TINY MIGHTY

No matter the beginning, the end is what actually matters in life’s journey. Some athletes have fast start while others have finishing momentum. Would you want to start quick and stagger in the middle only to realize that you are overtaken in the final lap? Let not your size, background, failures and discouragements inhibit you from attaining the success desired. Most oft than not, though small or weak, every creation of God can achieve greatness.

The Ant as you bear witness is a tiny (insect) animal but has the greatest ambition. It is not for vain that the wisest King who ever lived recognized its wisdom. The feet of other animals are the monsters of the innocent ant on the ground. That is why it fails to remain on the ground but works tirelessly to store up treasure in a hidden place. The Anthill is actually a debris that accumulate as ants build their nest by digging. It looks magnificent at sight so in my childhood, I always wondered how they erected that little hill.

Something once caught my attention and has essentially inspired my writing of this book. Just a few weeks after my graduation from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, on one idle Friday afternoon, I sat under a mango tree on the compound at home taking a snack. While busily uploading my graduation images on Facebook, an ant climbed my toe. This actually inspired me as I noticed another ant striving to lift up some particles that fell from the pie I was enjoying. Daringly dragging the food, it made intermittent stops that connoted tiredness.

Suddenly, other ants gathered around as if following a trail and helped to transport the food. To disturb their pattern, I dropped some juice from the drinking straw in my mouth onto their path hurting one of them in the process. But that was not any deterrent to them at all. They reorganised, evacuated their injured friend, relocated the food fragment and continued their journey. That’s awesome! I heard myself exclaim. Their trail continued into a crack in the fence wall which led tem outside our compound. I stood in astonishment till my message notification tone beeped. I had witnessed ants in motion before but this was the first time I decided to learn something from them. I believe you have been seeing them too but its time you watch them.

I could not omit that experience from this book. Have you been in my situation before, have you experienced the teamwork, dedication and focus mindedness of a colony of ants before? God chooses the foolishness of this world to puzzle the wise and weak things to confound the mighty (1Cor. 1v 27). In proverbs, we are admonished to go to the ant and learn wisdom (Prov. 6:6-8) because they plan ahead for contingencies in order to prevent rather than mitigate or recover. “Provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest” they thus sow and reap in due season so that when rains or snow come, they sit deep within the anthill to enjoy of their labour.

Purpose is a vital organ omitted from our body parts by the creator. This is because, He already placed it within the Spirit breathed into us. It is inherent but just as the ant knows and understands its purpose, you must understand yours too: purpose of living, purpose of creation, and the reason why you should not disappoint God. You can become successful, wealthy, healthy and safe without missing your stance in the Kingdom of God. God wished such life for the Israelites so He prepared Canaan for them.

The Qur’an records (in Chapter 53: 39-41) that the human being attains only what he strives for. And that his efforts will be witnessed, then he will be rewarded for it the fullest reward. This further affirms the fact that, the sluggard and lazy without purpose-driven lives shall have no reward on earth.

Lessons from the Ant

Ants are known for foresight, economy and industry. They form tiny colonies and can survive in almost all ecosystems due to their adaptive ability to the environment. Their colonies range from few to millions of individual ants in an enclave. The larger their territorial extent, the more organised they are. The irony of this is comparable to our human world of slums, shanty towns and unplanned congested settlements with evil and all sorts of unwholesome individuals....Quite intriguing. Ants form colonies called super organisms where all individuals form the colony, work together, and support the colony as a unit whole and a unified host. There are soldiers, workers, drones etc. with diverse tasks. I will share five basic but major qualities of ants with you since you are willing to learn from them. You may know them already but I believe it is yet time to practise their ways.

 Purpose-Driven

Every caste in the colony knows its tasks and works tirelessly towards the achievements of the goals of the entire colony. They have their abilities and functions based on their gifts and talents. The workers work because they are not to guide. If they do not work to find food, their relevance will be void. As humans, we have gifts and talents graced us such that knowing our abilities, we can work towards realization of our goals in life. Wiliness to do and sticking to time (knowing when to do what) makes us purposeful.

Size Is No Limitation

Although the worker ants are smallest of the ants, they do most of the work. Some search for forage and food from around the nest. Others look after the queen and brood and the rest maintain and expand the nest. No matter who you are, someone has been less than you before so brand yourself greater.

Intelligence and Foresight

Ants work with intelligence and clear foresight. Like a farmer who makes hay while the sun shines, ants secure food and store them during and after harvest. They anticipate winter where coldness and water could limit them from finding sufficient food. It is hence very important you set your priorities right.

Team Work

Everyone achieves more when all work together. Ants work as a team and in a team. They apply their pintsize individual strengths to carry bigger load sizes even than their bodies. Anything the ant does is for the benefit of the colony. A team with ideas that do not meet cannot individually enjoy their ends-meat. So anytime on your success journey, when put in a team, develop ways to help. Just do it as if it all depends on you. Because, you will enjoy the glory of success better when you actually suffered together. I recall when we were grouped in final year to write our dissertations. Some students who neglected the stress of searching for relevant information nor contributing to the generation of ideas for the project had very little to say when asked about their experiences during the defence. My group member who failed to contribute once called after graduation to thank me for my immense help in our research but she worried how she could do her masters without help.

Sharing Is Caring

When an ant finds food, it leaves pheromone trails on the ground back to the colony for other ants to follow. Pheromones are chemical substances used by insects to attract others for mating. The reason for leaving traces behind is not because food particle may be too heavy but for the whole food to get to the colony for the benefit of all. It could choose to eat a portion of te food to satisfaction but it believes in the saying “I am because we are”. They carry food resources together and find their way back to the colony. When all these qualities are added to what you already have in you, nothing can stop you from moving mountains.

Other insects use the power of pheromones solely for mating but the ant uses it also for working.