Adding Value

Adding Value: Be Prepared by Henry Ukazu

Published

7 years ago

November 23, 2019

Eric

Greetings Dear Friends,

Growing up as kids we all had desires, dreams, and visions of the kind of profession we wished to be identified with or engaged in. We all had that fantasy personality we wished to be. Fast forward to two or more decades later, we realise that while we have been able to achieve some, some are still in process and a lot more may have eluded us.

However, regardless of where you are, just know that it is never too late to live your dream. According to George Elliot, It’s never too late to be what you might have been”. Even if you have been able to achieve your childhood dream of being a lawyer, doctor, engineer, etc., C.S Lewis opined “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” The difference between remaining first and being the first is that the former engage in a productive activity in order to remain on top while the latter just attained the position. The underlying factor responsible for our success and failure is summed up in preparation.

What is preparation? Preparation is simply the act of preparing — getting ready, planning, training, or studying with a goal in mind. According to Alexander Graham Bell “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.

We all have desires in life, but some of us are not doing much to achieve those desires. For example, you may have desires of being the president of your country, governor, chief executive officer of a company, etc., but you need to ask yourself if you are doing enough to get to the position/title

There’s no limit to what preparation can do; take for instance, you want to prepare a delicious meal, and you will definitely need to have all the ingredients ready in addition to adding them in the right proportion. That’s simply the way success in life works. It can never be in the reverse position. You may be hoping and trusting God for a car, job, wife/husband, or a particular opportunity of interest, but you are not doing enough to receive the blessings/opportunity. It’s instructive to note that opportunity meets prepared minds. So, if you are hoping to get a car from an angel, you must learn to drive, get a license and then work towards getting the car.

We shall be discussing how we can prepare in addition to sharing instructive notes relevant to preparation.

One of the most important parts of success is preparation. You must plan for success, otherwise, you’ll fail. Isn’t it true that failing to prepare is preparing to fail? There’s nothing like luck. According to Bobby Unser, “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity” If you are not prepared for any job, even if you get it, you’ll fail. You must be positively intentional about anything you plan to do. Success is like faith in action. You must put in the work and allow it to work for you. Even the Holy book made us understand that faith without work is dead.

If you are an in business, a strong skill to have in order to succeed is being proactive. Let’s say you are a public speaker and you are called for an impromptu event, your ability to succeed at the event will more or likely be as a result of previous speaking events or even practicing by listening to accomplished speakers. Furthermore, if you a public servant or a good consultant, for you to succeed in your profession, you must prepare for whatever situations you encounter from your clients. This is because a question might be thrown at you at any point in time and your ability to answer them will add more caps to your glory. You can be prepared by reading vast, researching to know what’s trending in the industry, or listening to the news.

Getting Prepared:

There’s a thin line of difference between preparing and be ready. When you are preparing, it basically means you are preparing for an opportunity, but when you are ready, it means you have finished preparing and now good to deliver. For instance, if you need a promotion or raise in your job, it’s imperatively important for you to prepare yourself by getting more knowledge which can come in form of academic qualification, certifications or more training like the acquisition of related skills needed for the job. When you finish preparing yourself, you can be termed ready for the position.

Another way of getting prepared is by surrounding yourself with people/experts who are knowledgeable about the area you are interested in. The more specific you are about your intentions, the more chance you’ll get to succeed. With so many free resources available, there is no excuse not to learn something about any subject matter. I’ve seen people with barely entry-level skills outshine the supposed experts simply because of how prepared they were.

Success entails preparation

Trust me, you have a duty to come prepared for anything that matters to you. I will share a personal secret to you; most of the success I have attained in recent times are consequences of preparation. I always prepare myself with the right message, network, resources, opportunity, and information before I explore any opportunity of interest. All these preparation add up in one way or the another to achieve a common goal. I have no choice but to do the hard work of preparing for the expected and the unexpected. I’m far from perfect, but by preparing again and again for each new situation, I get better and can deliver better results. Yes, it takes late nights and long hours, but if you aren’t willing to do the hard work of preparing, then you shouldn’t take on the task in the first place. If, however, you have taken on a project, you have an obligation to yourself and to the client to be willing to dive in and prepare so that you can really deliver.

Benefits of preparation

I cannot underestimate the benefits that come with preparation. It is truly priceless. I belong to the school of thought which believes that hard work is prayer in action. This is because you can attain success when you put in the desired work. While some people are academically and scientifically gifted, others are naturally talented and skillful, while some succeed by learning how to do the job.

Being Prepared Enhances Self Discipline

Nothing disciplines the human race more than preparing for a lifetime opportunity. Imagine having an opportunity to meet your dream investor to pitch your idea, or being asked by the president of your country to meet him/her in a week’s time to discuss your business proposal. I will imagine you’ll take all the time the world to prepare for this meeting and this preparation entails disciplining yourself.

Being Prepared Enhances Our Strategic Thinking

Preparation also enables you to think out of the box. Preparation will make you to reason. Preparation will make you to explore options and opportunities. A strategic thinker is very proactive because they prepare for the next move when the desirable is not available. The more complex the task, the higher the degree of strategic thinking is required. Strategic thinking is a skill that is born through practice and experience. On a daily basis, our brain process so much information without you knowing. We may not always recognise our thoughts as being strategic but each act of preparation is working with our brain.

Being Prepared Develops Our Resilience

Resilience is the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad has happened. It is in preparation that we develop our mental resilience and it is through failure that we develop a life of resilience. We all know that not every plan leads to success and it is through failure that we reach success. Having resilience allows us to stand up ten times after we’ve been knocked down ten times and to continue on our course by making adjustments and realignments.

Leadership:

All great leaders are readers. You cannot be an effective leader if you are not prepared for the task. According to John Quincy Adams, “if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” As mentioned earlier, any height you want to reach in life, you must prepare for it, otherwise, you stand a great chance of failing when you get the opportunity even if you have great advisers because in one way or another your intuitive and rational skills must be tested at different moments. A great way of succeeding in this area is by applying the SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely goals for all you want to do.

Yes, you are prepared, I know you will say, but how prepared are you?

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

Adding Value

Adding Value: Kill Worry Before It Kills You by Henry Ukazu

Published

3 days ago

July 18, 2026

Eric

Dear Destiny Friends,

No human being can claim exeption from worry. Studies have proved that every person has at one time or another expressed worry over a particular, personal or general. Worry is a universal emotion, and not selective. We worry about our friends, children, partners, spouses, finance, career, health, job interviews and sometimes, how to go about first dates.

Worrying is like a challenge. No matter how hard one tries, they cannot run away from it. Worry can be described as the necessary evil we can’t afford. The basic truth temains that so long as there’s life, worrying about something is never faraway.

Did you know that constant worrying, negative thinking, and always expecting the worst can take a toll on a person’s emotional and physical health. It can sap emotional strength, leave one feeling restless and jumpy, cause insomnia, headaches, stomach problems, and make it difficult to concentrate at work or school.

When you worry, you experience restlessness. You may feel physically jittery, or restless and unfocused at work or school. This is because your attention is so focused on your worries.

Constant worrying can keep you up at night and make you tense and edgy during the day. And even though you hate feeling like a nervous wreck, it can still be so difficult to stop. For most chronic worriers, the anxious thoughts are fueled by the likely negative beliefs they hold in high belief that’s likely going to happen.

The truth about life is that no matter how hard we try, we can’t solve any problem by worrying about the problem. Imagine being poor, sick, and experiencing a spiritual challenge, trust me, crying, apportioning blame, and complaining won’t fix the problem. What is expected from an informed mind is to fix the problem by proffering solutions.

In the words of a social commentator, Dr. Yomi Garnet, “worry is such an unfortunate habit, isn’t it? Admittedly, real problems do exist, but often we expend so much energy on problems that do not exist, or worse still, we create new ones by dwelling on a myriad of bad things that might happen but never do. Resolve today to be so strong that nothing and nobody can disturb your peace of mind”.

One of the major disadvantages of worry is the level of restlessness and sleeplessness it brings with it, meaning that worries can keep one awake all night.

Changes in social life. Worry can cause social detachment. The effects of chronic worrying can also spill over into your social life. You might find that you become short-tempered with people around you, or even self-isolate yourself from others because you feel so emotionally exhausted.

The question now becomes; how do we solve these problems and challenges? How do we overcome worry? And more importantly, how can we live above worry?

Speak to a Licensed Therapist

Speaking to someone can help to address his concern. According to Maya Angelou, “People may may forget what you say, people may forget what you do, but people will never forget how you made them feel. You can consider speaking to your parents, siblings, partners, mentor or licensed therapist. For instance, BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. You can ask your friends, family members, and people of interest how they cope with uncertainty in specific situations. This can help to improve social and mental wellbeing.

Build a strong support system.

Human beings are social creatures. We’re not meant to live in isolation. But a strong support system doesn’t necessarily mean a vast network of friends. Don’t underestimate the benefit of a few people you can trust and count on to be there for you.

Admit Your Fears

Let’s be honest, it’s practically impossible to feel truly thankful and discontented at the same moment. The first step in solving a problem is by admitting and recognizing we have a problem. This is because identification of a problem is fifty percent solved. Once we know a problem exists, the next stage is how do we solve the problem.

There’s no double fear plays a big role in why we worry. We worry about the future. Imagine being out of work and owing rent, it could be traumatic. So, admitting one has a problem of having no job and owing rent is enough to put fear in our body. To solve these problems, one ought to find a job. That’s one of the fastest and most resourceful ways of eliminating fear and worry as it relates to being poor or out of work.

Give Thanks.

Another great way of eliminating worry from our life is by giving thanks to God if one is a Christian. Giving thanks has an undertone of acknowledging problems, however, it says, I’m not focusing on it because I have a superior power over the problem and as such, I will thank my creator who is aware of issues at hand.

Again, giving thanks has an inherent message saying, this challenge is a test of my ability to overcome this challenge. The problem will make one think out of the box about how to address the problem.

Be Still

Being still despite chaos can be challenging. One of the ways of practicing this principle is by taking a deep breath, resting, reflecting, and meditating. This helps to clear one’s head to focus on important things as opposed to mundane things. It’s instructive to note that there’s a certain level of peace of mind that comes to one when one is still.

Pray

This is one of the most powerful ways to end worry from our life. Sometimes, there are problems that are beyond us, but they are not beyond our God. According to the Serenity prayer, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Sometimes, I wonder why most people worry when they can pray. Prayers can change a lot of things if we are intentional and do our own part of the bargain.

In conclusion, to live long and become productive, please quit worrying and complaining about what you have no control over and focus on what you have control over.

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

Adding Value

Adding Value: Make Efficiency, Effectiveness Your Watchword by Henry Ukazu

Published

1 week ago

July 11, 2026

Eric

Dear Destiny Friends,

To be successful, everyone needs to be effective and efficient in all they do. Success does not come from nicety, speech articulation or fine diction, spotless dressing, connections, good proposal or even from having a good product. Though all these factors might play a role, a business man must not only be efficient in their business, they must also be effective.

These words, effective and efficient no doubt, are so closely related, however there’s a thin line of difference between the two. If you stay with me for awhile, you’ll understand.

One might be wondering what the difference between being effective and being efficient is. According to Dr. Yomi Garnett, a prolific and exceptional ghost writer, efficiency is the ability to do something well without wasting energy or effort, whilst to be effective is simply to do something well. Let’s talk a minute to explain how this works. One can be efficient and not effective, and one can be effective and not efficient. But a truly great mind is both effective and efficient. When one is efficient, it means that he can do the work within the shortest possible time. This may be because he has done it over and over again, and have mastered its nitty-gritty.

There’s a saying, if someone can’t explain something to a six-year-old child, that person doesn’t understand the subject very well. I agree with this saying because when someone understands something, he/she won’t go through stress explaining it, and will spend minimum time doing it. Whilst for someone who is effective, he knows the issue or has a subject matter expert on the business very well. He can literally do it when he wakes up from sleep without rehearsing. So, in summary, an effective person saves time, while an efficient person explains better.

As progressive beings, we must be proactive with not only our life, but also our business, career, and whatever we find our hand worthy of doing. By doing so, people will appreciate us and support us. In business, one of the best forms of advertising is referral. When one’s work is exceptionally good, he doesn’t need too much advertising; his work will speak for itself. For instance, anyone who may have used the product might say ‘I have used this product or service, and I can guarantee its effectiveness’. Another person might say ‘the staff are very efficient, professional, and great at customer service’.

All these are great reviews. Trust me, one doesn’t need too many reviews to believe in the authenticity of what people are saying. They can sense a genuine review devoid of sentiments and vested interest. So, imagine a case where there’s no review, one might have a challenge in believing the durability and effectiveness of the product/service.

As a business owner, one must be intentional with respect to how he treats his employers and customers. What most uninformed business owners don’t know is that when you take care of your staff, they will in turn take care of your business. When the staff are happy, they’ll treat the customers well, and when the customers are happy, they’ll in turn tell the world. Do you see how effectiveness and efficiency work in a company?

In a similar way, if one is consistent in publishing articles every week like I do, opportunities are bound to arise soon when there’s alignment. As a business owner, I can authoritatively tell you being good at what you say you do is a currency. Nobody likes shady or dirty work. I can also tell you people are ready to pay for premium services provided you can deliver.

Let me share a personal experience with you; two months ago, I visited my home country – Nigeria, for a business opportunity. During my meeting with some established institutions, I had to submit proposals to them. But because I wasn’t proficient in writing proposals, I had to hire a consultant to do the job for me. Not only did I hire a consultant, I also flew him for business meetings because I trusted his judgment, and guess work, it paid off.

Imagine, if I had to do it myself, I doubt if the work would have been given the kind of positive attention it attracted. Why am I sharing this information? When one is good at what they do, it won’t take long for them to be seen when the right opportunity comes.

Being efficient and effective does not only apply to our professional lives, it’s also applicable in our personal lives. In the world we currently live in, things are governed by perception. When people see how effective and efficient you are, they will be inclined to associate with you, but when you appear like an unserious person, they will find it hard to recommend or refer you for business opportunities.

So, today, take stock and ask yourself if are you an effective and efficient person; if your company is effective and efficient. If your answer is no; ask yourself what you can do to make you and your company effective. The answer will set you on the right path to success.

Adding Value

Adding Value: The Inherent Power of Gift-Nurturing by Henry Ukazu

Published

2 weeks ago

July 5, 2026

Eric

Greetings Destiny Friends,

The saying, the joy of life is not how happy you are, but how happy others can be because of you, is no fluke. The statement emphasizes the importance of building human relationships. Relationships are skills that need to be nurtured.

Building and maintaining relationships is a skill that everyone needs to learn. But importantly, one must be intentional in the kind of relationship they intend to build because failure to cross the t’s and dot the i’s can have devastating effects on a person.

As human beings, sometimes, we don’t know what we have until we lose them. It’s instructive to note that one of the major challenges Third World countries have is maintaining culture. These third world countries find it difficult to maintain their roads, schools, provide good health hospitals, or build infrastructural facilities for their citizens. Even as human beings, sometimes, we lack this mindset of not maintaining or developing what we have. This is because we might know how to sing, swim, dance, play soccer, write or even teach, but we don’t develop it.

It’s instructive to note that the world is usually attracted to strength and not weakness. Isn’t it true that nobody celebrates poverty, rather they eulogize successful and wealthy people. So, if you desire to be celebrated, endeavor to develop what’s inside of you.

Let me tell you, nobody can celebrate or talk about you if you don’t talk or celebrate yourself, and nobody can save you without you making an attempt to save yourself. According to a former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, “you can’t wake a man who is pretending to be asleep”. That’s a powerful statement insinuating the power of self-determination. When you develop what you have, the world will resonate with you. This is what I mean by the power of maintenance.

The question we need to ask ourselves is how do we maintain what we have? Well, maintaining what we have is not as hard as it may appear. All that is necessary for one to be intentional in developing and adding value to their life.

Everyone has a gift or talent, but the challenge we have is that we don’t take time to groom it. Beloved, if you don’t groom your gift, nobody will do it for you. If you don’t speak about yourself, nobody will speak about you. Sometimes, we want glory, but we are not willing to pay the price.

Furthermore, in every sphere of life, maintenance culture is very important. Failure to do so can make one spend more. Imagine having a car with a minor break, if the car is not properly fixed, it will affect other parts of the car. The same principle is applicable if one has a house which needs repairs. The principle of the broken window tells us when a window is damaged, it will be better to pull it out or fix it so we can focus on other things otherwise, it will affect other components in the house.

This principle is also applicable to business, politicians, academics, spirituality, health and family. As a matter of fact, it is applicable in every area of our life. According to Myles Munroe “whatever we don’t manage we lose”. So, imagine what will happen if we don’t develop our skills and talent. The grave is considered the richest soil on earth because of the millions and billions of talents that have been buried inside the soil.

As a budding entrepreneur, we have been told about the power of consistency. When one is consistent, the universe has a way of showcasing us to the world. Let me share a practical example of how consistency works. In 2018, I was given an opportunity to publish weekly articles by Chief Dele Momodu on this online newspaper. I took up the challenge and have been consistently publishing inspirational and creative articles that will assist entrepreneurs and progressive minds to unleash their potential.

Here is the catch, I have received numerous opportunities and recognition globally from resourceful organizations, in addition to meeting great leaders of thought who have developed interest in my work. It’s important to note that I wasn’t a great writer at the initial stage, but over time, I have honed my writing skills by interacting and reading from resourceful minds

For business owners, if you have a business, consider learning all necessary information including taking certification classes, training and networking with the right people to acquaint yourself to the extent an opportunity presents itself. Also, sometimes we wait for people or big organizations to give you big opportunities to showcase your work to the world, but we fail to understand that we have what it takes to attract global attention which will bring the big names and organizations we desire to come to us. But we are not willing to pay the price.

I can remembered when I started my business, I had no clarity of what I was doing, but because I was intentional to learn, I attended many online trainings and today I can boldly say that by the special grace of God, my organization have partnered with global organizations and United Nations Development Programme to train youths in Rwanda on Leadership. The moral of this message is that I maintained my line, I maintained my skill, talent, I developed myself, but more importantly I didn’t give up on what I have inside me. I may not know your experiences or situations or expectations, but if you can stay focused and do the needful, I have no doubt the world will celebrate you in due time.