Make Hay While the Sun Shines

Sometimes nature can be our best teacher. If we would observe the lives of ants, those non-descript, sometimes pesky little insects that work diligently while the season is at hand, can inspire us to make the change from LAZY to Energetic, Active and Diligent. Ants ‘make hay while the sun shines’ so to speak. They work diligently and reap the rewards of hard work. Though ants are small and weak, they are successful and productive in the world they live. There are six life lessons we can learn from these little creatures: 1. Motivation: Ants know the importance of discipline and motivation to get their jobs done. We must look for ways to motivate ourselves to be productive. Maybe a reward for getting up a little earlier to hit the gym would be what we need to motivate us to get out of bed in the morning. 2. Plan Ahead: Anyone who is a success in life uses a calendar and prepares for the days ahead. If you would make it a priority to pencil in all the parts of your life whether it be Faith, Family, Work, Recreation, etc., you will see that there are pockets of time that are available to achieve your goals and dreams. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. 3. Initiative: Get out of your comfort zone. Take some initiative to change something. In our family, Hubby and I have taken some big steps to make some changes. These changes haven’t been easy but they are bringing us closer to the end results that we desire. 4. Teamwork: Find someone who will support you in your decision to be more productive. Stay away from other lazy people and be around those who are motivated and inspired. If the load is too heavy to carry, ants join together and help each other. We were not meant to be alone. Find a supportive person or group who will help inspire you to grow. 5. Focus: Ants are full of focus. They work diligently to gather food in harvest time. We end up where we focus. Take some time to write out your dreams and goals. Post them in your home, on your fridge, in your car, and on your bathroom mirror. Have them in your sight at all times. These will help propel you to where you want to go. 6. Persistence: Ants never give up. As a child, I remember putting little road blocks in front of ants as they scurried from here to there, carrying their large burdens. They would just climb over the obstacle or go around it. Never did they stop, quit or pout because life got hard. I never once saw them leave their load, turn around and go back from where they came from. We must push through, being persistent and determined to be productive. If you are feeling as if your life is going nowhere, or you are not getting the results you had always dreamed of, maybe you need to check your ‘Laziness’ indicator and see how it reads. Be determined to follow the ways of the ‘ant’ and put the sixpack to work for you: get motivated, plan ahead, take some initiative, use teamwork, stay focussed on your goals and be persistent when you feel like giving up. There are inseparable links between productivity and happiness, and work and prosperity. Take advantage of the lesson learned from the ant and you will be full of vitality and love life! “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!” Scripture reference: Proverbs 6:6