Fun can also be a lifestyle

What drives you to be who you are and to live the life you are living? That's the big question, isn't it? Money and work, fun and happiness. Being idle? One or another, or all of the above?

How we answer the question, how we set our minds to fulfilling our dreams, and how we cope with inevitable failure, determine our happiness. More or less.

Anna Wintour, editor of US Vogue, in a recent Forbes interview implies that hard work and focus are important to her.

"I keep my head down and do the job to the best of my ability."

My children's father has been on about why maths is important. There have been mini-maths quizzes going on in our home. We know, and respect, the drill.

We need to grow the intellectual capital of our country, breed engineers, scientists and problem- solvers - because we have no shortage of problems. If you introduce a bit of fun to maths and anything else that faintly smells of work, eyes light up and real interest is shown. Or so you would think.

What if you don't like maths, and don't see the point?

Thinking of what Wintour says about remaining true to yourself, I wonder about my eldest child.

She dreams of racing horses for a living.

This to her is fun, fast, daring. If you want to be a jockey, like she still insists she does, what's the point of maths and reading?

Neither seems relevant to her.

Why shouldn't she be motivated by horses and enjoyment?

In fact, why shouldn't we all hinge our entire lives on having fun, and on being true to who we are and who we want to be?

Take Bryan Boy, the delightful blogger from Manila, who has a lot of fun living his life. He has created a living by generously sharing this love with millions of online readers. Just by being himself, and having a good time doing it, has earned him a fabulous life.

He travels broadly, people seek him out to endorse products and places. He is a highly sought-after personality. And all for being amicable and having a ball.

Isn't there a lesson in that?