Yearning for the Vast and Endless Sea
A lesson about wanting and achievement.
Here’s a quote I can’t stop thinking about.
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea. - Antoine De Saint-Exupéry
Great leaders, businesses, and teachers make us yearn.
Luke Burgis, in his best-selling book Wanting, says the following about this (I’m paraphrasing):
Great leaders are intentional about helping people want differently than they did before. They expand everyone’s universe of desire and help them explore it.
Great businesses generate and shape desires. They don’t simply meet demand for products and services.
Great teachers are like great artists — they teach another person to see. They awaken dormant desires and generate new ones by giving a ray of light and getting out of the way.
This idea of chasing inspiration has helped me become a better parent. I’ve intentionally sought out to inspire my kids with real world examples in order to nurture their underdeveloped desires. For example, watching professional basketball, walking through a museum filled with timeless art, and visiting architectural wonders has inspired them to develop their own desires. By teaching them to yearn for something they show me how they forge their own path and carve out their place in the world.
May we all be fortunate enough to be inspired and to yearn.
