Adding Value: The Test of Character by Henry Ukazu

Dear Destiny Friends,

The test of character is having the ability to meet challenges – Walter Anneberg

In life, one test everyone will surely experience, is the test of character. Our character will surely be tested. It is therefore, instructive to note that circumstances don’t say who we are, they reveal who we are. The character of a human being is manifested when they face challenges. This is why the best qualities of strength, courage, love, persistence, and loyalty are manifested when one faces betrayals, disappointments, failures, and challenges of life whether it is small or big.

When you face challenges, it is advisable to respond positively and constructively. When you react negatively, it shows how your mindset works, knowing that according to Walter Annenberg, “The test of character is having the ability to meet challenges”.

It is easy for people to say, I will do this, I will do that, I won’t do this, I won’t do that etc., when they have power, but when they are faced with trials or opportunities, their true being will manifest.

Some schools of thought opine that one can hardly advise these four sets of people: a woman in love, a rich man, a religious bigot and a member of a political party.

Do you know your character can manifest when you experience challenges? To show you how character works, imagine that as a driver, a passenger or stranger forgets a million dollars in your car, what would you do in such a situation? Again, imagine when you see a million dollars on the ground, and no one is there around to claim the money. What will you do  in such a situation? Will you return the money or give it to the appropriate authorities? If you decide to return the money, that again, is the test of your character. When you keep the money, that shows how your mindset works. Again, circumstances don’t say who you are, it reveals who you are.

Furthermore, one of the ways to know a great man is by looking at how he treats those who can do nothing to him. The true being of the man will be shown via his humility, kindness, respect, and more importantly, his understanding of life. This is because, according to Charles Beard, “the two great tests of character are wealth and poverty. How you act when you have money is quite different from how you act when you are poor.

Ultimately in my humble opinion, the three tests of character are” adversity, temptation, and power. As human beings, we’ll surely have one form of adversity or the other, and this adversity can come in the form of various temptations. Our prayer should be, God, grant me the grace to overcome the temptations and adversity of life.

Furthermore, a man can’t say he’s strong until he’s able to withstand the temptations of a woman in addition to being able to control his anger when his wife annoys him.

According to Abraham Lincoln, “any man can stand adversity, but if you really want to test his character, give him power.” I will add money and women. If he’s able to control and manage them very well without them managing and overpowering him, he is a man of repute and influence.

It’s one thing to be generous, loving, compassionate, etc. when life is rosy for us, but quite another to maintain noble attitudes when things are no longer going our way. Adversity, it seems, has the power to bring out the best or the worst in us because circumstances don’t say who we are, rather, they reveal who we are.

In conclusion, if you are passionate about a cause, one of the ways to determine if you will be successful about the project is through your ability to forge ahead with the right attitude and character when adversity and temptations bring up their ugly heads, and I pray when you finally get to the top, may God grant you the grace to bring up a virtuous character that will attract and humble the world.

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator.  He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer Design Your Destiny and Unleash Your Destiny.  He can be reached via info@gloemi.com