Ask Chuka

 When my daughter started attending Anglican Girls Grammar School (AGGS), Abuja , I was so impressed with her progress that I began to openly share and recommend the school to other parents looking for a solid boarding school for their girls. Soon after, I received a number of private messages from interested parents asking for more details. I was happy to share and highlight the aspects that made the school stand out, because I’ve chosen to be intentional about my children’s education. Then one morning, I woke up to a direct message on Facebook: "You’re Catholic and you’re promoting an Anglican school. How much are they paying you for all this publicity? Why have you never shared anything negative about the school, are you trying to make it look perfect? You need to stop before you mislead innocent parents who find you credible." I was shocked. For a moment, I wondered why she didn’t just ignore the post if it didn’t serve her. I simply replied, “Thank you for your feedb...

  Even though I’ve read about the journey of the Israelites to the Promised Land many times, it remains fascinating to me whether I hear it in church or stumble across it during my annual Bible reading plan. What strikes me most is how an 11 day journey turned into a 40 year delay, all because the Israelites developed a wilderness mentality. They gave in to fear, discouragement, grumbling, and unbelief. These were people who stood just 11 days away from a land God Himself promised, but they were too afraid of the giants they saw when they surveyed the land. They had expected the Promised Land to be an empty gift, a peaceful paradise waiting to be occupied, with no fight required. But they forgot that every progress they had made so far came through contests and battles they won, not gifts they were handed. Recently, I watched a film on Netflix titled Mad Unicorn. I’ve seen other inspiring stories like The Underdog Millionaire showcasing profiles of men like Grant Cardone, but I’ve ...

  In Homer’s Odyssey, I read about the Sirens; three mysterious women whose sonorous voices lured sailors to a tragic end. As ships passed, the Sirens would sing from the cliffs, tempting sailors until they steered too close and were wrecked on the rocks below. Well aware of the danger but still curious, Odysseus instructed his men to tie him tightly to the mast as they approached the island, and to block their own ears with beeswax. As expected, when he heard the enchanting voices, he begged to be untied. But his crew, committed to the mission, bound him even tighter, and only released him when the danger had passed. That story still echoes in my mind. Because like Odysseus, many of us are drawn toward choices we know can destroy us, in life, in business, in relationships. And sometimes, the only thing that saves us is a good team. Without the backing of my team at Jewel Publishers and Rapid Express Logistics, I may have made more costly mistakes than I care to imagine. Their coll...