When was the last time you saw ants reach an obstacle and give up with their heads down and head back to the ant hole to relax? Never.

Here’s another question. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for winter? All that it possibly can.

Imagine what you could accomplish if you never quit and always did all that you could do.

I think everybody should study ants and their philosophy—it’s simple, but it’s powerful:

1. Ants never quit.

That’s a good philosophy. If ants are headed somewhere and you try to stop them; they’ll look for another way. They’ll climb over, they’ll climb under and they’ll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you’re supposed to go.

2. Ants think winter all summer.

That’s an important perspective. You can’t be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering their winter food in the middle of summer.

An ancient story says, “Don’t build your house on the sand in the summer.” Why do we need that advice? Because it’s important to be realistic. In the summer, you’ve got to think storm. Think ahead.

3. Ants think summer all winter.

That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, “This won’t last long; we’ll soon be out of here.” And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they’ll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. They can’t wait to get out.

4. Ants think “all-you-possibly-can.”

How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. Ants don’t have quotas or “good enough” philosophies. They don’t gather a certain amount and then head back to the hole to hang out. If an ant can do more, it does. What an incredible philosophy, the “all-you-possibly-can” philosophy.

Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.