The only person who can stop you from reaching your goals is you.
Interpretation
You are your own greatest obstacle to achieving your goals.
This quote emphasizes the idea that self-doubt and personal limitations are often the biggest hurdles in the pursuit of one's objectives. It encourages individuals to take responsibility for their actions and mindset, suggesting that overcoming internal barriers is key to success.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a school assembly.
Winning is great, but being able to finish my last Olympic Games on American soil was very important. Even though I was injured, I didn't let my psyche get the best of me and cause me to doubt myself, so I was willing to pull every muscle in my body in '96 in order to get the job done and I came away with the bronze medal.
We live in a world where sports have the potential to bridge the gap between racism, sexism and discrimination. The 2012 Olympic Games was a great start but hopefully what these games taught us is that if women are given an opportunity on an equal playing field the possibilities for women are endless.
The 2012 London Olympic Games fostered a generation of hope. I witnessed women participating for the very first time, representing every nation.
It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.
I set my sights on making an Olympic team, not realizing how tough it was going to be.
There are many women who came before me who didn't really have the same opportunities that I have had. That's why I always wanted to be a great ambassador - not only today's generation - but for the women who really didn't have a voice, but who paved the way for me.
I don't wait for inspiration. I'm not, in fact, quite sure what inspiration is, but I'm sure that if it is going to turn up, my having started work is the precondition of its arrival.
It's only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you're not expressing the utmost of your human experience.
I can accomplish far more than I have, and I will, for why would the miracle which produced me end with my birth? Why can I not extend that miracle to my deeds of today?
Shake off your blunders. How will you know your limits without an occasional failure? Never quit. Your turn will come.
When you walk through that door of opportunity you don't slam it shut behind you.
Progress begins with the belief that what is necessary is possible.
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