My only New Year’s resolution is this:
being unapologetic about being me.
Now let’s talk about ants🐜
Stay with me.
In ant colonies, there are 2 kinds of ants.
Warrior ants.
Big. Robust. Built for defense. They attack predators, butcher large prey, carry heavy loads.
Worker ants.
Small to medium-sized. Built for precision and endurance. They forage, build nests, tend to the queen and the young.
Same species.
Completely different bodies. Completely different lives. I'd imagine compeletely different personalities.
They don’t just do different jobs.
They become different, through hormonal and nutritional cues, mostly. It's like 2 different species!
I imagine the warrior ant as a little more aggressive.
Does some lifting in his spare time.
A bit individualistic.
Maybe even heroic.
Probably has an ego to protect in every battle.
The worker ant?
Couldn’t care less about trophies.
More communal.
Focused on fitting in, avoiding unnecessary conflict, protecting the system, the status quo so the colony thrives.
Neither is better. Both are needed.
Without either of them, the colony collapses.
I think we humans have something to learn from ants. I think I have something to still learn from ants.
There is space, and purpose, for all kinds of people.
All kinds of traits, bodies, personalities, skills, and ways of being in the world.
Just because something feels wrong, unbalanced, or uncomfortable to me doesn’t make it universally wrong.
It’s just different.
And it’s not my job to judge it.
But it is my job to understand how I am wired, and what I'm here to live.
Worker or warrior.
And stop apologizing for it.
I once heard a phrase I love:
“Strong opinions, held lightly.”
It echoes advice I’ve received from some accomplished people:
Be sharper.
Be more opinionated.
Say what you mean.
Live what you mean.
And keep learning, and be willing to change.
Over to you, dear reader (and a note to myself):
What do you need to change to live more true to yourself in 2026? Unapologetically, consistently, and ready to change?
Happy New Year!
