August 2010

Last month we shared how pride can keep us from staying in our promoted place. The truth of the matter is that when we let pride set in, we become complacent and soon after, we find ourselves where we ought not to be.

Over the last few months, I have emerged into a life-long student. By becoming a life-long student I don’t mean pursuing a graduate degree. Rather the emphasis is on pursuing a degree in life. I have decided to study to learn how life works.

The most fascinating aspect of life is that the more I learn, I realize how little I know. The more I climb, I begin to realize how much room is left up there to explore. I have begun to internalize the words of Lord Chesterfield which states “in seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that you have attained it- thou art a fool.”

A fool is always someone who thinks they have reached the summit and there’s nothing else to aim for or learn. As we find ourselves in life’s journey, circumstances occur in our lives that knock the chip right off our shoulders. The question lies not in whether the chip has been knocked off but rather what we learn from that experience, moving forward.

In order to progress in our journey, we ought to learn. Often times we look to the deep thinkers, past and present, to glean some knowledge off of them. Although that seems like a great idea, the problem is that we sometimes miss a wealth of revelation because we ignore what we deem to be insignificant.

None of us should ever get to the point where we feel that we cannot learn from the people and situations around us no matter how insignificant they appear. An ancient book called Proverbs instructs us to consider the ants. Just the thought of bending over to observe a creature like the ant is a very humbling experience.

Proverbs describes the ant as a small but wise creature. It is difficult to comprehend that description because most of us view ants as a nuisance. The easiest example is when we leave traces of sugar or honey on a surface for a period of time. By the time we return, we see that ants and other creatures in that family of species have invaded our space.

I’m sure you are curious of what the Ant Philosophy is if you have read up to this point. So let’s take a closer look.

John B.

"Be very mindful of the promises you make to those closest to you."