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 doing so, 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