By Henry Ukazu

Dear Destiny Friends,

Every living is conversant with the word ‘success’. But, what does success really mean to you as an individual? Success indeed means different things to different people. While some will say becoming a millionaire, some others might say, having a family, becoming a chief operating officer, president, or even a celebrity.

All these points are valid, but the key question one is, does all these really translate to being successful? On a personal note, I believe true success is making an impact in society, and most importantly, making an impact on the lives of fellow human beings.

The reason I decided to write on the six pillars of success is borne out from the fact that many people have misplaced priorities. To be successful there are certain boxes that must be checked, though the boxes are not exhaustive, but the ones under review are the fundamentals of success. I will write about three now, and present the remaining three next week.

It may interest you to know that these six topics were culled from my third book (The Six Pillars of Success) which was published about forty eight hours ago, and it’s very detailed with practical information. So, if you would like to know more, you need to grab a copy NOW.

PILLAR ONE: PURPOSE AND PERSONAL GROWTH

Every lasting achievement begins with clarity of purpose and a commitment to ongoing development. This pillar emphasizes direction (knowing why you are here) and discipline, so you can become the person capable of reaching your full potential. It acts like an anchor, helping you make better choices, stay strong in tough times, and move forward in life with clear intention.

Discovering one’s unique purpose is the most important and fundamental aspect of success. As living beings, we are all unique and it’s our uniqueness that sets us apart, and this uniqueness is what will bring opportunities to us. We are built and wired differently.  Isn’t it true that not even identical twins are similar?

Without purpose, one is just existing and not living. We are not meant to exist, rather we are meant to live and have an impact on society. Living on purpose is one of the most important if not the most important thing in life. One of the sweetest journeys of success is achieving success on one’s purpose. One may be wondering how one can know their purpose and how does one live on purpose?

To know your purpose, one will have to go to their creator. Everything in life has a manual.  A computer, car, phone, television all have a manual by the creator which knows how the product functions, any attempt to use the product out of the manual might frustrate the process.

In the same way, every living being was created by God and it’s only God who can determine one’s purpose. Nobody can succeed outside their God given purpose, any attempt to succeed out of your God given purpose might result in defective success. Our prayer is that we may never succeed outside our God given purpose because that’s the place we get fulfillment.

The journey of purpose works with personal growth. When you have discovered your purpose, it will be easy to develop it with personal growth and that involves determination and discipline.

One can’t be truly successful without an element of perseverance and determination. Nobody will hand over success to you, even if you are given a good foundation, one will still have to do some work to build and develop what has already been handed over to them.

For instance, a student who wants to pass an examination must read and do the necessary things. Your parents might get you the materials and your teacher will do the teaching, but it’s your responsibility to do the needful. Moral: Just like power is not handled over to someone, one will have to fight and grab it, so Success is not served a la carte.

So, when you have discovered your unique God given purpose, your next task is to develop it, visualize the future you anticipate, and then you discipline and train your mind for success.

PILLAR TWO: CAREER AND VOCATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Your work is one of the primary platforms where your gifts, skills, and contributions find expression. This pillar highlights the pursuit of excellence, competence, continuous learning, and meaningful impact in whatever field, vocation or ministry you embrace. It is about turning skill into mastery and opportunity into influence.

If you agree with me, you can’t build something on nothing. When anyone says, “I am successful, the world would like to know what made them successful. For instance, one will either have a product or service they are offering to the world. Alternatively, one may have a carer or vocation which can be a skill they have developed expertise on after a long period of time.

Career success can be considered the engine of vocational excellence because it helps one to live in their comfort zone and enables one to specialize in setting attainable goals and strategies that can strategically position one to the next level.

It’s sad to see people who love sitting in their comfort zones. They are afraid of taking strategic risk that’s capable of taking them to their level. It’s instructive to note that every next level of your life will demand a different you.

One must be intentional when taking career and professional risks because it is necessary for growth. The ability for one to overcome these barriers will ultimately lead one to the next level.

PILLAR THREE: FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM

Money, as we have established, is not the definition of success, but it is a vital tool for building a stable, impactful, and free life. This pillar focuses on financial wisdom, responsible management, value creation, and the ability to make choices without being held hostage by financial pressure. True independence emerges when money becomes a servant to your purpose, not a master.

When we talk about success this. This is the area most people look up to. They want to know if one has financial stability which entails financial independence and financial freedom. There’s no doubt excellence breeds success. When one is good at what they do, it’s normal for them to get favors and opportunities which will ultimately bring goodwill and money to them.

Financial independence is one of the rubrics one can use to determine how successful one is, however, the big question begging for answer is how much is one expected to have? That’s a relative question because having money, being rich and being wealthy means different things to different people. While some people are grateful with what they have provided, it can solve the basic needs of life, others will have greed to accumulate wealth to the detriment of mankind. Isn’t it true that a poor man is considered rich when he has contentment and a rich man is considered poor if he’s greedy.

In understanding financial freedom, it’s expected for one to understand how the psychology of money works; one should also pay detailed attention to how to earn and multiply money. Effort should be invested in understanding the value of time in accumulating wealth and the concept of value which is the oil and commodity that attracts money.

Money does not come to one, one must be engaged in something of value. When money comes, one must plan for it by investing, budgeting wisely, spending wisely and saving. Be advised, if you don’t save money, money won’t save you, so save money so money can save you.

In conclusion, as you are about to embark on these six pillars of success, you must ask yourself the fundamental question, who am I? This is the mother of all questions because success lies in knowing oneself. That’s the foundation of success because when this part has been figured out, it will be easy to build other platforms.

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

Trump, on Friday said that he is no longer “interested” in winning the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming he had “no idea” whether Operation Epic Fury would “get him over the finish line” with committee members in Oslo, Norway.

“I’m not interested in it,” Trump said in a phone call with the Washington Examiner, a conservative news publication.

Asked whether the subject had been broached in his recent conversations with foreign leaders, Trump said: “No, I don’t talk about the Nobel Prize.”

Trump frequently opined on his desire for the prize in the past. The winner of the 2025 prize, Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado, handed her prize to Trump in January in a meeting at the White House, a move the Nobel committee criticized.

The Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, on Thursday ruled that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State cannot contest the 2028 governorship election, holding that doing so would violate the constitutional limit of eight years in office.

Delivering judgement, Justice Adegoke held that Aiyedatiwa, who first assumed office on 27 December 2023 following the death of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and was later sworn in again on 24 February 2025 after winning the 16 November 2024 governorship election, cannot seek another term in 2028.

The court ruled that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) does not permit a president or governor to remain in office for more than eight years, relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in Marwa v. Nyako to support its position.

Justice Adegoke further held that the suit was neither speculative nor academic, stressing that the court has the inherent authority to interpret provisions of the Constitution and ensure strict compliance with them.

The case was filed by a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Akin Egbuwalo, through his counsel, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), seeking interpretation of Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution as it relates to Aiyedatiwa’s tenure.

The section, along with Section 182(3), provides that a person sworn in to complete the term of another elected official can only contest and serve one additional term.

Egbuwalo argued that since Aiyedatiwa had taken two oaths of office—first as successor to the late Governor Akeredolu and later as an elected governor—the Constitution limits him to only one additional term.

Those listed as defendants in the suit include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Governor Aiyedatiwa, the APC, and the Deputy Governor, Dr. Olayide Adelami.

Justice Adegoke noted in her ruling that the third to fifth defendants failed to participate in the hearing of the case, and their processes were therefore deemed abandoned.

The court held that, “If the third defendant is allowed to contest and serve another four years, that will be against the position of the law in Marwa v. Nyako, where the Supreme Court held that a president or governor cannot serve beyond eight years.”

Consequently, the court considered only the submissions of the plaintiff and the first and second defendants.

She concluded that allowing Aiyedatiwa to contest again and potentially serve another four years would contradict the Supreme Court’s position that no president or governor can remain in office for more than eight years.

The court subsequently upheld the arguments of the plaintiff and granted all the reliefs sought in the suit.