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The Mystery of Giving by Henry Ukazu

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“Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see” – Mark Twain

Greetings my good friends.

We are gradually coming to the end of the year. I guess it will be right to say compliments of the season because we are already in the month of December. If you are familiar with the Christmas season you will agree with me, it’s the season of love and one of the greatest ways of celebrating the Christmas season is by sharing with the less privileged in the society. As Christians, the hallmark of Christ love was displayed when he died on the cross for the salvation of souls. The Holy Bible recorded that Jesus Christ gave up his life for the redemption of our sins. That singular act of dying on the cross is what I call selfless giving. It’s on this note we’ll be discussing the art of selfless giving.

In today’s’ article, we shall be discussing the mystery of giving, how giving can be a blessing to you; how giving can open doors of opportunity for you and the different kinds of giving that can create impact. In our today’s world, a lot of people underestimate the importance and power of giving, they forget that when you give cheerfully, it comes back to you. They don’t realize that we become successful by what we get and we become happy with what we give. What we give includes our time, wealth, and energy. All these deeds are all used to create impact for humanity. According to Maya Angelou “People may forget what you say, people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel”. What matters most in giving is not how much you give, but the manner and attitude you give. Your giving should be able to put smiles on the faces of anyone you meet on the street. Never looked down on anyone except you are helping them get up.

You can tell more about a person by what he or she shares. Giving can be relative to time. Most people spend their time on what they value. They put their mouth where their money is. There’s real joy in giving. True givers have a feeling of fulfillment when they give. The way you give speaks a lot about you. Most people give to please the gallery. According to K.J Watts “Character is doing the right thing when no one is looking”.That is why Dalai Lama said Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions; and Mother Teresa beautiful caps it by saying “Spread love wherever you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier”

Giving is a gift, very few people posses this gift. Most givers are regarded as philanthropist. Great philanthropist like Tony Elumelu, Bill Gate, Mike Adenuga and Mother Teresa are passionate about empowering humanity. If you are not called to be a giver, it will be hard for you to give even if you have surplus to share. However, giving can be cultivated and nurtured especially when you meet a giver who has been blessed with the mystery of giving. Just like prayers is the fastest way to get prayers answered, in the same manner, giving is the fastest way to open doors of opportunity. In my little experience in life, I have since discovered that you’ll get whatever you need faster when you help other people to get what they need. There’s nobility in giving. To understand the mystery of giving, try spraying a perfume on a friend, you’ll discover that a part of the fragrance will be left on your part. That fragrance implies that you are also blessing yourself in double folds. A lot of people find it hard to share, but the truth is that great people are the people who share when it’s most uncomfortable for them. For me, when I look back to see the kind of favors I have received in recent times, I honestly feel they are because of the deeds I have sowed selflessly through giving and helping other people to achieve what they need. One of such favors was when I supported a young author in sharing his works and moderating his book launch, after the event, he was kind to introduce me to the President of his College and the rest they is history. Another interesting opportunity which opened doors for me was when I supported one of my mentors to organize an event, during the meet and greet session I met the Senior Vice President and Provost of Medgar Evers College. Fast forward to two years later after I published my book, I reached out to him and he was kind to support my work in addition to recommending my book to his College. I can go on and on, but as the sage will say a word is enough for the wise. My humble advice for you is, if you have the opportunity of helping others, please do, even when it is difficult to share.

Another component part of giving is the setbacks and challenges that comes with giving. We live in a world where some irrational beings can be ungrateful. These set of individuals makes life difficult for people with good intentions to stay aloof due to the sad experiences they have encountered when they assisted other people. The point here is that, you might have a heart of gold to share, but some ungrateful minds might want to use it as an opportunity to steal or deprive other people who are truly in need. This is what makes most people to desist from helping other people, but Mother Teresa has encouraged us never to be deterred from giving or assisting people. According to her;
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered, Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people will accuse of ulterior motives – Be kind anyway
The good you do today maybe forgotten, Be good anyway
If you find happiness, people may be jealous Be happy anyway
Give your best anytime and at the end you will discover it is between you and God, It was never between you and them anyway. The moral of this statement is that do good just because it is good to be good not because society or organizations wants you to do good.
One of the ways to know a person or to find out the interest of any person is to find out what he or she does with his/her time. Personally, I like to share because it makes me happy. You can tell who a person is by what he/she spends his resources on.
Giving is one of the most fundamental laws of success. Giving and receiving operate in the same dimension like the law of karma. The universe gives you what you give. It’s that simple. Practicing the Law of Giving and Receiving is simple: If you sow love, you will reap love, if you sow opportunity you will receive boundless opportunities, if you want wealth, help others prosper.

Giving and receiving are different aspects of the same flow of energy in the universe. In our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives. Let me share some practical guidance to giving. According to Deepak Chopra’s book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, he outlined giving as of the laws of success. Let’s share some of this teachings as it relates to giving.

GIVE DAILY
Giving is not reserved for special days like birthday, valentine and anniversaries. It should be done without season as you go about your daily lives. Whether you are in the bus, on the street, market, social gathering, find an opportunity to give by sharing a smile, passing a cup of water to one in need, or even give someone a compliment. Trust me, it to goes a long way to put smiles on the faces of the person. These are The Little Things of Life which can make a huge difference in the life of someone in need. What is important in giving is the attitude you radiate when give. When giving, don’t give in a condescending manner, rather give with a sense of hope. Giving helps to radiate a feeling of gratitude. If you really want to understand what the value of giving can do for someone, give a beggar a penny or food to the homeless, no matter the size of what you give, you will be amazed how grateful the person will be. The true joy of life is not happy you are, but how happy others can be because of you. We live in a world filled with frustration and one of the ways we can diffuse this feeling is by sharing love and empathy to the world. The best gift you can give is to leave someone feeling a little lighter than they felt before your interaction. It should be noted that anything that is of value in life only multiplies when it is given. It is the intention behind your giving and receiving that is the most important thing.

RECEIVE GRATEFULLY
Every act of receiving is an act of giving. When you happily accept a gift, you give pleasure to the giver. Think about giving something to someone you love. Imagine the happiness and opening that unfolds as a result of your gift. Now imagine that your friend or loved one refused your offering. You would most likely feel disappointed, sad, and empty. When you receive a gift or favor from someone look at the intent as opposed to form that will enable you to appreciate the deed.

REPLENISH YOURSELF.
You may agree with me that givers never lack and you can never give what you don’t have. As givers, it’s highly imperative we apply wisdom when giving. Giving is relative to health. If you have a family or friend you are taking care of, wisdom entails that you also have to take care of yourself. In the same manner, when you give, be rational about it. The best way to express this thought is by following your conscience. Your conscience will never deceive you. Nobody feels a particular feeling more than you. Always remember, whenever you give cheerfully, you are opening doors of bountiful blessings.

BE PRESENT:
The best use of your time and resources is by making ourselves available for humanity. It’s very good to give attention to the cries of helpless people around us, this is because giving is the language the deaf can hear and feel while the blind can feel and see. As you journey towards life, always have at the back of your mind many people are carrying heavy burden in their heart, little acts of kindness will go a long way to make them feel accepted and loved. Life’s most precious gifts are the intangible ones, including attention, appreciation, and affection. When we pay attention to someone, we are fully present and listen deeply, without stopping to check what’s going on around our environment. When you give or share an opportunity, don’t see it as an obligation for someone to pay you back like they owe you a favor, if you have such mentality, you have lost the value and blessings that come with giving.

In conclusion, I will strongly advise you to give whenever and wherever you find an opportunity because you just never know what might happen the next second. While carrying out this noble act, always remember the words of Mark Twain “Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see”

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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Opinion

Voice of Emancipation: Nigeria’s New President

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By Kayode Emola

In less than 48 hours Nigeria will welcome a new President, charged with handling its affairs for the next four years. Yet among the many challenges awaiting the new president, whether Nigeria itself can even survive another four years remains to be seen. There is no doubt that the Tinubu/Shettima presidency will need more than courage to keep Nigeria united for the full duration of their elected term.

Only time will tell whether Tinubu and Shettima will be sworn in come May 29, or whether we will instead have an interim government. However, one thing of which we are certain is that the era of Muhammad Buhari is over, never to be experienced again. Those who have survived living under Buhari’s misrule in Nigeria for the last eight years deserve an award for endurance.

We must not allow the expected swearing-in of a Yoruba man as Nigeria’s president on Monday 29 to make us complacent. Indeed, my Yoruba people, our task has just doubled.

Nigeria’s future is now looking more imperiled than ever before. The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) are already threatening to declare their own independent Biafra nation if Tinubu is sworn in come May 29. And the Biafra campaigners are not the only disgruntled people within the country. The vast majority of our Yoruba people and even the Hausa people are becoming embittered with the trajectory Nigeria has taken since independence. At this point now, the new president must decide if Nigeria will continue as it is, or ask the indigenous people to decide their future.

It is increasingly evident that Nigeria is not a sustainable venture, and that a trading post cannot become a country that can endure the test of time. The people within Nigeria never decided to unite and become a country, so trying to hold them to ransom can never succeed.

I will therefore urge the incoming president to rethink his policies if he has not thought about a peaceful way in which Nigeria’s dissolution can be established. Powering through and hoping that he can hold Nigeria together like his predecessor Buhari did will definitely not stand the test of time.

To my fellow Yoruba people who are singing hallelujah that a Yoruba man is going to be president. I want us to know that just as Buhari is leaving the Presidential seat come Monday 29, Tinubu will also not be president for life. When he leaves what will be the fate of the Yoruba people or the other nationalities that makes up Nigeria.

At this juncture in our history, it would be the time to give the indigenous peoples of Nigerians the opportunity to determine their future in a constitutional conference. Nigeria has gone past its due date and must now be prepared for decommissioning just like several countries such as Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, etc has done in the past. If not, a dysfunctional disengagement may lead to utter chaos if not another civil considering the damage the country is currently doing to the lives of millions of frustrated youths. The rate of poverty is not abating with the currency being devalued on a daily basis putting more strain on the people’s finances

The handlers of Nigeria must acknowledge that the unitary system being practiced in Nigeria has utterly failed the people. The people must now be handed a lifeline in order to salvage a future for themselves and their future generations. Anything short of that may mean Nigeria may go the way other African countries such as Somalia and South Sudan etc have divided with years of bitter civil war which has resulted in the loss of millions of innocent lives.

Yoruba people should not shout ‘Uhuru’ yet because one of us is sitting in ‘Aso rock’. If history has thought us anything, whoever becomes president of Nigeria is there for themselves and not necessarily representing their constituents. That Tinubu will be president does not stop the call for an independent Yoruba nation, if anything, the call for an independent Yoruba nation should now become louder and clearer to send a strong signal to the local and international communities that the Yoruba people have finally made up their mind to leave Nigeria.

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Opinion

DNV: Namibia Welcomes First Digital Nomads

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By Dolapo Aina

According to Citizen Remote, “A digital nomad visa is a temporary permit that allows visitors to stay in a country while they work remotely. Multiple countries offer these sorts of visas, and most of them have a duration of twelve months, with the possibility to extend your stay. While they may not be for everyone, a digital nomad visa allows many remote workers to travel the world while they work from the comfort of their computers. They also help the countries impulse their economy by having foreigners stay for extended periods.”

Several benefits and fallouts of having digital nomads in a country include but not limited to positive country branding by the digital nomads who are residents in their host country. Digital nomads tend to amplify messages the host country might have been trying to get across to potential travellers. On the African Continent, only a few countries have latched on to Digital Nomads and Digital Nomad visas (and it is noteworthy to state that some African countries might not term it Digital Nomad Visas but have something in that guise.)

Since the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant fallouts, digital nomads and remote work have increased exponentially globally and in Africa particularly.

According to the Harvard School of Business, with the global shift towards remote work over the past three years, approximately forty-seven countries have developed digital nomad visa programmes. On the African Continent, a few countries offer Digital Nomad Visa. These countries are and in no particular order: Cape Verde, Mauritius, Namibia and Seychelles. Other countries on the African Continent have something within this category but officially, it is designated as Digital Nomad Visa.

On Tuesday, 9th of May 2023, Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board announced and welcomed Namibia’s first Digital Nomads.

According to a statement signed by Ms. Catherine Shipushu, who is the senior manager: Marketing, Branding and Communications of Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, “Namibia officially recorded her first digital nomads just five months after the official launch of the country’s Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) on 11 October 2022. The programme was launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration and Security (MHAISS) and the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), with the aim of enhancing economic activity in the country. The first two digital nomad visa applications were approved on Tuesday, 14 February 2023.”

The statement further revealed that the Digital Nomad Visa programme aims to capitalise on the growing global remote workforce by offering location-independent foreign professionals the chance to live, work, and experience Namibia for up to six months. These digital nomads contribute towards the country’s economy by injecting foreign currency in the ecosystem, but without usurping jobs meant for Namibians. Early results are encouraging, with over 121 enquiries about the programme recorded so far. Of this number a total of 20 applications were received, out of which nine were approved, with five rejections. The reasons for rejection were made known to include; applicants who do not meet the income requirements of two thousand dollars per month, and are thus unable to prove that they can effectively sustain themselves while in Namibia. Other applications were rejected because they were submitted while the applicants were already in Namibia on a different legal status such as a Tourist Visa, or they arrived in the country before approval of their application.

According to Ms. Catherine Shipushu; “The launch of the Digital Nomad Visa earned Namibia international praise, from Cape Town to Germany and as far as Australia. Additionally, we have witnessed a surge in queries and applications for the DNV through our website, further demonstrating the growing global interest. This demonstrates Namibia’s potential to harness the digital nomad trend and create new opportunities for local businesses in the tourism and information and communication technologies support sectors. As an effective marketing tool for Namibia, the DNV program has also created visibility through digital nomads documenting and sharing their experiences on social media and other mass media platforms, showcasing the nation’s natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and hospitality. This increased visibility has the potential to help attract more tourists, investors, and talent, further stimulating the nation’s economic growth and development.”

It is said that, by design, the Digital Nomad Visa complements, rather than competes with, the local workforce, ensuring digital nomads bring their own remote jobs or freelance projects to Namibia. This approach benefits the Namibian economy and its people while creating an environment for local entrepreneurs and professionals to expand their networks, learn from their international counterparts, and explore new avenues for collaboration.

Dolapo Aina reached out to Ms. Catherine Shipushu (senior manager: Marketing, Branding and Communications of Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, in the Office of The Presidency) for more clarifications and insights.

On the abovementioned statement that the digital nomads contribute towards the country’s economy by injecting foreign currency in the ecosystem, I asked if this is the only criteria being looked at? What about those nomads who can attract global attention and global traffic into Namibia? How do you factor that into the policy? Ms. Catherine Shipushu stated that, “The Namibia Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) serves a dual purpose in enhancing the country’s economy. Firstly, it allows digital nomads to inject foreign currency into the ecosystem, contributing to economic activities and growth. Additionally, the DNV harnesses the power of digital nomads as ambassadors for Namibia. Through their documentation and sharing of experiences on social media and other platforms, they become valuable marketing assets, attracting global attention and generating publicity for the country. As part of our marketing campaign, we have engaged digital nomads, who are currently in Namibia, to share their unique perspectives and experiences, aiming to inspire and attract more digital nomads to choose Namibia as their preferred “work” destination. By leveraging their presence and influence, we strive to create a ripple effect of positive exposure and interest in Namibia, ultimately benefiting the local economy and fostering collaboration between local and international professionals.”

On the two thousand dollars per month projection, I asked if this was targeted at only Western nomads only or global nomads including African nomads who might not have the same financial muscle as their Western counterparts? And would this amount be reduced anytime soon? Ms. Catherine Shipushu stated that, “The requirement of USD 2,000 per month for the Namibia Digital Nomad Visa is not targeted exclusively at Western nomads. The income requirement serves as a benchmark to ensure that digital nomads, regardless of their nationality, have the financial means to sustain themselves comfortably in Namibia. The aim is to provide a positive experience for digital nomads and contribute to the local economy. The income requirement is based on the cost of living in Namibia and takes into account expenses such as accommodation, transportation, food and other essentials. The Namibian government understands the diverse backgrounds of digital nomads and aims to create an inclusive environment that welcomes global nomads, including those from Africa and other parts of the world, while maintaining a reasonable financial stability requirement. As with any programme, there is a possibility of periodic evaluation and adjustments based on feedback and the evolving circumstances.”

The launch of Namibia’s Digital Nomad Visa programme is a bold and strategic move that positions the country as a prime destination for remote workers from around the world. By embracing this global trend and offering a world-class visa program, Namibia stands to reap substantial economic, social, and cultural benefits.

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Adding Value

Adding Value: Understanding Oneself: Foundation to Success by Henry Ukazu

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Dear Destiny Friends,

“To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom” – Socrates

Please permit me to begin this article by asking a simple question. Who are you? By this, I mean what you stand for or represent and not what the world thinks of you. It is instructive to note that what the world thinks of you is your reputation, but your character is who you really are.

If an employer wants to know more about a prospective employee, they can ask an open-ended question such as how would you describe yourself in one sentence? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Have you ever experienced a challenge or problem at work? If yes, how did you handle it? All these questions are structured to inquire more about the personality of the employee.

One of the best things anyone can do in life is not only to understand who they are, but also understand what they represent. It will be hard to know what you represent if you don’t understand who you are. If you don’t understand yourself, it will be difficult to understand other people.

According to Forbes, only 15% of the world are self-aware. One begins to wonder, what about the remaining 85%. As a transformational Human Capacity Coach, my company is focused on helping people unleash their potential. To do this, we use our self-discovery and mindset training manual to know more about them by giving them a set of self awareness questions which they are required to answer to the best of their knowledge. It is rather unfortunate that a lot of people don’t know themselves. They just exist as opposed to living.

Self-discovery is truly lacking in our society. When you truly know yourself, you will know your strengths and weaknesses. When you know yourself, you will know your boundaries as regards what to accept from people and where to draw the lines; you will know your personality traits; you will have a clearer understanding of your career path in your professional life; you will know how to interact with people; you will know your core values; you will have a clearer version of your life purpose; and you will be self-motivated. The list is literally endless.

In the journey of life, we engage in a lot of activities we are not supposed to be engaged in. For example, we study courses we are not wired or love to study, and this makes understanding difficult. Some of us apply for jobs we are not passionate about just to pay bills. Some of us even marry partners we don’t really like due to circumstances. Again, the list is endless. All these can lead to frustration and depression if not properly managed. If only we can take a deep breath and ask ourselves some deep thought-provoking questions on what we really want in life, and the reason we are doing what we are doing, the result will be different.

There are many ways to understand oneself. You can understand yourself by staying silent, reflecting about, and observing your life. These acts will help you to practice self-awareness which will ultimately help you to look inward and enable you to understand your feelings, emotions, and your personality. Self knowledge will enable you to know your values, interests, temperament, life mission, and activities to engage in.

As human beings, one thing we should constantly engage in is learning new things about ourselves on a daily basis. Knowing oneself takes time. However, due to desperation, most people don’t practice the art of stillness. When you take time to understand what’s involved in a particular work, it will be easy to solve it in a more efficient and effective manner. There is a story told of a philosopher, who fell into a ditch in front of him because he was too busy to see what was ahead of him.

Again, let’s take the case of Japan with about one hundred and twenty-five million people, which is one of the most industrialized countries on the planet, yet it maintains a level of calm despite the busy nature of the country.

The benefits of knowing oneself is priceless. It will make you confident which will ultimately eliminate self-doubt. It will help you build better and healthy health relationships by attracting the people you need and eliminating people you don’t need. You will be less stressed because you will focus on what’s important as opposed to irrelevant things which will keep your temperament and mindset in good shape.

Self discovery will help you to know your self-worth because no one will price you cheap when you know your value, and you will feel happier.

Furthermore, self knowledge will help you in decision making. When you know yourself, you will be able to make better choices about everything, from minor decisions to major decisions. Your temperament and personality type will be better managed as a leader or rational being.

Self control: When you know yourself, you will better manage yourself. If you can’t manage yourself, it will be hard to manage other people. When you know yourself, you understand what motivates you to resist bad habits and develop good ones. Knowing your strengths is one of the foundations of self confidence.

Resistance to social pressure. Self knowledge helps you to focus on what’s beneficial to you as opposed to other people. According to Bill Cosby, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone. When you are grounded in your values and preferences, you are less likely to say “yes” when you want to say “no.”

In conclusion, take time and reflect on this question, who am I? This is one of the most important questions you will answer in your entire life. When you answer this question, you have solved 50% of your life challenges. If you can’t answer this question, and need assistance, you can use the email below to reach out for assistance.

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator.  He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer Design Your Destiny and Unleash Your Destiny.  He can be reached via info@gloemi.com

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