LESSONS FROM ANTS | SPARKS 20 | The Story of Ants | Sparks Motivational on Hard Work & Sharing

The Story of Ants Ants are common insects, but they have some unique capabilities. More than 10,000 known ant species occur around the world. Enthusiastically, they are social insects, and they typically live in structured nest communities that may be located underground, in ground-level mounds, or in trees. Carpenter ants nest in wood and can be destructive to buildings. Some species, such as army ants, defy the norm and do not have permanent homes, instead seeking out food for their enormous colonies during their periods of migration. Ant communities are headed by a queen or queens, whose function in life is to lay thousands of eggs that will ensure the survival of the colony. The worker ants, the ants typically seen by human beings, are wingless females that never reproduce. But instead, they forage for food, care for the queen's offspring, work on the nest, protect the community, and perform many other duties. Male ants only have one role, mating with the queen. After they have performed this function, they may die. Ants communicate and cooperate by using chemicals that can alert others to danger or lead them to a promising food source. They typically eat nectar, seeds, fungus, or insects. However, some species have diets that are more unusual. Army ants may prey on reptiles, birds, or even small mammals. There are many lessons we can learn from ants. First of all, ants have an unbelievable spirit of teamwork. This is evident from the unselfish unity and a spirit of sharing that we see among the ants. If they find out something eatable, immediately they pass on the message to others. The ants share everything they get. They never eat anything alone. How fast they convey the message to others for sharing. Everything an ant does is for the benefit of the colony, and they will work until they are done. Each ant knows their duties, and they do everything they can to get those duties completed. Some are tunneling, some are moving materials, and others are looking for food. If any of the ants is not working with the team, it will be easily noticed. Secondly, ants have an amazing sense of discipline. There are three kinds of ants in a colony, workers, queens, and males. Each kind of ant does different job. They are so well organized that they carry out their entire task through division of labor. There is nothing left undone in the ant colony because of the well-organized structure which has already been put in place. Without mistake, they march one after another in a line. How pleasant is their marching sight! Without any dispute or accident, they move about in order. Thirdly, ants are tireless and hardworking. Ants always keep themselves busy all the day long. Ants are noticed for carrying objects that are bigger than them. This is only made possible through sheer hard work and determination. They are not scared of heavy tasks, but rather take pleasure in lifting these objects to their colony. Even when there is an obstacle on their way, they always find a way round such obstacles. They also have incredible speed in doing things. And finally, ants are great planners. They store up enough food in their colony. During winter, when the cold is becoming unbearable, they never lack anything. They work with a tremendous plan for the future. Ants make the most of every opportunity. Watching ants at work and play is amazing for us. The lessons from these tiny ants are great challenges for modern humanity. The lessons they teach should lead us to enlightenment and unity. They should enable us to handle the resources of nature very seriously. That is why Solomon said, You idler, go to the ant, watch her ways and be wise.