Vietnamese proverbs have two meanings, or nghĩa: nghĩa đen (black) and nghĩa bóng (shadow). The black meaning is a direct and on-the-surface interpretation whereas the shadow meaning(s) is implicit and often the true message.
The proverb above, translated verbatim as “ant carry long full nest,” is about ants bringing food back to their home. Ants can only carry so much food to and from their nest, so it takes a long time for them to fill their nest. Even so, the effort of each ant matters and eventually they’ll have a sufficient amount of food, thus the black meaning of this proverb is “Every little bit counts.”
Now let’s shift our focus to the shadow meaning.
Ants, regardless of type, are tiny compared to humans. Despite their small size, ants can travel long distances to bring home food. Sometimes the food they carry is heavier than them, and keep in mind that their nest is massive compared to them. They don’t have transportation like cars or trains to make their lives easier. Think of how hard ants have to work to fill up their nest.
And when things get tough for ants, do they just stop? They don’t, otherwise, the whole colony will collapse. Ants depend on each other and have different tasks of equal importance in their society. They move forward or fight to protect their nest until the worst is over (unless they’re facing my grandpa’s ant spray).
When that you think about it, ants face adversities just like humans do, yet ants often work harder than us and don’t ever stop. The obvious reasoning is ants can’t afford to let up because their survival depends on hard work, but there’s an important lesson we can learn from them.
The shadow meaning of this proverb is “kiên nhẫn,” which means patience or perseverance. Tiny creatures like ants work extra hard to survive, and we must have their patience and perseverance to lead fulfilling and successful lives.
For most of us, though, sticking to those two principles is difficult because we live in such a fast-paced, demanding and competitive society. It’s only natural that we slow down and become unmotivated, but perpetual laziness and unproductivity don’t get you anywhere or anything.
So, here are some tips on how to be more like ants.
Take a break.
I’m a high school junior taking seven classes, including three AP’s, one Honors and one community college class. Before this year, I was as productive as an ant, but now I can barely handle being a workaholic. The TikTok below by elliotkimmz captures how I feel.
(TikTok is a social media app where people record funny videos, a.k.a “TikToks,” and share them.)
To say I’m excited for Thanksgiving break (which is in ten days!) is an understatement. I can’t wait to drop everything and finally sleep and not have to worry about school 24/7.
Wait, isn’t taking a break is contradictory to the whole ant idea? Yes, but then again, we can’t be ants when we’re exhausted and bordering burn-out. When you find yourself spiraling down, give yourself a break and destress. I know how it feels to be too busy to stop, but trust me, there’s time to spare. You need to be in the right state of mind to be productive.
Set reasonable goals and stick to them.
The goal of the ant is to fill its nest with food, and that’s what it works hard to do each day. We need to have goals as well because they help us identify what matters most and keep us focused on what’s at hand or a specific course of action. When we’re working toward our goals during a time frame, whether it be days or years, we’re intrinsically motivated because we’re driven by our happiness and satisfaction.
I recommend using the SMART or goal pyramid setting method (Trevor Mahoney has an excellent post on the goal pyramid) and writing down your goals where you’ll see them on a daily basis so that you remember why you do the things you do.
Put forth your best foot.
What better way to be an ant than work like one?
It’s important to consistently do your best, even if your best doesn’t meet the standards for perfection or meet your goals. You build commitment, discipline and diligence, and nothing feels better than making it through a long-winded process. (But for me, the work I put in is just as rewarding as the outcome.)
I’ve also noticed how competition revolves around doing the least work among some of my peers. My chemistry teacher gave an unforgettable lecture last year about taking short cuts. It was great, and this is it in a nutshell: don’t be ashamed of working harder than others to achieve the same goal. Be proud of your rigor and keep it up.
Make failure your best friend.
Remember when you played with blocks and tried to build a super tall tower? The first time, you stacked each block too far to the right; the second, you knocked the tower over with your foot; the third, your hands were too unsteady. But after some frustration and a few more tries, you finally got it, and from then on tower-building became easier.
Failing is learning, and each mistake is a red flag that tells us to be creative and try something new. If we never failed, then we would never build resilience, perseverance or patience. The path to the nest isn’t easy or fast, but ants persevere and are rewarded when they arrive home.
There are a ton of other ways that you can be more like an ant, but perhaps the first step is thinking about where you want to start and what you want to do.
