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Passion is Stronger Than Power by Henry Ukazu

Published

7 years ago

November 10, 2018

Eric

Greetings my beloved friends. Today, we shall be discussing one of the hidden secrets of most successful people if not all that ever lived on the planet earth. If you care to know, that secret is passion. Passion is an uncontrollable force fueling the bloodstream of a determined being. Without passion, it will be difficult to be successful in any productive venture. Passion can be likened to spiritual strength because it can’t be seen but it can be felt internally while power can be likened to physical strength.

According to Oprah Winfrey “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” For me, I’m able to discipline myself to write because I have joy and fulfillment in writing. If I don’t have passion in writing and researching, I won’t be consistent in writing every week. My passion is not only limited in writing, I also have passion in leadership, youth empowerment, public speaking and serving humanity in any little way I can. That’s the more reason I agree with Mia Ham when she said: “If you don’t love what you do, you won’t do it with much conviction or passion.”

During the course of this article, we shall be looking at how passion can influence and empower us to be successful; how we can discover our passion. We shall also be studying the relativity between passion and love; passion and money; passion and talent. We shall end the discussion with some great quotes that can keep you focus as you follow your heart by pursuing your passion. Since this article is about passion and power, it is pertinent to note that successful people know that passion is energy. It is what drives people to succeed. Without passion towards what you are doing, you do not have a WHY and when you do not have a WHY then HOW is hard to find.

One of the most difficult thing in the world is knowing oneself. A lot of people struggle with this feeling and this has really affected their success both their personal and professional development. It’s an indisputable fact that identification of a problem is fifty percent solved and the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step in the right direction. Discovering your passion is not really easy, but it can be easy if you know yourself.

It’s worthy to note that without passion it will be hard to succeed in any business or profession. Passion is more than ordinary strength, it is the energy that fuels the blood. All the great people that have ever succeeded in life were passionate about their cause in addition to believing in themselves. It is because of this belief that made John Sculley the former CEO of Pepsi to leave his job to join Steve jobs who was still building his company. He believed in the works of Steve Jobs in addition to seeing how passionate Steve Jobs was in his product and today, the rest is history. If you have a passion, please don’t allow it to die. According to Deepak Chopra “In all my research, the greatest leaders looked inward and were able to tell a good story with authenticity and passion.” Be informed, You are capable of changing the world with your dreams if you allow it to come through. According to the former president of South African Nelson Mandela “There is no passion to be found playing small–in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.

The big question is how can passion influence your success? If you are passionate about a cause, you will not only spend quality time on the task, you will go the extra mile trying to know more about the cause. You can even volunteer or pay to attend a workshop, seminar or an event of interest. There’s a saying, people see people that participate. When you spend valuable time trying to know more about a cause, people see you and when an opportunity comes up, your name normally comes first to mind. It was because of the passion Americans saw in Ocasio-Cortez that made her constituents to elect her as the youngest female in Congress on November 6, 2018. Successful people know that you can’t do everything at the same time. Just focus your energy on one particular task and believe your turning point will come through. In our contemporary society, the world is being governed by perception. People see what you do without you knowing and that’s why it’s very important you scrutinize what you share on social media, and the people and causes you identify with.

The next big question is how do you discover your passion? As mentioned earlier, knowing yourself is one of the most difficult tasks in life. A good way to know to know your passion is to ask yourself “If I have everything in the world, what will I do with my time”? Another way of knowing your passion is by discovering those things you like to do with relative ease. Your passion is that cause or work that makes you happy. You can easily do it any time of the day. Once you are passionate about any cause, you look beyond the pain. Let’s look at the relativeness of passion with other relevant words of interest.

Passion and Love: Passion is a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an intense emotion, a compelling enthusiasm or desire for something. Love is all about what you feel to care about, that comes along with affection, desire, and pleasure. Passion is the energy that keeps us going, it gives us meaning, and happiness, and excitement, and anticipation. Passion is a powerful force in accomplishing anything you set your mind on. Once you are passionate about something, you will love it. According to Barbara Corcoran “You can’t fake passion.”

Another way of understanding passion is by looking at a lady in love. Any lady that truly loves a man will go all out to fight for the man. She will date and even marry him for true love as opposed to martial possession regardless of the pressure and circumstances facing her. There’s a saying that there are two people you can’t advise: A rich man with money and a woman in love. This is because a woman in love won’t understand any other language except the love language of the man in question which according to Gary Chapman can be words affirmation, physical touch, gift, time or services.

Passion and Money: One of the fastest ways of making money is by solving a problem. If you don’t have money, it’s either because you are not solving problems for the right people or there’s a fundamental problem with your product. Once you provide the right services, opportunities will locate you. Many people have the mentality that following your passion might make you broke because it might take a long period of time to achieve success. I strongly disagree with that school of thought. This group of people believes that one might be broke in the guise of being passionate about a cause. According to them, they would rather take whatever is available just to put food on the table. I have a good news for them, handwork doesn’t kill, what kills is laziness. As an optimistic being, if you know yourself and know your product, all you need is consistency, perseverance, and patience. Trust me, It won’t be long for your breakthrough to come through. One of the great ways of knowing a passionate being is by looking at the time the individual spends on the product. A typical example is the lifestyle of an entrepreneur. They will grind and grind to the extent they might be mocked, they will get so many no’s and rejection, but the moment their product is accepted or endorsed the story changes. If you are in this category, my advise to you is hang in there. All you need is just one yes. Steve Jobs was definitely right when he said “You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out”. Also according to Harriet Tubman “, Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

Passion And Talent: Passion is different from talent. If you are talented in doing something you really love, you may want to meditate and see if that’s where your passion lies. Talent is similar to gift with a slight difference. A creative mind can combine his or her talent, gift and skill to his/her passion to create a product or service. The idea is that the key to finding a great career is to identify your greatest interest – “your passion” – and pursue a career involving that interest. Moral: Just commit to following your passion, and you’ll have a great career. It is been said that when you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. Isn’t it true that when you do what you love, you can make a real difference in people’s lives. With your passion, you can inspire others to find their dreams too. Passionate minds believe in paying now and playing later. They are never deterred in what they are facing. They strongly believe in what they have in their mind in addition to seeing the bigger picture. The Book of life States in 1 John 4:4 “ He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.”

In conclusion, If you will agree with me, passion is the driving force behind success and happiness that allows us all to live better lives. It is because of passion that many people decide to go back to school to study a major that interest them; It is because of passion that a lot of people decide to have a Non-Government Organization to affect humanity and the list continues. I end this article by leaving you with four great quotes to meditate namely:

“Nothing is as important as passion. No matter what you want to do with your life, be passionate.”-Jon Bon Jovi.

“If you feel like there’s something out there that you’re supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it.”-Wanda Skyes

As you spend time with passionate, successful people, success skills will start to manifest in your live too. Successful people understand that in order to achieve, they must love what they do. So find something that you love to do and you will be following your passion. Passion is the fastest way to massive success. British Statesman.

A person can succeed at almost anything they have unlimited enthusiasm- Charles M. Schwab.

Finally, what’s your passion and what are you passionate about? Will you agree with me that passion is greater than power?

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com

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Tinubu Forced Obi, Kwankwaso to Work Together – Dele Momodu

Published

2 days ago

May 7, 2026

Eric

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Dele Momodu, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is the one who forced opposition leaders such as Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso into working together ahead of the 2027 elections.

In an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Momodu argued that the current unity among some opposition figures is not born out of genuine long-term commitment but is a reaction to pressure from the ruling government.

“Tinubu forced all of them together. And that is why they all moved in one direction. Which would have been beautiful, because it would have been like a two-party race,” Momodu said.

The publisher of Ovation International made the comment while reacting to the defection of Obi and Kwankwaso to the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, dumped the ADC on Sunday alongside former New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate, Kwankwaso, citing legal disputes within the coalition and a toxic political climate.

The move sparked debate about a possible joint presidential ticket between the two opposition figures in the 2027 election.

Momodu, however, warned that the political situation has changed significantly since the 2023 election and cautioned against assumptions of automatic voter retention for major candidates.

“Are you saying that Tinubu will retain all the 8 million plus people that voted for him last time? How are you sure… What is the guarantee that Obi and Kwankwaso are the only people who will retain all those who voted for them last time? The situation has changed,” he queried.

Momodu added that if Tinubu allows a free and fair election, “he might not even get 3 million votes.”

He cited the poor performance of some G5 governors who could not secure senatorial seats in their states, including Enugu, Abia, and Benue, as evidence of shifting voter loyalty.

On coalition talks, the ADC chieftain said his party remains focused and steadfast.

He welcomed those willing to join but rejected any form of blackmail or the idea that victory depends on a single individual.

“Those who want to join should join. Those who do not want to join, you cannot succumb to blackmail. That only one man can make us win,” he declared.

He noted that the 2019 alliance between Atiku Abubakar and Obi did not produce victory, while their separate contests in 2023 also failed to unseat the ruling party.

He advised political actors to remain calm, quoting his late unlettered mother: “Stop running from whatever is chasing you, because you might run into what is chasing you.”

He wished the former Anambra governor well in testing his popularity elsewhere and stressed that no one should be forced out of the race based on one person’s claims.

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Nigerians Won’t Eat Your Bogus GDP Figures, ADC Tells FG

Published

2 days ago

May 7, 2026

Eric

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Wednesday, faulted the Federal government’s celebration of Nigeria’s reported GDP growth, saying the figures do not reflect the economic strain facing ordinary citizens.

The party’s position speaks to a growing gap between official claims of progress and the daily reality of rising food prices, shrinking incomes, job losses and mounting business costs across the country.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said economic growth is meaningless if it does not improve how people actually live.

“People do not eat GDP,” Abdullahi said.

The party said millions of Nigerians remain trapped in hunger, inflation, unemployment and weakening purchasing power despite government claims of recovery.

Rejecting the government’s narrative, the ADC said, “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) rejects the Federal Government’s attempt to use headline GDP figures to whitewash the deep economic suffering Nigerians are currently enduring across the country.

“No government should be celebrating economic statistics while millions of its citizens are battling hunger, poverty, collapsing purchasing power, and rising hopelessness.

“The reality of the Nigerian economy is not what is written in government presentations. The reality is what Nigerians confront every day in markets, on farms, in factories, in shops, and in their homes.”

The party pointed to intensifying pressure on households and businesses nationwide.

Abdullahi said: “Food prices are unbearable. Transportation costs have become punitive. Small businesses are shutting down daily under the crushing weight of inflation, energy costs, and weak consumer demand. Salaries have lost value. Families who once lived modestly are now struggling to survive.

“Economic growth that does not reduce suffering, create jobs, improve incomes, or restore dignity to citizens is empty growth. Growth that only exists in official reports while citizens descend deeper into hardship is not meaningful progress.”

The ADC also questioned what Nigerians are being asked to celebrate under current conditions.

The party said, “The purpose of governance is not to manage public relations for economic statistics. The purpose of governance is to improve the living conditions of the people.

“What exactly should Nigerians celebrate? The fact that food inflation continues to devastate households? That millions of young Nigerians remain unemployed or underemployed? That businesses are collapsing faster than new ones are emerging? That more citizens are slipping into poverty despite working harder than ever?”

Calling for a shift in approach, the party urged the government to prioritise measurable improvements in citizens’ welfare over headline figures.

The ADC said: “A government that is serious about economic recovery would show humility, acknowledge the pain Nigerians are experiencing, and focus on delivering measurable improvements in living conditions instead of celebrating figures that have no meaning to hungry citizens.

“The ADC believes that the true test of economic policy is simple: Can Nigerians live better today than they did yesterday? For millions of Nigerians, the answer is no.

“Nigeria needs an economy that works for ordinary people, not an economy that only looks impressive in presentations to investors and international institutions.

“Until growth is felt in the homes of ordinary citizens, through affordable food, stable electricity, decent jobs, lower business costs, and improved purchasing power, this government has no moral basis to declare economic success.”

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I’m Not Leaving ADC, Rhodes-Vivour Vows

Published

4 days ago

May 5, 2026

Eric

The 2023 governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has opted out of the Obidient Movement, saying he is not leaving the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Rhodes-Vivour is a staunch supporter of Peter Obi, who moved from the ADC to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, on Sunday.

Since Obi and his prospective 2027 running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, joined NDC, there has been a gale of defections from the ADC to NDC.

However, in a statement on Tuesday, Rhodes-Vivour said himself and his team would remain in ADC to fight for a better Nigeria.

“To those who have made the difficult decision to move on to a new platform, I offer my genuine respect and best wishes.

“These are hard choices, We are all fighting for a better Nigeria, even when our roads diverge. I want to make it clear that I am staying in the ADC,” he said.