Lessons are everywhere…
Sometimes the biggest lessons in life can come from the smallest folks around us.
Take ants, for instance. Can you see the lessons they provide? Jim Rohn, author and teacher in the personal development field, pointed out 4 smart life lessons we could learn from the lowly ant.
1. Ants never quit. Have you ever noticed how ants always look for a way around an obstacle? Even when youngsters put an obstacle in an ant’s path, it just goes around it on it’s way to getting where it wants to go. Ants are persistent. They keep going and don’t quit. We should all learn to be like that. Our challenges need us to keep looking for alternative routes to get to our goals. Are we as persistent as a little ant?
2. Ants think winter all summer long. Remember the fable of the ant and the grasshopper? While the grasshopper was out having a good time, the ant was busy gathering food for the winter. Ants know that summer (the good times) won’t last forever. Winter will come. And the grasshopper didn’t make it. Planning for the future, preparing, not just living for the moment is one of the better life lessons we all can strive for. We can stock our “shelves” with food, knowledge, good will, financial stability.
3. Ants think summer all winter long. Nothing lasts forever, even winter. When things are seemingly quiet and slow, ants are getting ready. The first warm day, they are out and ready to work and ready to play. When we are down and seemingly out, it’s good to remind ourselves that this too shall pass. Good times will come. During the slow period, it’s a good time for us to focus, plan, strategize, learn, and get ready to get back out there. It’s important to retain a positive attitude and know things will get better. New opportunities will emerge, will we be ready for them?
4. How much will an ant gather in the summer? All he can. Now that’s a great ethic to have. Do all we can! One ant doesn’t worry about how much food another ant is collecting. It doesn’t sit back and wonder why it should have to work so hard. Ants just do what’s in front of them to do. If we look around, we’ll find that successful people are those who just do all they possibly can. And we should too: create, draw, travel, love, earn, learn, live life as fully as we possibly can!
So, where have you found useful lessons?