The Ant Who Would Not Think Small

An ant tries to move something that should be impossible, and an elephant laughs right in his face. That moment is the spark for a story about motivation, mindset, and why your current size, status, or resources are a terrible way to measure what you can become

Transcript

The Mindset That Refuses Small

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The ant who would not think small. Life is waiting for you each day, and you have to prepare for each challenge along the way toward success. It's not simple, but it can be done. Welcome to my common sense motivation episodes. I'm Chris FantasticPow.

Abel Chooses A Giant Goal

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Deep inside a beautiful forest lived a tiny ant named Abel. Abel was smaller than almost every creature around him. Birds flew high above him, rabbits jumped over him, even the grass looked like giant trees from where he stood. But Abel never allowed his size to determine the size of his goals. Every morning Abel woke up with intention. He knew where he was going. He knew what he wanted to accomplish, and he carried an energy inside him that was much bigger than his body. One sunny morning Abel decided he was going to carry a large piece of fruit back to his colony. The fruit was many times heavier than he was, but Abel did not look at how big it was. He looked at where it needed to go. He pushed, he pulled, he climbed over rocks, he moved around branches. Whenever the fruit rolled backward, Abel did not quit. He simply got behind it and pushed again.

Intention Versus Raw Strength

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As he worked a large elephant named Eli walked by. Eli looked down and began to laugh. Little ant, said Eli, why are you struggling with something so large? Look at you. You're too small to move that fruit. Abel stopped for a moment, looked up at the enormous elephant, and smiled. You may see how small I am, Abel said, but you cannot see how big my intention is. Eli was surprised. Abel continued, I may not have your size, but I have the energy, I have the focus, I have determination, and I know where I'm going. The elephant shook his head. With my strength, I could move that fruit in one second, Eli said proudly. Abel answered, That is true, but strength means nothing when it has no direction. Being able to do something is not the same as being willing to do it. Those words stayed in Eli's mind.

The Storm Tests Everyone

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The next day a powerful storm moved through the forest. Heavy rains filled the pathways with mud. Trees fell, branches covered the trails, and many animals became afraid. Eli wanted to reach the river, but the usual path was blocked by a fallen tree. The elephant pushed against the tree with all his strength, but it would not move. He tried again and again until he became tired and frustrated. I'm the biggest animal in the forest, Eli shouted. Why can't I get through? Then he heard a small tiny voice. Because sometimes the biggest obstacles cannot be defeated by strength alone. It was Abel the ant. The little ant had arrived with hundreds of other ants behind him. Abel explained that there was another path beneath the bushes. It was narrow and difficult to see, but it would lead them safely around the fallen tree. How did you find it? Eli asked. Abel smiled. Because when you're small, you learn to look closely. When you cannot depend on size, you develop awareness. When you cannot push everything out of your way, you learn how to find another way. Abel and the other ants led Eli through the hidden path. The journey was not easy. The ground was wet, the bushes were thick, and Eli had to move slowly, but Abel never lost his direction. Step by step they reached the river. Eli lowered his head and said, Today the smallest creature in the forest helped the largest. Abel looked up and replied, You are only small when your thinking is small. Size may describe your body, but it should never describe your dream, your effort, or your determination. From that day forward, Eli stopped judging others by what he could see. He understood that the ant's power was not in his muscles, it was in his intention, it was in his energy, it was in his discipline to keep moving even when progress was slow. The ant did not wait until it became as large as the elephant before he started working toward his goal. He used what he had, where he was and kept going.

Make Small Beginnings Count

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This is the lesson for all of us. You may feel small compared to the challenge in front of you. Your resources may be limited. Your beginning may not impress anybody. People may look at your dream and wonder how someone like you could ever accomplish something so large, but they cannot see your intention. They cannot measure your hunger. They cannot feel the energy inside of you. And they do not know how many times you're willing to push again. You do not have to be the biggest person in the room to make the biggest impact. You do not have to be the strongest to keep moving. You do not have to have everything figured out before you begin. You need a goal, you need an intention, you need energy. And you need the determination to take another step when the last one did not move you very far. The elephant may move faster because of its size, but the ant continues because of its purpose. Never allow the size of your beginning to determine the size of your future. Be like the ant. Wake up with intention, move with energy, work with purpose. And when life puts something in front of you that appears too big, do not say I'm too small. Say my goal is bigger than my fear, my intention is stronger than my obstacle, and I will keep moving until I get there. Small does not mean powerless. Slow does not mean unsuccessful. And difficult does not mean impossible. Keep pushing, keep climbing, and keep believing, because even the smallest ant can accomplish a giant goal when intention, energy, and determination lead the way.

Final Push And Where To Find More

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Make it happen. I'm Chris Fantastic Powell. Thank you for listening. For books, ebooks, or audiobooks, visit ChrisFantasticPowell.com or find them on Amazon.