A Life Lesson Unfolds
We all know this scene—tiny ants that seem to appear out of nowhere. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a “bug girl” through and through. I’m even a state certified apprentice beekeeper, but ants? They’re in a different category for me.
Many years ago, I had a rather unforgettable experience with army ants (or were they biting red ants?) in the Monteverde Cloud Forest of Costa Rica. This experience left an inedible mark on my soul. Picture this- I was visiting with a friend who lived there when an army of ants decided to invade her home (see how I used the word ‘invade’ there). Edna’s advice? Let them march on, unbothered. Was it the best advice? Who knows? But I was a guest in the cloud forest, so I went along with it—watching, slightly horrified. It’s nothing like seeing a mass of ants walk right on through a house. Blink Blink Stare. That day, I made peace with the fact that despite being a nature lover, ants and I are not sympatico. Yes, yes, they are fascinating creatures with incredible abilities, and I’m okay admiring them from afar.
Fast forward several years when I returned to work after a glorious two-week vacation, only to discover that my desk had become the epicenter of an ant family reunion—thanks to one tiny piece of candy I’d left behind. Nooooo! Instinct took over, and I went on a gross finger-squishing spree. One after another, I squished those ants, only to realize that this wasn’t going to solve anything. You can never kill all the ants one by one. The real solution? Find
their pathway and get to the source. So, I did. Off to get some Taro ant bait, and three days later—ant-free bliss at my desk.
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Here’s the lesson, though, and it goes beyond ants:
Think of the ants as your negative thoughts—the self-doubt, the “I can’t” the “I’m not good enough.” You can try to squish each one as it comes, but there will always be more. The only real way to get rid of them is to follow the pathway, find the source, and deal with the root cause or just let the thoughts walk right through your mind and disappear. I urge you to take a moment. Follow your path, do the inner work to annihilate those limiting beliefs, clean up the mess, and get back to being your amazing self.
You’re welcome.
