You don’t need to scroll three posts to hear the trending sound “Yakubu manageeee” Although this moment has quickly turned to a viral meme, it carries an underlying meaning.
There’s a moment most young people experience at some point where things stop making sense.
For many corps members, that moment comes during service year, when you’re managing your monthly allowance, adjusting to a new environment, and trying to figure out what life after NYSC will look like.
Tough seasons have a way of making us question ourselves. Am I good enough? Am I doing the right thing? Will things ever get better? These questions are normal. But they don’t define your future.
What matters is how you move through those moments.
Tough Times Are Not a Dead End
One of the biggest misconceptions about success is that it happens in a straight line. It doesn’t. Every meaningful journey has periods of uncertainty, rejection, and doubt.
For young people especially, life can feel like a race. Career pressure, financial expectations, social comparisons, and the constant highlight reels on social media solidify this thought process but behind almost every success story is a chapter that looked nothing like success.
Sometimes managing isn’t just emotional, it’s also financial. For many Corpers, it looks like stretching your monthly allowance, saving small amounts when you can and trying to build better money habits. Even small steps like putting something aside through platforms such as Corper Invest can make a difference over time.
The key is remembering that a difficult moment is a chapter, not the whole story.
Progress Doesn’t Always Look Big
Sometimes we imagine overcoming challenges as one big breakthrough moment. In reality, it’s usually a series of small decisions.
Getting out of bed when you don’t feel motivated.
Trying again after a rejection.
Learning a new skill even when it feels slow.
Choosing not to give up on yourself.
These small actions might seem insignificant, but over time they compound into growth. Progress is rarely loud. Most of the time, it’s quiet and steady.
Focus on What You Can Control
When things feel overwhelming, it’s easy to focus on everything going wrong but not everything deserves your energy.
You can’t control every outcome, but you can control your response. You can control your effort, your learning, your attitude, and the way you treat others along the way.
Shifting your focus from “Why is this happening to me?” to “What can I do next?” can change the entire direction of your mindset.
Don’t Go Through It Alone
Another myth young people often believe is that they have to figure everything out on their own. The truth is everyone needs support.
Talk to friends, reach out to mentors, ask questions, share your struggles. Sometimes a simple conversation can give you clarity, encouragement, or a fresh perspective you didn’t see before.
The importance of having a community cannot be overstated. Your community should consist of people who share goals, struggles and the same hunger for success. You pick each other up when things get challenging.
Strength isn’t pretending everything is fine. Strength is knowing when to lean on others.
Your Story Is Still Being Written
The truth about tough times is that they shape you. They build patience, resilience, empathy, and perspective — qualities that don’t come from easy seasons.
Years from now, the challenges you’re facing today may become experiences that help someone else keep going.
So, dear Yakubu, Teni, Adeife or Michael, if you’re in a difficult season right now, take a breath, slow down and focus on the next step, not the entire journey.
You’re not behind.
You’re not alone.
And this moment does not define where your story ends.
As the viral meme goes – manageeee, the next chapter might surprise you.
