Growing up in small town in what some people would call the “sticks,” I had ample opportunity to observe nature and interact with lots of critters, from typical farm animals of all sizes to insects, reptiles, and amphibians. To my mother’s considerable consternation, I was particularly fascinated by ants, spiders, and bees. Even mom’s stern warnings that one day I’d be bitten by a poisonous spider or stung by a bee or an ant and have an allergic reaction that could kill me did nothing to diminish my curiosity nor deter me from playing with these creatures.
Fortunately, I survived not only my childhood experiences without a single insect bite or sting, but I’ve managed to maintain that record, thus far at least! So what’s so special about ants? 
In Journey to the Ants, Holldobler and Wilson (1994) argue that ants collectively “rival humans as dominant organisms on the land.” The authors attribute the ants’ success to having a highly advanced form of chemical communication that enables them to cooperate swiftly and quickly with other members of their colony. Ants have been filmed linking together in columns and layers to create a kind of lifeboat so they could swim across a river and escape a flood.
Ants are abundant, with estimates ranging from 9,500 to nearly 20,000 different species. The average worker ant is less than 1 millionth the size of a human and weighs a mere 1 to 5 milligrams, yet she can move as much as 20 times her own weight.
As a little girl, what I first noticed about ants was their tenacity, problem-solving, and teamwork. They didn’t give up easily, and they sought help from their nestmates when faced with a problem they couldn’t tackle alone.
I used to place large crumbs on the steps leading to our kitchen and then wait for the first ant to appear. Once she noticed the crumb, she would approach tentatively at first, antennae high and moving rapidly back and forth. If she couldn’t lift the crumb on the first attempt, she’d back off, circle it several times, raise herself up as if trying to get a better angle, then grab it with her jaws or front legs. If after several attempts, she still couldn’t lift or carry it by herself, she’d crawl rapidly out of sight. But a few minutes later, she’d be back and, then as if by magic, one by one other ants would show up to help her.
Ants never seemed to stop scurrying about, locating objects they wanted, and transporting them back to the nest.
A few weekends ago, I was reminded again of just what a determined ant can accomplish. As I was sitting on the sidewalk in front of our house, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. At first I didn’t know what it was. I just saw movement. Then, I realized it was an ant trying to pick up a very large twig.
The twig was approximately an inch long, considerably longer than the tiny black ant. Curious, I watched her try several times to lift it, but the twig teetered back and forth as she tried to move forward. Undaunted, she put it down and then darted toward the twig several times as if appraising the best approach. She tried to push it. That didn’t work. She tried to drag it. That worked for a few seconds, but the twig kept getting snagged on the bumps and tiny crevices in the concrete.
She stopped, darted about a few more times, raised herself up, antennae waving frantically, then after a few more tries, she lifted it straight up, end over end, above her head, and off she marched.
I just knew she’d get too tired or the twig would get hung up on something again, and she’d have to give up. After she had crawled from the sidewalk and was finally on the ground, she had many obstacles to navigate over, under, or around.
Once as she was trying to crawl over a large sweet gum leaf, she suddenly lost her grasp on the twig and it wedged between the leaf and a large pebble. At first, she appeared to wander aimlessly. Finally, she located the twig and dragged it with her jaws up over the edge of the leaf. She stopped and dropped the twig onto the leaf. Now, she heaved the twig above her head, but the twig began to teeter. Somehow, she steadied it and onward she marched.
When she started to crawl her way up the side of our two-story brick house, I was incredulous! How could she possibly manage to carry something so huge up a brick wall with its nooks and crannies?
Resolutely, she crawled up the side of the house for a while until the twig got snagged on something. Then, adjusting her hold on the twig, she crawled horizontally for a bit as if searching for a smoother path. She continued this way for another 20 to 30 minutes, zigzagging her way up the wall, twig held high above her head, until I could no longer see her. When last I saw her, she had nearly reached the roof.
Despite huge obstacles, a weighty problem, and a long distance to travel before arriving at her destination, what a treasure that little worker ant brought that day to her nest-building colony mates!
So when faced with what seems an insurmountable obstacle, tap into your creative intelligence by trying the following exercise. It may sound simplistic, but it truly works.
Take a blank sheet of paper or open a task list on your computer. Now, ask yourself out loud: “What are 10 things I can do right now that will make a difference?” Then write what comes to your mind. You’ll be amazed at how your brain works to help you solve the problem.
Remember the ant. No obstacle is too big if you never give up and ask others for help when you need it. Louis Pasteur, famed scientist, said: “Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal; my strength lies solely in my tenacity.”
