Summer blazed. A grasshopper lounged in the sun while an ant inched past, hauling a breadcrumb toward his nest.

"Quit working and enjoy the day," the grasshopper said.

"Winter's coming," the ant said. "I can’t stop now."

The grasshopper kept being lazy. The ant kept working. When snow covered the ground, the grasshopper found nothing to eat and grew weaker by the day, while the ant lived off his summer stores. The grasshopper died. The ant thrived.

The ant knew something the grasshopper didn't: real fun requires work.

Take it a step further: you can't have real fun while being lazy. Sure, an hour of doing nothing feels good. An afternoon of it might too. But if you want fun that actually matters, you have to work for it.

Think about the fun of winning something meaningful. That doesn't happen without extreme work, unless you count the lottery. Think about the fun in a great marriage. That doesn't happen without real work.

Now it’s true, the work itself isn't always fun while you're doing it. But focus on the feeling waiting on the other side, and the work becomes worth it. It’s like going to a workout. It’s not typically fun while you are doing it, but you feel great after it.

Go back to that ant. His fun wasn't grabbing the breadcrumbs or building the nest. His fun was living and getting to do it again the next season.

If you want real fun, know it requires work.