By Abdulakeem Sodeeq Sulyman

Waiters believe the right time will come for them to start working on their dreams; but achievers believe in the opportunities every time – positive or negative – posed to them to actualize their dreams” – Abdulakeem Sodeeq Sulyman 

Today is one of the most important days of my life because in a few hours, I will be officially admitted into the league of the recipients of the Presidential Lifetime Award. Being a recipient of the prestigious award is, to me, as a devoted Christian, is nothing short of the grace of the Most High God, who has been my ultimate guardian and pillar of support and encouragement. I will alway glorify His holy name!

But beyond that, I wouldn’t have attained this peak of greatness without the influence of my parents, family members, friends, mentors, acquaintances and most importantly, my doubters. Your respective roles in nurturing me for the greatness I was destined to achieve really shaped my life’s trajectory by instilling the right values in me and energizing me in pursuing my aspirations and dreams.

To start with the order of the people I mentioned earlier, I owe everything I become in life to my parents because they were the embodiments of my standards. I cannot thank my parents enough for their sacrifices for me and my brothers and sisters. My parents’ guidance and support were indelible! Comparing my humble backgrounds with where I am today deepens my affections and admiration for my parents. Their teachings and conduct affirmed the old-time principle that “In the race of life, you need to start from somewhere in order to get to where you want to be.”

I think I would be an ingrate if I failed to acknowledge the roles of family members on my upbringing because these are people who went outside their comfort zones to make life bearable for us – my brothers, sisters and me – when the time was tough. Our family members stood by us during the time life posed the daunting challenges of coping with our father’s and mother’s demises. Today is one of the days yourDear Destiny Friends, respective deeds will affirm to you that the greatest investment in life is the one made on humanity.

Also significant to my greatness are the roles of my friends. Overtime, I have lost direction in life and made damning mistakes – like all other humans. However, I also have the rare opportunity of getting my life back on track because I am surrounded by friends who know that I have purposes to accomplish, believe in me and support me to birth my purposes. During the course of my life, I have been privileged to meet and connect with wonderful people, who all proven to me that I am bound to change the course of humanity if I don’t give up on myself.

At every point in our life, we are bound to come across people who will make us better and prepare us for the nitty-gritty of the possibilities we are meant to create with our lives. These people, without being equivocal, are our mentors. In my own life, I owe these people more than the world because of the roles they played in grooming me for the world that mirrors the purposes God wants to fulfill. My mentors, at every corner of the world, gave birth to the Henry Ukazu you all know today.

Since I was mentored by some people to become the version of myself, what would be my contributions towards sustaining the chain of mentorship? Answering this question birthed in me the necessity of being a guiding light to the people our paths crossed. Consciously or unconsciously, I have gained more from the people who believed they have much to learn from me. You may be tempted to ask how I gained from my prospective learners. I gained from them because I know that their commitment to learn from me places more responsibility on me to learn more, so that I will not disappoint them.

No man ever attained the peak of his aspirations by compliments alone. To do great things, you must be talked out of the way by doubters or challengers. But if you don’t let their words or deeds deter you, you will eventually prove them wrong! It is normal for people to write you off; it is normal for people to take advantage of you and it is normal to feel you don’t have anything to offer. I don’t know what your story is, but all I can say is appreciate the trials, challenges and disappointments that come with achieving greatness.

This was exactly my storyline. I cannot count the number of times I was discouraged from doing what I believed. But because I know I am working on purpose, my energy is always refilled anytime I am told something cannot be done by me. This principle is highly working for my turnarounds. If you want me to break boundaries, tell me I can’t. Your doubts will challenge me to see possibilities and make them happen.

That has been the secret of my leadership as I learned from Peter Drucker, the famous management expert, that “Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” I am here today because I saw beyond the place of my birth and didn’t allow any obstacle to limit me.

Thank you all for being parts of my success!

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

Dear Destiny Friends,

As human beings, life offers us several blessings. The blessings can be spiritual, physical, financial, academic, marital, vocational, professional, and even personal which can be attributed to grace.

Just like one man’s food is another man’s poison, blessings mean several things to different people. Some of us desire the blessings of parents which I humbly think is the highest form of blessings apart from the blessings of God. While someone might be praying and wishing for the blessing of a life partner, some other persons are praying for the blessings of the fruit of the womb, destiny helpers or even dream job.

When we talk of giving, it’s not limited to financial blessings. It’s only myopic minds who judge or see people who give money as good people. We should desist from the mindset of seeing people who give money as good people. Some great minds might give you their time to mentor you, train you, or give you opportunities that will shape your life.

Giving shows where our heart and love resides. Different things appeal to different people. Your goal is to know what works for the person. Your ability to pay attention is critical to knowing someone. For instance, when you listen to how people spend their time and money, you will know how their mind works.  The truth about life is that one can love without giving. If anyone is not giving you, he is giving to someone or to another cause.

Do you know what makes one happy? Yes, it can help to battle depression. Some people derive satisfaction when they give. Do you know that giving can be contagious? Yes, this principle is applicable when one pays it forward.When people experience a generous kindness, they are more apt to treat others with the same sort of benevolence.

When it comes to giving, what’s important is the motive or intention. There are several reasons why most people give money, some give money for charitable purpose, some give because the law of God admonishes us to give, some give just to encourage employees or to inspire people, some give because they have the feeling or mindset the person they give might give them tomorrow or the children of the receiver will reciprocate in the nearest future, or because they want to sow presence so that their benefactor can notice them. Some people even give because it gives them joy, and this is where I belong. As a matter of fact, one of my weak points is that I can be too kind to a fault. The list is literally endless.

Giving is relative. Some people might give their money, some give their time which can be priceless, some might give loyalty, others might give expertise on a subject matter. What is important is to know the value of the blessings you are receiving because in the grand scheme of things, none is more important than the other, it all depends on the needs at the said time. For instance, if someone is hungry, the best gift you can give the person is food or money to buy food. The person might not necessarily need words of consolation, neither does he need academic tutor nor spiritual teachings.

According to Dr. Yomi Garnet, a celebrated author, “one thing is certain in life, there are hidden blessings that come when one gives genuinely. It’s sad to note that we live in a world where some people find it hard to give.

In practical terms, prosperity is probably in two forms: There is survival prosperity, and there is Abrahamovic abundance. The way to proceed from the first to the second simply to become a channel of blessings for others. We do this by doing three things.: Giving to the kingdom of God, giving to the poor within His Kingdom; giving to the poor outside his kingdom.

The blessing of giving is priceless. Do you know the givers hand is always on top. I have always counseled my friends who complain when they give to put themselves in the position of the person receiving. Be happy you are in the position to give as opposed to receive. I don’t really think people love to beg even though some people have little or no shame when it comes to begging.

When it comes to giving and receiving, what’s important is to focus on the needs or desires of the giver in order to receive. For instance, if you want to receive funds from a fortune 500 company, when you are working on your proposal, it must align to their needs or interest. Several things motivate several people, so your ability to know what works for each person might be the icing on a cake.

It’s just like an employee who is looking to work in a multinational national company or any great company of interest, what the hiring managers might be concerned is to know how the employee is a perfect for the position, and this might entail looking at the skills, qualifications or interest which the intending employee will show he has given time, money and resources to show he’s capable, competent in addition to be being consistent on how his works. While the potential employee will have to show reasons why he should be hired, and all these will point to one thing, giving.

In conclusion, if you desire anything in life, consider giving it your time, whether it involves setting up a business, beginning a relationship, studying a course, serving God, or building your body; consider giving it your time and resources, and trust me, the blessings will come back to you. That’s the blessings of giving.

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

Dear Destiny Friends,

Every living being must eat to stay alive – fact; anyone who wishes to pass an examination must study – fact; he that must stay healthy, must pay attention to his health – fact, and whoever is desirous to earn money must work. The list is endless. The idea here is that life is governed by principles – a case study of whatever one sows, one must reap. As a matter of fact, when one abides by the principles governing anything, the principles are bound to work for them.

These principles are like faith. It is whatever you believe that will work for you. Let me elaborate a little; if someone goes to the hospital, and the doctor gives him a pill, if the person gets better, it is not necessarily the pill that heals the person, though it plays a role, what healed the person is the person’s faith. This is because if you don’t have faith in the pill, it won’t work. Healing can be spiritual sometimes. One must be healed in the mind first before the physical healing takes place. It’s just like a man of God praying for a sick person, the person will have to believe in the prayers before it can work for him.

The importance of this analysis is that before any success can be achieved, one must do the work. It’s unfortunate however, that some of us need opportunities, benefits, resources, money, and results, but are not ready to do the corresponding work. In this journey called life, one must work. It’s only when you work, you will be celebrated. Work comes in different ways; all that is important is for one to understand their assignment, and work diligently to pursue it to a logical conclusion.

It’s instructive to note that there’s nothing like a big or small work. Every work is necessary when there’s teamwork. Just like the father needs the son for errands, the son also needs the father for provision and protection. So, in any capacity you find yourself, just know that you are valuable.

To understand how value works with respect to dignity of labour, imagine the human system, if the anus decides to shut down, the whole body will be uncomfortable. Every part of the human body is indispensable. They must all work together for the human body to function at its optimal capacity. This is the attitude we should have when we are working.

The importance of work cannot be overemphasized. Your work makes it easier for people to identify with you especially in this 21st century when technology is the new normal. It’s easy for one to search the internet just to find out about somebody’s work. Just imagine someone pitching for funding to a fortune 500 company or making a proposal for funding to do some work on youth advocacy, but there’s nothing on the internet to testify to that effect. If you want to prove your passion for youth advocacy, there must be work to that effect.

On a personal note, I do tell my friends, I’m a lawyer by training, public speaker by interest, author by inspiration, and youth advocate by passion. The interesting part is that if you look me up, you will find relevant information about all the above-mentioned interests of mine, but the youth advocacy will be outstanding. So, you can see that my work speaks volume.

If anyone wants to assist you, the blessings will come from the work you do. This is because manna does not fall from heaven, men are the vessels. Do you know that when we pray to God for blessings, opportunities, favors or money, God answers with a plan. Yes, the plan is the associated work that one must do.  Let me share a practical example, if you want a chair, God will not do a miracle to provide you a chair, but God will provide the materials in the form of wood for you to make the chair.

It’s sad to see lazy people, who just believe in miracles without corresponding work. Some just believe God will send manna from above. Don’t get me wrong, these opportunities do come by occasionally, and when they do come, one will know it’s a miracle.

The journey of life isn’t easy, one must continually work smart and believe our work will align with our desires.

Sometimes, when we work, we don’t know when the results will surface. In some cases, we don’t even see the results. In such cases, one shouldn’t be deterred, provided you are doing the needful, the work will one day speak for itself. I remembered when I was working on my first book, it was like hell because of the intense research that went into the manuscript, but today, when I look back, I thank God for the grace.

When one work, one should also have the faith that the work will produce results. Sometimes, the answer to our prayers is tied to the work we do. One might be searching for answers in different areas, but the answer might be beside us. Sometimes, we look for destiny helpers, benefactors, opportunities, etc., what we fail to understand is that all we seek might be connected to the work we do. So, imagine when one decides to do nothing, how will something happen?

Furthermore, while it is good to pray, it is also good to work because they go together. While prayer releases God’s favour, work unleashes the force of man. We must be willing to work for what we pray for.

In conclusion, when it comes to work, have the mindset that at the end of the day, we will be remembered for the work we did. So, ask yourself, which legacy would you want to be remembered for? When you can answer these questions, you will be intentional with the kind of work you want your children to remember you for while you were on earth.

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