter the room where Coca-Cola is mixed or manufactured for fear of the secret being divulged. Imagine where spouses have access to the room and the marriage goes south, there’s a tendency that a spiteful divorced partner might leak the secret and the rest as they say is history.
There are many secrets that bind many families which only the immediate family members know. In some cases, only the parents or grandparents know. They can decide to share the secret to either the first male child, first female child or even a member of the family that one considers rational. For instance, imagine where a family is faced with a peculiar life threatening illness which ordinarily might scare anyone who wants to get married into that family, it will be stupid for anyone to spit it out, that act alone can make the intending spouse to reconsider his/her plan to marry from the family.
Business
Every business has a trade secret. Trade secrets are what makes a business unique. Every business has a unique selling point. (USP), which is a distinct benefit that sets the business or product apart from its competitors. A shrewd businessman will never leak his secret to his employees or competitors. The best his employees will know are the values, the operational systems or structures of the business and how his mindset works. But what makes the business stand out is the mystery that one will need to unravel.
Academic
Every student has a distinct trait that makes him/her succeed academically. This unique trait makes the student exceptional. For any student to succeed in their academics, he must know himself and what works for him. While some might study at night, some might study during the day, others might just listen during the lecture and understand the key points.
It’s sad to see students, who haven’t discovered who they are and what works for them following students who have discovered who they are. For example, while some students have good listening and understanding ability, and can listen to lectures and read a little and pass their examinations, some other students will have to read the course material before the lecture, listen during the lecture, read after the lecture and read thoroughly for examination before they can get a decent grade.
In some cases, they might not get the desired grade. Some students will even party hard during the day and at night they study, while some will party at night and study during the day. So, you can see that while some students have discovered themselves and what works for them, some others follow them sheepishly. Moral: Know what works for you and do what works for you because according to Oscar Wilde, “be yourself because others are taken”.
Career/Profession
Every career professional has a secret that works for them. In the same way, every industry knows what makes it stands out. The secret of what makes someone in the entertainment industry successful is quite different from what makes someone in politics or law enforcement, energy, education, legal, or health sector different. They all have different strokes, and the ability of one to do the needful in addition to playing the associated game can be the game changer.
Health
Health is a personal thing. Nobody knows you more than you know yourself. To show you how secretive and important one’s health is, it’s been said that there are three kinds of life: Public life, private life and secret life.
Your public life is the life that is generally known by everyone. It is the character we exhibit in the public space. It can also be regarded as the image perception lifestyle; we don’t generally go around revealing our health status in the public domain except where necessary. The private lifestyle; this is the kind of life only our family and close friends know.
Again, we don’t disclose such pertinent information to them only where and when necessary, then we have the secret lifestyle which only us and our creator knows. In some cases, we go to the graveyard with this. Do you see why health is a personal issue which needs to be kept in a secret place?
Personal
As mentioned earlier, everyone is unique. One of the best things that can happen to anyone is knowing themselves, and knowing what makes them different. I strongly believe we all have seeds of greatness in us. What works for Mr. A might not work for Mr. B. Like I always say, you can copy my style, but you can’t be me because imitation is a limitation.
For instance, I have unique energy and inspiration when it comes to writing. I have developed a keen interest and passion for writing. If tomorrow I become very successful or attract a unique opportunity, and someone decides to try writing to attract similar opportunities, the person might fail because God is the one that decides what opportunities come to anyone nor matter how hard someone may work.
Spiritual
This is another interesting aspect of life. Life is indeed spiritual. There’s nothing that happens physically without taking place spiritually. Everyone has a covenant point that was assigned to them at birth. Once that covenant point is touched that fellow might lose their blessings, anointing or what makes them strong.
There have been many testimonies about this. For instance, in the Bible, Samson’s touching point was his hair. He knows his power lies in his hair, that’s why Delilah tried so many times to know the secret of his strength, but Samson refused to tell her. She tried to make him drunk, but Samson still has the power. Samson repeatedly lied to Delilah about the secret of his strength, first saying it was new bowstrings, then new ropes, and finally by weaving his hair into a loom. Each time, he easily broke free, but Delilah continued to pressure him.
Weary from her constant questioning, Samson finally confessed that his strength was tied to his hair, which had never been cut because he was a Nazirite from birth. Delilah then called for a man to shave Samson’s seven locks of hair while he slept in her lap. His secret was revealed. His hair was cut. He strength was gone.
Do you see that Samson’s secret place was his hair?
In conclusion, depending on what we are working on, we all have our secret strength and place. The onus is on us to cultivate and dwell on this secret place to avoid losing power and focus.
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
