I always marvel at ants and bees.These hardworkers put their best foot forward any day.They ‘slave’ their hearts out day in day outBut are they aware that they are planning for a better tomorrow?Probably yes.What’s to be enjoyed later requires sweat to build today.Sure, their commitment to work looks laborious and sounds like druggery (repetitive and unexciting).But their focus is razor sharp.They may stumble and fall but the direction is always forward.They know what drives them…a better tomorrow.In the same way, what drives you and me?Why do we wake up every day to our hustle and grind?Why do we even bother to put in the effort?Something greater than ourselves should.Our kids, our families, significance, a better tomorrow.Work by itself may lose meaning if there is no ultimate goal it seeks to fulfill.A farmer sows seeds and labors hard because he knows that the result is a good harvest…A carpenter squares it off with wooden machines late into the night because he is eyeing a master piece…A fisherman wakes up before dawn to battle the waves and the tide to secure a good catch…An executive takes on daily tasks religiously because the paycheck is coming.Reward drives us to do what we do.But reward matters not if significance ain’t in the picture.You see, I’ve come to learn that significance has more to do with others than ourselves.It has more to do with making an impact than making a living.The ants and the bees don’t work for their individual but collective reward.This is what makes their toil so sweet.And so should we.In our vocation, how many ‘undeserving’ people are touched?How many times do we reach out to help not necessarily for a reward but to build connections?Life and work are not just about reward and pay but about significance and purpose.Photo credit: Adobe Stock