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The Painted Canvases: ‘Zero’ As Weak-Point!
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“Everyone has a weak-point, which connotes ‘Zero’. In every Hero, there lies a Zero; just like, in every King lies a kid… We must always work on our loop-holes to become better, so as not to be drowned in the valley of life (doom). Therefore, to sustain your effectiveness, you must inculcate the habit of starving (silence) your weak-point(s) (Zero), so as to consistently develop the Hero (qualities) in you!” Tolulope A. Adegoke
Some individuals would be painted on the canvas of weak-point to describing how it limited them from sustaining their Heroic patterns and titles. This is not to spite anyone, but it is for us to learn from the events which surrounded them and how they reacted to it. Weakness is a quality or a feature that prevents someone or something from being effective or useful. Some carefully selected great men in the bible and the world today who were considered Heroes of their time, and eventually fell as a result of their individual weaknesses.
Moses
Moses, a good example was called by God to the lead the Israelites out of Egypt (from slavery). The exceptional grace on his life made him a HERO. The Lord used him to perform many miracles in Egypt and through him, God afflicted the Egyptians with the ten (10) plagues and the Lord also used him for great miracles in the wilderness and in parting the red sea (Exodus 33:22-23). Moses became so great a man and spoke to God mouth to mouth and was the only man to see God from behind. God Himself testified that he (Moses) was the meekest man on Earth, yet, it was ANGER (weak-point) that terminated his mission of leading the Israelites into Canaan land (the Promised land) Exodus 17, Exodus 32:19-20. The congregation of children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and Moses said unto them, why chide ye with me? He went up to God, and tendered the complaints of Israelites; God instructed him to take the elders of Israel and his rod, to smooth the rock for water, but Moses struck the rock instead as result of anger and the water gushed out massively which killed many Israelites. Also, it came to pass, as soon as Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. At the end, Moses only saw the Canaan land from afar but didn’t get there.
Samson
Samson is another good example to be used here to describe the flaws of mighty individuals, in spite of his great strength, was later destroyed. Samson, a man born, destined to be a saviour to Israel (Judges 13), he was the most powerful man on Earth who could face 10,000 soldiers all alone, and he killed a lion with his bare hands. During his time, the Philistines were afraid of Israel. He was a man filled with power and the grace of God, but lusted after a strange woman (Delilah), which against God’s instructions led to his destruction. His power ended on the laps of Delilah when he revealed the secret of his power (his hair) to her (Judges 16); the great Samson became a toothless dog and a mockery of many.
Jose Mourinho
In the circular world Jose Mourinho, who is one of the most respected coaches in football history in history in his generation often called ‘the Special One’ won several titles for different clubs in different countries of the world among others are Porto FC, Chelsea FC, Inter Millan FC, Real Madrid FC, Manchester United FC. He is a coach with different /unique strategies and techniques, and one of the best coaches in the world; however, his styles/approach may not always be acceptable (applauded) in the mainstream of football management.
Jose Mourinho, a public figure, lacked something that stands as blemish on his white garment and loopholes on his outfit which can be regarded as “pride of the tongue” (he could not tame his tongue) and temperament, by belittling other people’s achievements, which is often called “mind game”. He accused Raniair of being incapable of winning any trophy, but when you compare him with Raniair (who was also a very good coach), Mourinho has more financial support, which gave him edge over Raniair. Recently, Mourinho appeared insecure with his desperation for respect from all quarters. He could be seen or heard moaning about lack of respect from the English Press that Arsene Wenger who had not won the League in 18years is far more respected than him who last won the Premier League 20months ago… He publicly pronounced Arsene Wenger as “Professional in failure”. Respect is earned, not commandeered!
Some football lovers across the world now disagree that Mourinho is not totally the ‘Special One’ because of the several factors of character failure surrounding his identity. Most especially, the incidence that happened between him and Chelsea FC’s Chief Medical Doctor, Eva Carneiro, while he was a manager at Chelsea FC, Jose Mourinho publicly insulted the doctor due to the fact that she was treating a player of team who went down on the pitch (Eden Hazard) when the Chelsea FC team were down by 3goals against Manchester City FC; this caused a commotion in the Chelsea team and made a lot of football lovers to refrain their respect for Jose Mourinho. This is why he couldn’t make an in-road back to Chelsea FC. I believe Jose Mourinho has realized his shortcomings, he is now trying to control his temperament and tongue.
Character counts, when it comes to issues of life! Character failure is a total failure!
After many failures in December, 2015, he was sacked as Chelsea FC’s manager and replaced by Guss Hindick because he could no longer meet up with desired expectations.
A successful person would always fit into a psychological pattern, the same goes for an unsuccessful person. The exhibition of character tells much about them all!
Everyone has a weak point which connotes “Zero”. In every Hero, there lies a Zero…just like the saying that: “there is a kid in every king (vice versa). We must therefore, always work on our loopholes to be better personalities, so as not to be drowned in the valley of life (doom). Starve (silence) your weak-point (Zero) to develop the Hero (Giant) in you!
Learn and Apply. Thank you!
Watch out for the Book titled: “The Power of an Empowered Zero” (From Zero to HERO) by Tolulope A. Adegoke. Foreword by Dr Yomi Garnett (CEO/Chancellor, Royal Biographical Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S.A., U.K., Abuja, Nigeria.) Edited by Ola Aboderin.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the winner of the just concluded Ondo State governorship election, held on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
The Returning Officer for the election Olayemi Akinwumi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State declared Aiyedatiwa winner of the election on Sunday, extending the governor’s stay at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure.
Governor Aiyedatiwa polled 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival and a former deputy governor of the state Ajayi Agboola who flew the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag. He scored 117,845 votes, more than twice lower than the APC candidate.
“That Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of the APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” the returning officer said at exactly 2:30 pm at the INEC collation centre in Akure.
The declaration came hours after the collation of results for the election began in the early hours of Sunday. Although the collation centre went on breaks, the APC took a commanding lead with over 200,000 votes ahead of the PDP.
The final results showed that the APC won the election in a landslide, clearing all 18 local government areas.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
There is no gainsaying the fact that everyone desirous of making impact in life must live a life of purpose. This is where knowledge and information come to play. It is these knowledge and information that will set an individual apart from his contemporaries.
I strongly believe, if one is not informed, they are ill-informed, and when they are ill-informed, they can’t perform well in any given endeavour. This is because information leads to reformation and transformation. We can therefore, confidently say that information leads to formation because everyone is a product of what they know.
Knowledge acquisition is one of the best things that can happen to anyone. People with knowledge are revered, and highly respected. Having knowledge is like having money. People from all walks of life will seek you.
There are different kinds of knowledge, and they include Revealed Knowledge, which comes from those who wrote the Bible and Intuitive Knowledge, which comes from the mind. It is the ability to gain knowledge without conscious reason or explanation.
Others are Empirical Knowledge, which is information gained through observation, experimentation, and direct experience, rather than through theoretical reason or intuition; Authoritative Knowledge, which is the knowledge a man has because of his expertise in a particular field; and finally but not the least, Rational Knowledge, which is a form of knowledge that uses reasoning and philosophy to understand the world.
From this illustration, a decisive mind can see that knowledge is priceless. Knowledge is like education. It can provide security and access. Even the Book of life says in Proverbs 4:13, “your education is your life, guard it very well”; and in Hosea 4:6 that “my people perish for lack of knowledge”.
From my personal experience in life, apart from death, one of the greatest levelers of all time is education. This is because the child of a certified pauper can become a man of means tomorrow if properly educated. That explains why children from humble backgrounds ought to take their education very seriously, especially if they don’t have affluence.
On a personal note, I come from a very humble background, my late parents didn’t have the opportunity of acquiring a decent education, but they knew the value of education and endeavored to give me and my siblings a decent education. In retrospect, when I look back and see some of my contemporaries whose parents couldn’t give them a decent education, I bless my late parents because education has exposed me to lots of opportunities in the United States, and the global world in addition to granting me an audience with the high and mighty in society.
Sometimes, when I look at my modest achievement, I’m deeply humbled because I know it is the grace of God. Who am I to author two amazing trailblazers’ books, get featured and profiled by the New York Times, engage in high level conversation with leaders of thought and captains of industries. Apart from the grace of God, intentional seeking of knowledge, and wise counsel from mentors and strategically positioning myself have been some of the cornerstone to my success.
Imagine if my late parents didn’t give me a decent education and opportunity of travelling to the United States, most of these opportunities and exposure wouldn’t have been readily available.
When one is decently enlightened, educated and informed about life, their level of reasoning and understanding differ from an ordinary man. If one desires to go far in life, one must seek knowledge.
It is your knowledge that sets you apart from others.
According to Dr. Yomi Garnett, an accomplished Ghostwriter, “If you are a man of great knowledge, people will have great respect for you. If you are a man of great wisdom, people will have great reverence for you. And if you are a man of both, great knowledge and great wisdom, you will be the most eminent of men. But in real terms, people don’t care how much you know, or how much wisdom you have, unless they know how much you care.”
The moral of this quote is that despite the knowledge and information at one’s disposal, if one lacks empathy, their knowledge, experience and whatever they have mean nothing.
The importance of knowledge cannot be overemphasized. In our contemporary society, a fast way of attracting opportunities is by showcasing the knowledge at one’s disposal. It is so sad that many people don’t take time to read, research and learn new trends applicable in their industry, and in the world generally and as such, they find it difficult to fit in and grow.
It is instructive to note that when you seek knowledge, opportunities will seek for you. A major reason people are poor is simply because they are not solving problems and to solve problems, one ought to have understanding. Do you know that if you don’t have money, the reason is often because you are not solving a problem, or you are not solving enough problems, or you are not solving the right problem or you are not solving problems for the right people. Generally, we make money because we have something unique to offer to the world. Therefore, to solve problems, one must have knowledge and information.
We currently live in an age of technological, where skills, talent and creativity are in high demand. Any progressive being that desires to go far must be intentional in seeking knowledge. Successful acquisition of knowledge, information and understanding can lead to discernment and wisdom.
In conclusion, as you journey towards life, if you want to make an impact, seek opportunities, and earn more money, do yourself a favour by endeavoring to seek knowledge, wisdom, and information. You can’t get these by sitting on your sofa or staying in your comfort zone.
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
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Daniel Bwala as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications (State House).
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced this in a statement, on Thursday.
A former aide of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Bwala worked actively for his former principal who lost to Tinubu.
However, after the elections, he worked his way into the camp of Tinubu, sparking controversy.
Onanuga also announced the appointments of three directors-general of various agencies.
They are:
(1) Mr. Olawale Olopade — Director-General, National Sports Commission
(2) Dr. Abisoye Fagade — Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism
(3) Dr. Adebowale Adedokun — Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement
Olopade, the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission, is a sports administrator with many years of experience in the sector.
He served as commissioner of youth and sports in Ogun state and was chairman of the local organising committee of the 2024 National Sports Festival.
The new Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Dr. Abisoye Fagade is a marketing communication professional. He is the founder and managing director of Sodium Brand Solutions.
Adedokun, the new helmsman of the Bureau of Public Procurement, was the director of Research/Training and Strategic Planning at the bureau before his appointment.
Daily Trust
