When the mountain, in front of you, appears too big to climb, why not do like the ants? Create your own dome. Carve into it.
Today, I reflect on the tenderness and tenacity of ants.
Have you ever accidentally stepped on an ant hill? Perhaps. And like me, you probably panicked, imagining that you’ve smashed a whole colony of ants. Could a few of them even rise up and sting you?
I’ve often wondered what goes on inside the ant hill? I’ve read that ants move more earth than any other organism. Tiny but mighty.
When I catch myself complaining about work never being done, be it at the office, at home or in the planning or executing of family matters, I think about those tiny dots that move with determination and momentum. Ants are hyper-focused and committed to their task, their objective.
You too can be as tenacious as the ant. Never underestimate your strength and boldness. This ocean swell resides within in you; although, it may be as subtle and as unpretentious as the tranquil outer dome of ant hill.
You too have the strength to create your own mountain, to climb the mountain, to be a mountain. Why not? It’s at your footing. And, wow, all this exists even before we look at the potentiality of Teamwork. One example of great teamwork is how ants (together) help make the earth greener. A recent article, Why Ants are the Unsung Heroes of Nature, brags that ants (by building huge tunnels underground for their colonies) help make the earth greener, acting like trillions of farmers. So cool!
Weather you do it solo or in consortium with your colony, why not move some earth this week?
Ants are strong, tender…and they have a plan.
An expert in this field, April Sanders (via Sciencing.com), tells us that the way an ant colony operates revolves around the function of the chambers, or rooms. Each room has a purpose: there are nurseries, rooms for storing food and even rooms specifically for mating. Oouh.
So, you see, ants think of everything. Perhaps what drives these tenacious insects is a commitment and understanding of the plan and a loyalty to objective.
Yes, be loyal to your core. Go move some earth!
Great reads/ references here:
https://sciencing.com/ant-colony-operate-4728516.html - April Sanders, November 2019
https://sciencing.com/ant-build-its-hill-4587980.html - April Sanders, March 2018
https://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/ythfacts/allyr/ants.htm - The Secret Lives of Ants
https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/lifestyle/2022/01/19/why-ants-unsung-heroes-nature/9155886002/ - Mike Szydloswki, January 2022
It could be said that ants operate the most well-run “company” on Earth. I love that we can turn to nature to find examples of how focus, commitment, altruism, and loyalty can make waves and move earth. The concept of loyalty has always interested me, and you summed it perfectly. Loyalty to the objective means staying loyal to yourself and those around you. The rest will fall into place.