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Food for Living: The Test of Life
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Friends,
One of the truest fact of life is that all must be tested in one way or another. Life itself is a continuous tests. It tests you to know how prepared, strong and mature you are. There’s hardly anyone who hasn’t been tested in life. Students get tested, marriage is always tested, politicians get tested, relationship always gets tested, business is always tested, beliefs in religions is always tasted, and employees also get tested. The list is virtually endless. However, one thing is certain, the test you go through in life can either make or mar you, and it can also define you depending on your attitude or response to it. For example, during the campaigns for elections, politicians are always tested to know their thoughts on social and contemporary issues affecting their society or the world in general. Their responses always helps citizens to be informed on where the politicians stand on a particular issue affecting them.
The focus of this article is to showcase how we can be strengthened during the course of building our businesses, relationship/marriage, as well as personal and professional life in general. The test we all go through comes in different shapes and sizes. It’s just like the saying, the bigger the head, the bigger the crown. Nor matter what you are facing in life, it should be noted that there’s no challenge that comes to you that is bigger than you. Every problem has a solution. According to Samuel Johnson, “knowledge is of two kinds, its either you know the answer or you know where to find”. In any situation you find yourself, there’s always a solution to it, the only challenge one will have in solving the problem is locating the right person who is informed about the problem. For example, if you want to open a locked door, you’ll have a hard time opening it unless you have the right key.
As mentioned above, you’ll have to be tested in one way or another before you can make a name for yourself. Let’s look at some test we all have to pass through in the journey of life.
The Test of Love
Love is the greatest force in life. I call it the magical wand. It is the reason why most people do what they do. It is also the unspoken reason why some people can’t explain why they do certain things. For example, a lady might like a male just because she likes the way he smiles, or the shape of his nose, eyes, or even because of his voice. Another lady might have another reason, and if asked, what the attraction she sees in the man is, she might opine, she can’t really explain. That’s true love right there. The test of love begins to manifest when a lover begins to sacrifice his/her time and resources for another person in addition to accommodating the excesses of that person. True love is normally tested, it’s beyond infatuation and materials things. Amidst all these, true love is always tested.
The Test of Passion:
There’s hardly any person who has truly succeeded in life who didn’t have an interest in what he/she did to truly succeed. Passionate minds are not concerned about money in their pursuit of happiness and success. Their main goal in life is to succeed in whatever task they have set their minds on. It is because of the passion an individual has in the industry, organization, business, association or even in an academic major will make the person intern just to get experience in that area. Furthermore, passion has made rational minds to work for free. The moral of the points mentioned above go a long way to let you know that the individual is being tested. In one of my articles which was published a couple of months ago, I was of the opinion Passion is Stronger than Power. If you want to know a person who loves his/job, look at the amount of time he/she spends on the project. An individual who loves his/her job might have no problem working and learning about the job in addition to finding any valuable and resourceful information about the job which he/she finds interesting. You can easily know if a person loves his or her job by mere looking at the person’s attitude. An individual who truly loves his/her job will go over and beyond to get the job done in addition to learning more about the job, but an individual who has little or no interest in the job will barely do the least requirement of the job.
Your business has to be tested:
This is one of the best ways to test any creative mind who has an idea to start a business or already started a business. A new business might have some challenge succeeding in an already saturated environment unless it comes off as a great problem solver. Most business takes an average of 5 years depending on its viability to stabilize. Regardless of what your case is, your product will have to be tested. Apart from being tested, the standard, quality and competitive nature of the business will also be tested to know if it will stand the test of time.
Test of Character:
Character is the sum today of an individual lifestyle. If you really want to know any individual, study how he/she behaves/reacts. Character transcends more than our thoughts, words action, habits, personality and integrity. As humans, we are not infallible, we all have limitations. At every stage of our life, our character will have to be tested. Just like gold is tested by fire, our character will be tested in order for one to have any opinion of who we truly are and represent.
The Test of Politics:
Politics is one of the most accessible ways to know any being who is grounded and accepted in his/her locality. In a nutshell, politics not only spells out a being, it defines how popular a candidate for an election is known. As the saying goes, every politics is local. If you are interested in serving humanity in any capacity, you’ll have to present yourself as a candidate and once your candidacy is accepted, you’re more than likely going to have an opportunity to serve your people. Most politicians test the water by way of surfing public opinion before contesting for an elective position. If you don’t take the risk of presenting yourself, it might be hard to get an opportunity to serve unless you are given an appointment/nomination to serve.
The Test of Religion:
Deepening on your religion, you will have to be tested. Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Buddhist all have different religions and beliefs. At every stage, their faith is being put into practice or even tested. As Christians we are taught, sometimes God allows or even arranges for us to go through difficulties in this life because it’s during those times that we grow in our faith and develop more of the character of Christ.
That said, it’s worthy to mention that in the journey of life, we’ll have to undergo various test in order to be successful. Isn’t it true that nothing good comes easy? Do you have a business? What are you are passionate about? Do you have any creative idea you’ll like to experiment? Will allow you complain, feel upset if things don’t go your way? Do you have any shortfall you’ll want to overcome? Do you have any interest in any sports, academic major, religion, relationship, political interest, etc.? If yes, please bear in mind life you will have to be tested. Life has a way of testing you. There are tests of life we have to endure. Every day we are confronted with setbacks and trials that leave us unguarded, the question now becomes, will you allow fear to take the upper part of you or will you overcome fear? I guess you’ll have to overcome fear by facing every situation and rise from it.
In summary, if you are seeking to make a great impact on the society, the greatest test you’ll ever have to overcome is integrity and in order to overcome the test, you must have the courage to do the right thing by standing on your values and true convictions. By so doing, you’ll be defining not only yourself but your business and life in general.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. 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.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
There’s no doubt that human beings by nature are insatiable. When we get one opportunity, we always look for another. When we attain one height, we always look for another accomplishment. Isn’t it true that the end of one mountain is the beginning of another.
However, I don’t think it’s selfish for anyone to dare to succeed.
Being ambitious doesn’t make one an opportunist or disloyal. It all depends on one’s perception or outlook to life. It’s just natural for one to dream big. It’s only ugly when the process one chooses to achieve his desires becomes dirty and nasty.
According to a former Nigerian presidential candidate and seasoned Economist, Mr. Peter Obi, “if you must be referred to as “Your Excellency”, then the process through which you arrived in office must be excellent”.
If you desire to be reckoned with on the journey of existence, you must be legitimately hungry for success. One’s hunger for success will facilitate the drive to accomplish great tasks despite daunting obstacles posing as challenges.
When one has this mindset, one will not be bothered by the noise which serves as obstacles and challenges along the way. Negative and weak minds are always concerned on why something won’t work. They tend to focus their energy and reasons on the obstacles facing them. But great and productive minds always focus their energy on the reasons why it will work. This is the spirit of an insatiable mind who is a goal- getter.
It’s instructive to note that we can’t please everyone. According to Bill Cosby, a famous actor, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.” Isn’t it true that when you talk, people will still talk about you, when you don’t talk, people will talk about you, so whether you talk or not, people will still judge you, so, do what’s best for you. There’s nothing you can do to please human beings. Your best option is to live your best life.
To understand how the insatiable nature of man works, one must be oneself. You don’t have to “please” anyone. Be yourself, and don’t try to be like anyone just to curry favour. It’s important to note that when you are yourself, the people that matter will come through for you, and the people that don’t matter will gradually find the bearing in another space because those that truly care don’t bother and those that bother don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Life has truly taught me to focus on the important things of life as opposed to the mundane things. It’s truly sad to see people spending more time on the little things of life, and spending little time on the important things of life. That’s just a misplaced priority.
When you are yourself, the best people can do is to copy or imitate your style. They can never imitate your creativity nor can take your originality from you.
We live in a world or society where people don’t generally care or show empathy. Most people tend to live around themselves, their family, and close associates. They generally find it hard to lift a finger to assist others for reasons best known to them. Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka once said, “we live in a wicked generation”, re-echoing the voices of a lot of people of the world. Some people in authority just have criminal expertise in amassing wealth of opportunities meant for the citizens without thinking of the citizens they are meant to serve.
It’s worthy of note that not everyone will like you nor support your work, but when you find people who truly care about you; please hold them tight. This is because despite having family members you have shown love and compassion, they might not still appreciate you even if you lay your life for them, they will still find something to say. Again, this is the insatiable nature of man.
It’s okay for everyone not to like you, normalize living your life for God, yourself, family and those that care about you. If everyone likes you, you have a problem.
Did you know that you can get a new family from friends, strangers, and acquaintances? These sets of people might appreciate you more than your own family members. They might not demand or under appreciate you like your family members and close friends or associates. Any little support you give them will be highly appreciated. Their focus is to see you do better.
In conclusion, as you desire to succeed in life, never give in to failure until you have made your last attempt, and never make your last attempt until you succeed. This literally means whatever you desire, dream it, think it, say it, and believe you can achieve it. This principle is generally applicable to relationships, businesses, family, personal and professional development.
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
A federal judge in the United States, on Thursday, put a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
The ruling imposes a 14-day halt on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed hours after being sworn into office for a second term.
It comes after lawsuits were filed by a total of 22 states, two cities and numerous civil rights groups.
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” senior US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington State.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Coughenour, who was appointed to the bench by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan.
Birthright citizenship is fundamental to America’s national identity, with the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution decreeing that anyone born on US soil is a citizen.
It says, in part: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump’s order was premised on the idea that anyone in the US illegally, or on a visa, was not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country, and therefore excluded from this category.
AFP
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital has upheld the death sentence of Ramon Adedoyin, a prominent businessman and hotelier, for his involvement in the murder of one Timothy Adegoke, a former postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the court affirmed the earlier verdict of the Osun State High Court, which had sentenced Adedoyin to death.
“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part,” the court declared in part.
The Court of Appeal, however, set aside some aspects of the lower court’s orders, including the forfeiture of the Hilton Hotel and the order for Adedoyin to pay for the education of Adegoke’s children.
Furthermore, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to impose penalties outside the statutory provisions
Adegoke’s death was reported in November 2021 after his corpse was found at the Hilton Honours Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he had lodged.
The hotelier had travelled from Abuja for an examination at a distance learning centre in Moro, Osun State on November 5 of that year.
He had checked into the hotel but was reported missing after two days. However, Adegoke’s body was found days later, leading to a probe that linked his death to Adedoyin and others.
In May 2023, Adedoyin and others were sentenced to death after they were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder.
But dissatisfied with the judgement, Adedoyin approached the Appeal court to dismiss the sentence and conviction.
The court of appeal, on Thursday, however, upheld the conviction and death sentence of the hotelier.
