The Wisdom Series: The Wisdom Of The Ant

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Every creature is endowed with wisdom that is instructive for a productive life. Through careful observation we can glean from that wisdom and adopt the same into our life. 

This series is not about animal science. Rather, it is a careful study into the operational potentials of various creatures and how we can draw from that wisdom to increase our possibilities. 

The Wisdom Of The Ant

The ant is a very small creature being a member of the insect family. Yet, it is known for its uncommon wisdom. The wisdom of the ant is instructive. As a matter of fact, God recommends that humans learn from the ants when He said, "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest." 

Therefore, in order for us to effectively do justice to this section of the series it is imperative for us to glean from the bank of uncommon wisdom that is affordable to this tiny creature. 

The wisdom of the ant may appear to be elementary but it holds in it the power to change your life in no small way. 

There are so many lessons that we can draw from this creature but for the sake of this post I will chose eight of those lessons. 

1. There is time for everything. Every time is not convenient for everything. Between when you were born and when you die are many seasons and what you do with those seasons is what determines the outcome of your life. 

The ant knows when to gather and when to eat. If you want to be financially free you must know when to gather, and gather here has nothing to do with gathering money. It has to do first of all with gathering the body of truth that makes for a successful life.

If you begin by gathering money before gathering the necessary information that makes for a wealthy life you will still end up broke over time. 

Life always revolves around seed time and harvest. If you slept throughout the seed time don't expect any reward during harvest. 

2. Self motivated. The ant is self motivated and as such requires no  external motivation. If you always need someone to encourage you and motivate you before you do what is necessary then you may never fulfil your life's purpose. 

You have to make up your mind and do what is required of you. You don't need someone policing you about before you develop your mind or build other areas of your life. Some of the lifestyle that people have adopted from famous actors, musicians and sports people is only a recipe for failure. Those guys did not become famous by living that way. Yet the average young person, who is still dependent on his parents, has adopted those flamboyant and extravagant attitudes yet they are unwilling to pay the requisite price that matches that lifestyle. 

3. It has posterity in view. The ant, though smaller than the brain of human beings has the future in view. If you could ask the ant why it works tirelessly during the summer it will give you one answer, "winter is coming." 

The ant doesn't need a weather forecast to know that winter is coming, yet humans need to be reminded that seasons don't last forever. 

The ant doesn't need to have a large stomach for it to work hard, It only needs a knowledge of tomorrow. Yet humans fail to understand that today's laxity is a sabotage of posterity. 

4. Unity. All the ants in a colony work together to survive. They do this through defending the colony, bringing in food, reproducing, and protecting the queen.

Unity is what determines the success of every team. The statement "United we stand and divided we fall" is not a cliché. 

No organization can be productive without unity. 

No team can win medals without unity. 

No family can live peacefully without unity. 

Can two work together except they agree?

If you are part of any team, organization or family it is important that you do your best to maintain unity within that system. This is important for the continued success of that system.

4. It is not discouraged by its size. The ant is a tiny insect yet it doesn't allow its size to determine its outcome in life. You may be poor today but that shouldn't make you feel that you will always remain that way. Just like the ant, you can start now and chart a new course for your life. 

Don't wait until things change before you start believing in yourself. Belief in yourself is paramount to changing your circumstances. Don't define yourself by what you cannot afford today and do not let society label you by your current condition. The fact that you were born in a bakery does not make you a loaf of bread. 

The odds have been defeated again and again. Records have been set and broken over and over again. You too can join the list of those who made significant leaps in destiny despite their humble beginning. 

Don't be discouraged by your background or past experiences, rather, use it as the fuel that motivates you to journey into a great future. 

5. Communication and feedback. According to research, in a bid to maintain the structure of their colonies, ants communicate with each other using their antennae to smell chemicals called pheromones. Worker ants discharge pheromones with distinct messages to let the other ants know exactly what’s going on.

This point is also very important when working in an organization and for those in a relationship. 

Communication is said to be the grease of every relationship. Without it the relationship will die a natural death. And at an organizational level, communication and feedback are essential to the growth and success of every organization. 

Wrong communication or feedback is costly and can even tarnish the image of an organization. 

6. They do not tolerate laziness. Laziness has killed many great dreams. The work ethic of the ant is amazing. It maintains focus until it achieves its purpose. 

If your dream to be great must be realized then laziness is a luxury that you cannot afford.  

The ant does not let its size determine its level of productivity. 

7. The ant is organized. Unlike most individuals who squander their energy day in and day out in aimless pursuit the ant is organized in its activities. 

They set goals and work tirelessly to achieve that goal irrespective if the obstacles. 

8. Adaptation. Ants are quick to adapt to their surrounding. It was Apostle Joshua Selman who said that adaptation is proof of honour. 

When you find yourself in an environment, observe the system or the place, maintain your uniqueness but also adapt to the modus operandi of that place 

You maintain your uniqueness by holding on to your values and you adapt by respecting the laws that govern that place. 

Summary 

Today the level of productivity of the average individual is no where compared to that of an ant because we are distracted from sunrise till sunset. So many things clamour for our attention but the wisdom of the Ant teaches us that the journey to success is not a smooth Road and only those that are able to to navigate through obstacles and distractions will arrive at their destination. 


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