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Food for Living: Living Above the Challenges of Life
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Challenges are regular occurrences in human existence, and so it is commonplace for them to be experienced in the cause of day to day activities. A living being is therefore licensed to encounter one form of challenge or another. Of a truth, challenges come in different shapes and sizes. It can be big. It can be small. It can come in the guise of losing a loved one, having setbacks in business, relationship/marriage, academic, or professional endeavours. However, what is important is one’s ability to handle the challenge. It is imperative to note that inability to handle or manage a challenge can lead to overwhelming disaster in an individual’s personal, romantic or professional life.
Challenges mean different things to different people. Sometimes when uninformed minds experience challenges, they feel there is a force behind them. They fail to understand that nature may have a hand in it. There’s no doubt a force might be a reason someone might experience challenges, in that case, you need to sit down and evaluate what’s happening to you or if there’s something you are not doing well. For instance, if the law of Karma is at play, you are bound to face the music of life. It might take a little bit of time, but at the end of the day, you will dance to the music you once played.
However, great minds who think out of the box know that these challenges are preludes to greater heights, and as such, must be tested in the process of weathering the storm.
That said, the biggest challenge we can face as human beings is ourselves. Nobody can challenge you to be a better person than yourself. I strongly believe that one of the biggest challenges of life is to be yourself in a world that is trying to make you be like everyone else. As human beings, there are so many things seeking our attention, some can be a distraction. Your ability to navigate these challenges can be the defining factor of your life.
It is important to note that the bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity for growth. Imagine contesting for the President of a country, what kind of challenges do you think you will face? Imagine winning the election, and the kind of opportunity and social capital that comes with it. It is strongly advisable to challenge yourself every day to do better than yesterday. It is the best form of challenge and competition you’ll ever face as a human being.
Let’s discuss some of the challenges we face as human beings.
Family:
The biggest challenge anyone can face in life is in the family. Whether you live in a nuclear or extended family, you are bound to experience challenges. Every family has a secret and every family plays what I call internal politics just like the church. In fact, according to some schools of thought, the highest politics is played in the family and in the church. Nobody knows you more than your family, that’s why when your family supports you, you already have fifty percent of the foundation you need to succeed in life. But when your family is against you, even your benefactors will distance themselves from you. Any way you look at it, the moral support of family is endearing and soothing to the heart.
Speaking on family, it’s only your family that knows most of the intricate secrets of your life, that’s why in politics, most people try to check out your background, your family, etc. to get information which they might use against you.
Setbacks:
Setbacks come in various forms. It can be in your business, loss of a loved one, failing an examination, or even health challenges. All these challenges either make you strong or make you learn. A good way of handling setbacks and the corresponding challenges is by having a positive attitude towards life, by this I mean, as you journey towards life always prepare for the best while expecting the best. If you have this mindset, you’ll be better poised to accept any negative challenges that come to you in good faith.
Relationship/Marriage: This is where the true test of a human being is displayed especially in marriage. In a relationship, you are merely courting to know someone to see if both of you are compatible enough to marry. In a relationship, each party can hide their real personality and character, but in marriage, there’s a limit to what you can hide. That’s why one of the best ways to succeed in marriage is to be vulnerable to your partner. Every relationship/marriage must be tested in one way or the other, but the prayer of every progressive relationship/marriage is to be strong enough to overcome any challenge that may rear its ugly head. Challenges such as financial, communication, sex, expectations, infidelity, conflicts, abuse, etc. will surely come in one way or the other.
Let’s take the case study of communication. Do you know the majority of the challenges couples face that lead to divorce is because of communication problems? There’s nothing that can’t be solved if the parties are intentional and deliberate in talking about it. It is the inability of partners to understand each other by resolving the conflicts amicably that results in divorce. For instance, when people have a misunderstanding the right use of words like am sorry, please, thank you, etc. can go a long way to solve the problem. How does this play out? There can be no problem, there’s a problem and there can be problems when there’s no problem. This is because when two people have a misunderstanding over a big issue, how they will handle it will appear insignificant, but if it’s a small problem, how they will handle it can escalate it to a bigger problem.
In conclusion, as you journey towards life, always have the attitude of preparing for the best while expecting the worst. By so doing, you will be able to overcome any challenge with a positive mindset.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a public speaker. 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 and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has been factionalized ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The rival factions emerged after its chairman, Governor Hope Uzodimma, was reportedly removed on Thursday.
While Uzodimma insists that he remains PGF chairman, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun and his Kwara State counterpart, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, are reportedly leading a separate faction.
Another bloc within the forum has reportedly queued behind the duo of Abiodun and AbdulRazaq.
The development, which comes amid growing political realignments within the ruling party, marks a significant crack in the ranks of APC governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to reports by Arise TV, details surrounding the disagreement remain unclear, but sources within the party said tensions have been building over internal leadership control and strategic positioning ahead of the next election season.
As of the time of filing this report, none of the factions had made an official clarification regarding the alleged division.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
It would not be out of place to state that every human has experienced one challenge or another in his lifetime, and somehow still experiencing some form of challenges, no matter how mild or insignificant. No one can claim he is without experience.
Against this backdrop therefore, I ask, what’s your experience like?
Different life experiences are encountered in our everyday living including business, marriage, academic, spiritual, family personal or professional. Sometimes, our experiences shape us and leave us with lasting memories.
One of the things I have learnt about life is never to complain; complaining doesn’t change anything, rather it aggravates everything. If I may ask, why worry when you can’t change the situation? According to the Serenity Prayer, God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
As humans, it’s normal to give up when the odds are against one, pushing becomes a herculean task when the odds are against one, motivation becomes an illusion, and inspiration becomes imagination.
One of the great ways to succeed in life is to live each day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, and accepting hardships as one of the “pathways” to succeed despite all the odds. This is one of the important teachings of the Serenity Prayer.
Let’s analyze the Serenity Prayer. We were instructed to accept the things we cannot change, have the courage to change the things we can change, and then seek discernment to know when we need to accept our faith and when we need to move on despite the odds staring at us.
An example of what we cannot change is death; we just must live through it with the right attitude. An example of what we can change is our lifestyle, and to know the difference, we need to listen to our inner heart.
As we explore life vicissitudes, we are supposed to know when to act, when we are supposed to relax, and when the universe, God, or life is teaching us or telling us something.
Understanding the concept of against all odds is not for the faint-hearted because it is hard to trust something or surrender to someone when one doesn’t feel secure. Imagine a case scenario when one is trying to contest for an election, and the institutions and gatekeepers are against one’s candidacy, and still the person perseveres. Taking a case study of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States of America, very few people believed he would win the election because he’s a Black man. Against all odds, he won the election and re-election twice against two formidable, wealthy White politicians.
The significance of this victory is that president Obama has faith and believes in himself despite the numerous nay voices he was hearing from within and outside.
We have all experienced this situation in one way or another, but we refused to give up. I remembered when I had my first election, I wasn’t given a chance to win, but to my detractors’ greatest concern, I won with an impressive result.
Another scenario, played out while I was in New York Law School, I was pursuing a program I had little or no interest in. I personally didn’t believe I would graduate from the school, but as fate may have it, I was able to get a scholarship when my results were considered an uncommon academic success.
The moral of these scenarios is that, in the journey of life, we must have faith in our vision and we must believe in our capacity to succeed against all odds. When you do, people will see and feel it and potentially come through for you, all things being equal.
Furthermore, in the journey to life, life throws different arrows and shades at us. The best we can do is to accept it and be open. Sometimes, what we fail to understand is that our blessings and opportunities come in places we don’t expect. Sometimes, unexpected doors and opportunities come to us in places we least expect.
So, when the odds come up, please don’t give up, just gear up to the challenge and understand the inherent lessons life wants you to learn because at the end of the day, though times never last, tough people do.
In conclusion, never allow the odds of life to define you; rather, use it as a stepping stone to build a castle. That was exactly what I did when I was told I couldn’t succeed in the USA and when I was told I was a horrible writer. Against all odds, by the special grace of God, I was able to exceed expectations by publishing three books and appeared several times on television.
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
Four months after defecting from the Labour Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the member representing Oredo federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Engineer Esosa Iyawe, has resigned from the party,
The lawmaker said, “It is imperative to state that this decision is a result of the irreconcilable difference between me and my Governor, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, the Governor of Edo State.”
Iyawe, who joined the APC on December 20, 2025, announced his resignation in a letter dated May 6, 2026, addressed to the APC Ward Chairman in Ward 1, Oredo federal constituency, Edo state.
In the letter, the federal lawmaker also withdrew his interest in contesting the 2027 House of Representatives election under the APC platform.
“I hereby withdraw my expression of interest to contest for the position of House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections and to resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC), effective immediately,” the letter read in part.
Iyawe appreciated the party for the opportunity to serve and for the experiences gained during his membership, but stated that personal and political considerations informed his decision to leave.
He further disclosed plans to pitch his tent with another political platform, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), noting that the move aligned with his political convictions and aspirations.
Spokesman for the APC in Edo state, Barrister Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, said the lawmaker’s claim of dumping the party was “far from correct,” insisting that the party remained united and well-organised under the leadership of Monday Okpebholo.
He added that the growing number of politicians defecting to the APC was evidence of the party’s strong structure and popularity in the state.
