by Eldari Visser founder of Picketfence Life
This is a story with a different angle. I am sure many of you get into the kitchen late at night or frankly any time of day and then “bam” the kitchen top has got a beautiful crazy ant party going on! Most of us freak out and grab the best pesticides. But, it is not a party - they are carrying food to their home.
Due to the nature of my blog I always ensure to have nature’s lesson embedded into our own lives , finances and business. Back to our ants. It seems as if they are having a crazy sugar rush on your kitchen tops but they are working like crazy to get the spoils home. Did you know that a carpenter ant must walk for miles with their antennae at floor level to pick up smells or odours of food. They have four to five times more receptors to pick up scent of food nearby. Right, so the carpenter ant goes out and finds the food and then leaves a trail that can be picked up by the rest of the searchers to get to the food and then back home to the storehouse for the “thin” years. Did you know that the worker ants - all females find the food only for the queen? Seems like she knows who to trust and some of these ladies will walk miles to feed the queen.
What is the relevance to the carpenter?
A question that I try to establish often during interviews will be something in the line of, “Will this person be my next carpenter?”, meaning will this person walk for miles on end to search for “food” for our company? Is this person that team player that will leave a trail so that we all can feast or is this a me-myself hoarder? Will this person understand that you start as a carpenter, get acquainted with the area and become the area manager and work a path upwards? What if this is the only path you have for them? Will they still give their 100%? Tough questions to think about for your business Ms. Queen!
Here is a different question to ponder on….
Are you a carpenter for your family?
Do you share the spoils? Do you feed and feast? Do you help others to also find the food? Do you keep some for yourself? Do you perhaps take all and use at once These are the dangerous scales that usually tip for many of my clients. Once we find that wonder food source - be that a fat check, a good business, an excellent deal, or then some..., we easily get hooked into the Queen factor and keep things rather for ourselves. Maybe you have shared just what was necessary and the rest is yours? I have had discussions with ladies that got themselves so quickly into a knot because it is human to enjoy your success. Nobody here is going to judge today. I am pointing out a natural lesson from the ants. The look, find, work together and keep safe… and they seem to be doing quite fine.
Be like our carpenter ant!
Even when things look great. Consider the following:
Always be on the look-out for that deal.
Always keep stock of what is coming in.
Always keep stock of the consumption of the family.
Don’t be tempted to keep a huge portion for yourself.
Talk to your peers and partners.
Always ensure “food” for the thin years. According to all the news around us the world is for sure struggling with debt and finding good savings vehicles are difficult.
Stick to a savings vehicle that is stable.
Be your own wealth’s carpenter- look for sweeter opportunities for growth.
Send out your company’s carpenters to always find new stock, the next idea might just be around the corner.
Keep the carpenter -ant that works for you- they also have a family to feed and will stay loyal.
Feed other families - we owe it to our communities.
Give back to mother nature.
Always remember that you can find help anywhere - just keep your antennae on the ground.
Eldari Visser and her unique company, Picketfence Life, is providing access to information, advice and a powerful network of experts to help consumers find solutions to various serious issues. The company focuses mostly on easy blogs written by financial coaches, lawyers, accountants and tax practitioners, life and business coaches, and even psychologists. It gives practical tips and help and is the expert on your side of the fence. --- You can contact or follow Eldari at www.picketfence.life | Facebook | Twitter | #Junglewealth series
More articles by Eldari
