Two sides of Vision

In researching about hope, I came upon a quote which has me thinking this morning.

If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Yesterday we went to orientation at Georgia College and State University - the school Lizzy has transferred to. We will move her in tomorrow. We have become rather familiar with several Georgia colleges, and now have three kids in three different schools. I understand the need for good grades - I honestly do. But grades have just never been that important to me. That view has horrified many folks (even recently) but grades for the sake of grades never has really worked for me.
My parents didn't push grades - now failure wasn't taken lightly and the time I got my first car and two "D's" around the same time, Daddy told me that was not to happen again or the car would be sitting. No lecture or empty threats - he knew and I knew - I messed up. But all three of us graduated college, first generation in both sides of my family.
Grades for the sake of grades is like the sticks and assigned tasks in the quote above. Succeeding at school or a job, needs to be because we see the possibilities that success opens up. Where it will take us. It's about Vision.
But does true Vision also include the downside? What will happen if I don't keep going? In the quote - is the idea of failure to reach the "endless immensity of the sea" just as powerful?
This reminds me of a quote from John Greenleaf Whittier - For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, "It might have been."
True vision having two sides has never occured to me. To hope and dream of the sea is only half the story. To fear never seeing it, is clearly just as powerful. Hmmm - I've got to think on this some more.