Metro
The Gift of Pain: Maximizing Adversity As a Builder!
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“Adversity is an adventure that develops a ‘venture’ at the junctures of ‘what’ would have destroyed the structures of your purpose on this plane called Earth, but eventually turns out to be a weapon and a builder towards fulfilling your destiny and lifting the weights of glory! How you see situations or challenges and confront them matters, and they are functions of your mindset as a being called MAN. You determine what (must) come out of it! Adversities are surmountable! You are the actor in the picture. Your posture influences the picture. I charge you to BE THE HERO, not a ‘zero’! So, maximize the scenarios in your favour! It is, therefore:
Acutely advertising
Destructible!
Vulnerable!
Episodic!
Revival!
Surmountable!
Impactful!
Terrifying! But, it is all about
YOU and what’s in you! ” —Tolulope A. Adegoke
John 16:33 (NKJV): ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. ‘
Romans 8: 37: ‘Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors. ‘ (NKJV)
ADVERSITY is a builder. It is to a man what fire is to gold! Fire purges, melts, heats the gold, and makes it SHINE!
It is the way that a man sees adversity that he gets from it. If you take it to be a builder or ladder, it would build and lift you (vis-à-vis).
It is the challenge that comes one’s way that brings out either the best or worst character in a man.
Winners today were once failures, but they were determined enough through the order of divine grace and strong-will to face it all and breakthrough, which eventually culminated in them being globally celebrated in their areas of calling!
It is the same adversity that breaks one person, that builds another! It all depends on the way we manage and wire our mental and spiritual focus. You either rise up or succumb to the pressures that come with adversity! It is left for you to pick yourself up, bounce-back like a palm tree, and encourage yourself to surmount the mountain (s) before you! Once the mountain is surmounted, you enter into glory.
Adversity is what builds our spiritual and physical muscles, so as for us to be fit enough to bear or carry the weight of glory.
Adversity is like an examination for a student; it gives him promotion or demotion, which is determined by his level of preparation and his level of mindset towards becoming a victor or victim, hero or zero!
It is based on our individual levels of reactions to ‘adversity’ that gives us the edge in surmounting it. It can make or mar you. It can make you in the sense that, if you embrace it with rugged faith, then, you will come out strong; but, if you submit to it, it will crush you. Kindly permit me to say that Dr Yomi Garnett, Yinka Oba, Fela Durotoye, Strive Masiyiwa, among others, are living proof [you could ask to interview them in person about how true this is.]. Even so, the testimonies of Job, Joseph, Paul the Apostle, and others in the Holy Bible lingers on and on.
You must not see ADVERSITY as a problem, but a challenge that must be confronted with hope, faith, love, and hard & smart work to conquer, which are the courageous weapons for success that lead to greatness in the face of tribulations, no matter how many times they come.
You must always see yourself on the other side of it. What you see attracts what you get!
A wise man once asked his children: Can you say a professor is a failure? They replied, “NO! The father responded: Wole Soyinka failed the West African Senior Secondary Certification Examination nine (9) times… The children screamed! But can you still call him a failure today? No, the children replied… The father then asked why? Then, the children responded, ‘because he confronted his fears and was determined enough to overcome them by hard work and with the influence of divine grace… and eventually succeeded.’
The moral of this illustration is that you are not a failure until you give up!
Today, you call him Prof. Wole Soyinka (a hero), but as at the time he was failing WAEC, most people called him a dullard (a zero).
Adversity is a ladder to greater levels of glory!
You cannot get your reward until you finish your course!
You can not get your crown until you are done with the cross!
No guts, no glory! You cannot overcome the wilderness until you grow wild!
You cannot get through to the promised land until you are completely processed (refined)!
No gold ever shines without passing through the furnace!
You cannot become more until you’ve been mocked!
You cannot have your prizes until you have fully paid your prices! What we regard as adversity is a setup for us to overcome and step up! It is a junction or curve on our journey to fulfilling our destiny! Don’t interrupt the processes of growth and sustainable development.
Adversity is an examination in disguise to build our muscles so as to be fit enough to carry or bear the weight of GLORY!
Therefore, adversity is:
Acutely advertising
Destructible!
Vulnerable!
Episodic!
Revival!
Surmountable!
Impactful!
Terrifying! But, it is all about
THANK YOU! You determine what must come out of it! Adversities are surmountable! You are the actor in the picture. I charge you to BE THE HERO!
You are not a failure until you give up! Adversity unveils us to realms of glory! It compels us to aim higher, while it charges us to take the stairs!
Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. reveals that: ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy!’
It is not easy to be EASY. We must be determined, we must work and do our best to escape genuinely, but only God can deliver us from all uneasiness. Only God gives us the grace to overcome all odds!
Stop being frustrated when you are confronted with challenges. Rather, engage in audacious faith to confront and conquer your fears! It is a revival, and you are in for a revolution that will propel the required evolution. Adversity is an advanced citadel of learning in disguise! I call it the advanced ‘universe’s-city’, where reality poses a great threat, just like examinations within the four walls of a university.
Thank you all for reading this #EpistleForChampions
In the wake of a good number of road traffic crashes that resulted into fire outbreak in recent times, and the urgent need to bring the menace to an end, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Federal Fire Service (FFS) have entered into a historic partnership aimed at eliminating fire-related crashes on Nigerian roads.
A statement by the FRSC’s Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), the groundbreaking collaboration will witness the joint training of personnel from both agencies, joint enforcement patrol, as well as improved data sharing to enhance response times and effectiveness.
The partnership, which was formalized by the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed and the Controller-General, FFS, Engr. Jaji Olola Abdulganiyu at the national headquarters of the Corps, marks a significant milestone in the quest to reduce the incidence of fire-related crashes on Nigerian roads.
Speaking during the visit, the Controller-General noted that the Federal Fire Service is committed to protecting lives and properties, and this partnership will enable the two services to respond more effectively to fire-related emergencies on the roads. He showed optimism as he looks forward to working closely with the FRSC to achieve shared goals.
Responding to the Controller General, the Corps Marshal highlighted that the partnership is a testament to the Corps’ commitment to safety and determination to explore innovative solutions to the challenges facing the nation’s transportation sector. He noted that by combining expertise and resources, the agencies can significantly reduce the risk of escalation of fire-related crashes and make the roads safer for all users.
The joint training program will focus on equipping personnel from both agencies with the skills and knowledge needed to respond effectively to fire-related crashes. The program will cover topics such as fire prevention, fire fighting, and emergency response.
In addition to the joint training program, the partnership will also involve improved data sharing and effective patrol operations between the two agencies to enforce compliance on having fire extinguishers in vehicles. This will enable them to share critical information on fire-related crashes, including incident locations, response times, and outcomes.
By combining their strengths and resources, the FRSC and FFS are poised to make a significant impact on road safety in Nigeria. This partnership serves as a model for future collaborations between agencies and underscores the importance of interagency cooperation in achieving shared goals.
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has taken more proactive action towards tackling the spate of tanker crashes in Nigeria, as he visits the national headquarters of Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch-National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Employers (NUPENG-PTD) in Abuja on Wednesday.
The visit, according to a statement by the Corps’ Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), which was a prelude to the forthcoming critical stakeholders meeting organised at the expense of the Corps Marshal to discuss possible ways of bringing to an end, all challenges confronting the safety of lives and properties in the road transportation sector of the country.
While appreciating the support the Corps has received over the years from the Union, the Corps Marshal laid emphasis on the greater need for more collaboration and partnership, especially in the area of training and retraining of Petroleum Tanker Drivers and complying with minimum safety standards in haulage operations.
The National Chairman of the Union, Comrade Augustine Egbon who received the Corps Marshal, commended FRSc’s proactive approach towards enhancing safety in haulage operations in Nigeria. He accepted the need for more collaboration with the Corps in the area of training and retraining and further registered the readiness of the Union to support the Corps through mass media sensitisation campaigns.
The visit amongst other things forms part of Corps Marshal’s ongoing effort to ensure that all stakeholders play critical role in enhancing safety on the nation’s highways.
The meeting had Members of Management of the Corps as well as the Deputy National Chairman of the Union, Alhaji Shuaibu Leba, the National Trustee NUPENG-PTD, Otunba Salmon Akanni Oladiti as well as other Excos of the Union.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, on Wednesday, engaged one another in a physical fight during a meeting of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, at the headquarters.
The altercation began when Sunday Ude-Okoye, a party chieftain, was ejected from the meeting.
Samuel Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye are contending over the position of National Secretary of the party.
Ude-Okoye had arrived the venue of the meeting before Anyanwu and acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum.
But, when Anyanwu arrived, Ude-Okoye was forced out of the meeting by suspected thugs, a situation that led to an altercation.
