There is something I need to clarify. The purpose of our
learning Buddhism is to distance from suffering and attain
happiness. However I do not mean that motivated by death means we
must be fearful of death. If we can overcome death by fearing
death, then we should all start fearing death together 
. Of course that is not going to work. In fact fearing
death shows that we are still attached to our life and are afraid
of losing it, that we are in bondage. This kind of attachment will
only make us trapped in the cycles of Samsara and therefore we seek
to transcend it, by recognising Death and conquering Death through
the dharma.
By recognising that death happens to everyone, just as Shakyamuni
Buddha recognises that there is Birth, Ageing, Sickness and Death,
one who has wisdom will see that all things are impermanent and
will seek the deeper truth rather than wasting their lives trapped
in Dukkha & ever unsatisfactoriness. They will find the truth
that sets us free from all bondage, all sufferings, and attain the
highest bliss. In fact we all can attain the highest bliss in our
lives, as the Buddha has shown and said, Nirvana is the Highest
Bliss. The Bliss of Nirvana is the Bliss of Clarity, one who truly
tasted it will jump with joy. We do not necessarily need to go
somewhere else in an afterlife to experience it, but right here and
now.
Back to the question of suffering. Suffering is not only in death,
death is only part of life, human life is full of various
distresses. (see: The Eight Distresses),
in fact sentient beings are almost always suffering from Dukkha
unknowingly. However, the Buddha also promised that through the
dharma we can find the greatest bliss that is beyond temporary
sensual pleasures, unstable, subject to impermanence,
unsatisfactoriness and dukkha (see:
http://buddhism.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=171090).
As long as there is any form of clinging to and craving for
anything - whether enjoyable or painful - one will have dukkha. Any
form of mental negativities, anxious, despairing, frustrated, irritated,
upset, disappointed, discomfort, anguish, painful and
disgusted, is also dukkha.
Also, regarding 'motivation'/'aspiration', different people have
different 'aspirations'/motivation for walking their path.
For example, those who yearn to be free from Samsara can be
considered Sravakas, leading to Arhantship:
One who is afraid upon seeing the
suffering of samsara
And yearns to achieve nirvana
But has little interest in benefitting sentient beings
These three are the marks of the Hearer family.
Those who have great compassion to liberate all beings and lead
them to supreme enlightenment are walking the Mahayana path,
leading to Buddhahood. Their aspiration includes saving both the
inner sentient being and the outer sentient beings.
According to Mahayana, although Arhants are freed from fetters,
they still have subtle discriminations of nirvana and samsara, they
cling unto the Nirvana dharma and are fearful of returning to
Samsara. A bodhisattva transcends that and returns to Samsara to
save sentient beings and further cultivate the Paramitas until they
attain the Complete and Perfect enlightenment of the Buddha.
