Longing as motivation

If you want to build a ship, don”t drum up people to gather wood and don”t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

popular version of an excerpt of chapter 75 from “Citadelle” (1948) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – French writer and aviator (1900-1944), Quotations book 2018

Originally written as:
Créer le navire ce n’est point tisser les toiles, forger les clous, lire les astres, mais bien donner le goût de la mer qui est un, et à la lumière duquel il n’est plus rien qui soit contradictoire mais communauté dans l’amour.