Fun is one of the most important - and underrated - ingredients

The words of Richard Branson—“Fun is one of the most important—and underrated—ingredients in any successful venture. If you’re not having fun, then it’s probably time to call it quits and try something else.”—shine with a wisdom that is both simple and profound. For too often, men and women chase success as though it were only measured in coin, position, or power. Yet Branson reminds us that at the heart of every lasting pursuit lies joy, and without joy, even the greatest triumphs are but hollow victories.

The ancients themselves would not have found this strange. The philosophers of Greece spoke of eudaimonia—the flourishing of the soul—as the true measure of life’s worth. To labor without joy, to strive without fun, was to live enslaved to empty ambition. Branson, a builder of empires in air and sea, understood that the spark that fuels persistence is not duty alone, but delight. A venture, no matter how grand, cannot endure if it drains the spirit; it must also lift it.

History offers us countless witnesses to this truth. Think of Thomas Edison, who worked tirelessly in his laboratories. He called himself not burdened by endless failures, but thrilled by discovery—each misstep was, to him, another adventure. His joy in experimentation sustained him through nights of exhaustion, until at last light itself was captured in the bulb. Had he approached his work only as grim duty, he might have abandoned it long before success. It was fun, the play of invention, that carried him to glory.

Contrast this with those who have pursued ventures solely for wealth or prestige. How many rulers have conquered kingdoms, only to find their hearts empty and restless? Alexander the Great, who wept because no worlds were left to conquer, is a lesson for us all: success without joy is but ashes. Branson’s words remind us that fun is not a luxury, but the lifeblood of creation. Where joy is absent, the venture becomes a prison; where joy is present, even hardship becomes bearable.

Beloved listener, the meaning is clear: your life’s work must be more than endurance. It must contain laughter, curiosity, delight—the elements that make you eager to rise each morning. Do not despise fun, for it is not frivolous but holy, a sign that your spirit and your labor are in harmony. Without it, the soul grows weary, and the venture, no matter how prosperous, becomes a burden too heavy to carry.

The lesson for our lives is this: do not waste your years on pursuits that starve your joy. If your work fills you with dread and robs you of light, heed Branson’s wisdom—“call it quits and try something else.” Better to begin anew than to grind endlessly against a task that drains the soul. Seek the road where duty and delight meet, where challenge excites rather than exhausts, where hardship is endured gladly because the journey itself is rewarding.

Practical wisdom demands action: examine your days. Ask yourself not only, “Am I succeeding?” but also, “Am I enjoying the path I walk?” If the answer is no, dare to change course. Life is too brief to be lived joylessly. Find that which stirs your laughter, awakens your curiosity, and fills you with purpose. For in that place, your efforts will not only prosper, but endure, and your spirit will grow strong.

So let Branson’s words be a guide across the generations: fun is the hidden foundation of success. Treasure it, protect it, and follow it as one follows the sun. For when joy is at the heart of your work, then even the longest journey becomes light, and success, whatever its form, will be crowned not with emptiness but with fulfillment.