Dear Destiny Friends,

According to some schools of thought, there are only two things that are permanent in life; death and taxes. Regardless of how well one lives on planet earth, he must surely die, and as human beings we must always pay our “fair” share of taxes at the end of the year or tax season to enable the government function at optimal capacity.

One interesting fact about this salient point is that everyone is accountable for their actions and inactions, and that explains the principle of day of reckoning.

Though the day of reckoning means different things to different people, it generally refers to that time when past mistakes or misdeeds are brought to the fore, and punished or paid for; or the testing time when the degree of one’s success or failure will be revealed.

For a Christian, the day of reckoning is likely going to be the judgment day. For an entrepreneur, the day of reckoning is the moment of anticipated breakthrough; for a politician, the day of reckoning is the reward for loyalty, and for an employee, it can mean the pay day for a great work done.

One thing is however, certain: regardless of whatever one does, there’s always a day of reckoning. As a student if you don’t read, do your assignments and attend classes, the day of reckoning awaits you; as a parent, if you don’t train your child well, the day of reckoning awaits you; as a youth, if you do not plan your life very well, you will understand that failing to prepare is preparing to fail; and as an employee if you do not do your job professionally, a day or reckoning will reveal unwanted consequences. The list is endless.

But there’s a day of reckoning that refers to that period when one’s work and performances are celebrated, and that forms the focus of today’s article. It is easier for one to get frustrated when the lines are not adding up. Life can be challenging when one is not getting the desired support, especially when running a business. One thing is however, certain, if one can remain focused and consistent in developing their craft, that day of reckoning will come.

I have personally experienced my own fair share of day of reckoning, I recently surfed the internet to see what’s publicly available about me, and I was surprised to see the fabulous information Ai has about me, especially as it relates rewards to my work. What struck me was the organizational and statistical record about my work. I began to wonder how and when all these happened?

The answer is not far-fetched; the work I have been doing over the years has been noticed. For instance, my company, my awards, my two books, my interview with New York Times and News12 took the spotlight. Imagine if I had not taken the time to do the work, I wouldn’t have received global recognition.

So today, I implore you to continue to develop yourself and take advantage of any opportunity to showcase your work because one may never know when judgment day or next opportunity may arise.

Day of reckoning can also refer to Karma,  which pays everyone back in their own coin. Most people derive joy at inflicting pain to others, and think life will be fair to them. I’m a strong proponent of the golden rule which allows everyone to get a feel of the treatment they met out to others.

As a parent, entrepreneur, career professional, artisan and more, everyone will surely have an opportunity to thrive in one way or the other if only one will be patient to reap the fruits of their labour.

One mistake most people make when developing their craft is spending minimum time on productive work and spending much time on unproductive work. For instance, instead of spending a substantial amount of time to build a brand, a lesser mind will explore shortcuts to learn the trade without understanding the full strategy, rubrics and dynamics associated with the work.

Some might even work for a year or two and believe they have gotten what they need to stand on their own, instead of spending at least 10 years to build expertise in the industry which will make the person establish a household name that needs no introduction.

One of the best pieces of advice I received from one of my mentors was to spend at least 10 years in a particular industry to establish a track record of success before venturing into another business. The record will serve as a transfer of value and currency which can be used as a basis for negotiation for better opportunities, but the sad part is that most people are not patient enough to learn the ropes.

I have since come to realize that at the end of the day regardless of one’s industry, those who have developed expertise in their craft are always recognized. Examples of great names are athlete Usain Bolt from Jamaica, media icon, Dr. Dele Momodu from Nigeria, soccer star, Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal and pop artist, David (Davido) Adeleke from Nigeria, just to mention a few.

Anyone can take this fact to the bank, and that is that the day of reckoning awaits everyone whether their work is good or bad. The question now becomes, what would you like to be reckoned with?

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