Dear Destiny Friends,

“There can be no progress, no achievement, without sacrifice, and a man’s worldly success will be in the measure that he sacrifices” -James Allen

One of the hallmarks of success is inner fulfilment it heralds. The joy that comes with the realization that one is good at his or her craft. It’s generally said that action speaks louder than voice. It’s easy for one to say I want to be a pilot, Governor, President, Chief Executive Officer, lawyer or medical doctor, however, what they are saying is ‘I’m ready to do the needful to get to the peak of their career’. The challenge of most people however, is the willingness to put in the work to see their dreams, visions and goals become a reality.

If you will agree with me, the world is governed by perception. One may not have money, but may have values, networks and products the world needs, and if properly utilized, these can attract currency. This is because value will always be appreciated.

In recent times, many friends have reached out to know the secret of my success in life. To be honest, though I don’t see myself as being successful to my heart’s desire yet, I will be unfair to myself, and most especially to my creator who has blessed me with an uncommon strength, network and understanding to life if I don’t acknowledge the blessings. My success is relative, but I will say the secret to my success, apart from the God-factor, is the favour and grace to author two amazing books, build an amazing network of friends in addition to sacrificing for my future.

One may be surprised how it happened? Well, it’s not rocket science; I sacrificed heavily to get to where I am today. If you think it’s easy to write a book, please endeavour to write one. Again, if you think it’s easy to build and manage healthy and wealthy relationships, please endeavour to cultivate one.

Most people don’t see the work some of us are doing in the backroom, what they see is the result. The late nights we keep, the early worm lifestyle we practice, the research we do, the investment we do for mentors, mentees, and those in need just to mention a few.

Personally, I will say the ultimate sacrifice I have made in life is investing in God who has worked in my garden. I have since realized when you chase God and work in his vineyard, he will ensure you have a bountiful harvest by bringing in people who will favour you.

The journey of success involves sacrifice. Anything you want to do involves sacrifice. There’s always an opportunity cost to success, just like you can’t eat your cake and have it. You can’t be everywhere at the same time. In life, you must determine what you really want and make sacrifices to achieve it.

Sacrifice comes in different ways and stages of life. The sacrifice you make for your family to work is quite different from the sacrifice you make for your business to thrive. The sacrifice you invest in your relationship is quite different from the sacrifice you invest in your academic, health, and career.

This is how intentional sacrifice works; if you want to build an empire, you need to invest enormous amounts of time reading, learning, and experimenting. You can’t do that if you constantly oversleep or watch movies.

If you want to develop a rock-hard, toned body, you need to invest enormous amounts of sweat, energy, and time working out. You can’t do that if you maintain an unhealthy, toxic diet of tempting junk food. It should be noted that the level of success you are willing to attain will determine the level of sacrifice you are willing to go for.

According to Riordan, “True success requires sacrifice: According to 16-year-old Kamsiyochkwu Umeh, the candidate with highest score in 2023 Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s UTME in Nigeria, she studied six hours everyday. You can see the level of sacrifice she invested in her books to attain this academic feat.

Success indeed requires sacrifice. Some people sacrifice their sleep; some sacrifice their food, while some go to the gym for good health. Some even sacrifice their work for the love and unity of their family. The question you need to ask yourself is what are you willing to sacrifice? It should be noted that if you only make small sacrifices, you will only achieve small success.

To understand how sacrifice works, you must clarify what you want and why you want it. You must know there’s a difference between need and want. But then, you must focus on how badly you really want it. Then you clarify the actionable steps which involve sacrifice to attain your goals. Ask yourself, What specifically do I need to attain this goal? Do I need specific knowledge, skills, tools, and resources?

Finally, consider the impact of the goal the sacrifice will make in your life. Ask yourself: How will the process of achieving this goal impact my life? How could it potentially impact different areas of my life? How could it impact my relationships with others?

Finally, you have to make the necessary sacrifice by asking yourself, what specifically must I sacrifice to achieve this goal?What will be the impact of these sacrifices on my life? And ultimately, ask yourself; am I willing to make these sacrifices to obtain this goal?

After answering these questions, spring into action by saying no to distractions and focusing on what’s important. Your ability to say no will determine what’s really important to you. According to Warren Buffet, “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.”

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