--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rather then focusing on the obstacle in…" description: "\"Rather then focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus on the bridge over the obstacle.\" — Mary Lou Retton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/mary-lou-retton-14694_adversity_rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in_827374.jpg" --- # Rather then focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus… ![“Rather then focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus on the bridge over the obstacle.” quote by Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/mary-lou-retton-14694_adversity_rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in_827374.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/mary-lou-retton-14694_adversity_rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in_827374.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/mary-lou-retton-14694_adversity_rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in_827374.jpg) > “Rather then focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus on the bridge over the obstacle.” [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shift focus from obstacles to solutions, visualizing ways to overcome challenges. **In simple terms:** Look at bridges, not just barriers. Key Takeaway Find solutions instead of dwelling on problems. Themes problem‑solving resilience mindset Mood optimistic determined Type motivational practical When to use this quote - project management - personal setbacks - team leadership Key Concepts psychology strategic planning creative thinking Questions to Reflect On - What bridge can you build over your current obstacle? - How do you balance problem awareness with solution focus? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on solutions may ignore root causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Obstacles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obstacles/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) ## Related quotes > [“Look at the path ahead of you. I want you to keep your eyes dead ahead, stay on path, and not take your eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-green/look-at-the-path-ahead-of-you-i-want-you-to-keep-your-eyes-dead-ahead/) Liz Green > [The path is focus. The power of focus is absolutely essential. To stop all thoughts, you have to have tremendous power of focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-path-is-focus-the-power-of-focus-is-absolutely-essential-to-stop/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-obstacle-in-the-path-becomes-the-path-never-forget-within-every/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [The obstacle is the path.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/the-obstacle-is-the-path/) [Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/) > [Instead of building castles against your enemies, build bridges for them to come to you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/instead-of-building-castles-against-your-enemies-build-bridges-for/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Al Pacino and Jeff Bridges do it for me in a big way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-scanlon/al-pacino-and-jeff-bridges-do-it-for-me-in-a-big-way/) [Angela Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-scanlon/) > [By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the A&P, the mood was fading, the moment gone. Amy could feel it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/by-the-time-they-were-pulling-into-the-parking-lot-of-the-a-p-the/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [When you walk, try to think nothing! You can then obtain the silence of a streetlight or a bridge; stop thinking; after that, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-you-walk-try-to-think-nothing-you-can-then-obtain-the-silence-of/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [My first big mistake was made when, in a moment of weakness, I consented to learn the game; for a man who can frankly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/my-first-big-mistake-was-made-when-in-a-moment-of-weakness-i/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [In my rear view mirror the sun is going down sinking behind bridges in the road and I think of all the good things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/in-my-rear-view-mirror-the-sun-is-going-down-sinking-behind-bridges/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) ## More by Mary Lou Retton > [I usually don't mind giving autographs, but when hundreds of folks with paper and pen start coming at you, it's time to seek shelter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/i-usually-don-t-mind-giving-autographs-but-when-hundreds-of-folks/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [Even though it may seem counterintuitive, a comfort zone is a dangerous place to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/even-though-it-may-seem-counterintuitive-a-comfort-zone-is-a/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [Former Olympians also get paid to make appearances. Many of them won their medals in an era when Olympic success didn't go hand-in-hand with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/former-olympians-also-get-paid-to-make-appearances-many-of-them-won/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [I love her attitude, but as much as I'd like to bring my medals to a speech or appearance, I never do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/i-love-her-attitude-but-as-much-as-i-d-like-to-bring-my-medals-to-a/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [As much time as you put into it, that's what your achievements are going to be when you come out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/as-much-time-as-you-put-into-it-that-s-what-your-achievements-are/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [Working hard becomes a habit, a serious kind of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/working-hard-becomes-a-habit-a-serious-kind-of-fun/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [Working hard becomes a habit, a serious kind of fun. You get self-satisfaction from pushing your self to the limit, knowing that all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/working-hard-becomes-a-habit-a-serious-kind-of-fun-you-get-self/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [You give up your childhood. You miss proms and games and high-school events, and people say it's awful... I say it was a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/you-give-up-your-childhood-you-miss-proms-and-games-and-high-school/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [Many medal winners dream of competing in a sport other than the one they're famous for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/many-medal-winners-dream-of-competing-in-a-sport-other-than-the-one/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [More than 10,000 athletes came to Atlanta seeking Olympic medals. Only a few of them will be lucky and skilled enough to claim one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/more-than-10-000-athletes-came-to-atlanta-seeking-olympic-medals-only/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices, by making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/as-simple-as-it-sounds-we-all-must-try-to-be-the-best-person-we-can/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [I'm very determined and stubborn. There's a desire in me that makes me want to do more and more, and to do it right.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/i-m-very-determined-and-stubborn-there-s-a-desire-in-me-that-makes-me/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It's our goal in life to find it and keep it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/each-of-us-has-a-fire-in-our-hearts-for-something-it-s-our-goal-in/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [Erase the word "failure" from your vocabulary. No case is ever truly closed, and no challenge is ever over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/erase-the-word-failure-from-your-vocabulary-no-case-is-ever-truly/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [In L.A., we had a game room with a new sensation called Pac-Man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/in-l-a-we-had-a-game-room-with-a-new-sensation-called-pac-man/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) [Explore all 45 Mary Lou Retton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) James Buckham Kennedy > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) S.E. SEVER > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Rather then focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus on the bridge over the obstacle.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Lou Retton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in-your-path-focus-on-the-bridge/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in-your-path-focus-on-the-bridge/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/mary-lou-retton-14694_adversity_rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in_827374.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/mary-lou-retton-14694_adversity_rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in_827374.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db0/mary-lou-retton-14694_adversity_rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in_827374.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Rather then focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus on the bridge over the obstacle.” — Mary Lou Retton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mary Lou Retton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Rather then focusing on the obstacle...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in-your-path-focus-on-the-bridge/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/rather-then-focusing-on-the-obstacle-in-your-path-focus-on-the-bridge/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```