Inspiration sometimes runs dry, especially when you’ve been studying for hours on end for an EPSO competition.

Sometimes it can leave you feeling like “Why did I even sign up for this?!”

Almost every EPSO candidate has felt that at some point...even if for a fleeting second.

But if it gets to that point where you begin to have that nagging feeling like maybe this isn’t for you, and you should throw in the towel, it can help to seek out some inspiration.

Something to refresh your perspective and remind you why you wanted to become an integral member in shaping Europe and work for an EU institution in the first place.

We’ve collected 45 of our favorite quotes to help you get fired up and inspired: they range from some of Europe’s current leaders, like Jean-Claude Juncker and Angela Merkel, to historical politicians like John F. Kennedy and Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as some great thinkers like Aristotle and Elon Musk.