Washington's outlook bears some comparison to Nietzche, who wrote that the power of a will may be evaluated by what the owner of that will endures, and if it can be strengthened by what is endured.
I think though while Nietzche may be correct, Washington is incorrect, as Nietzche focuses on the power of a will, while Washington is considering 'success' as a criterion. Who measures success? What does that mean? Overcoming obstacles is what refines one's character, but the idea that we need to 'succeed,' that we need some external goal after which one has 'succeeded' implies that we are incomplete without such a goal/process. Now of course in the course of our lives we have challenges and goals. But the focus should not be on 'succeeding,' because then one is distracted from what one has to do to achieve the goal itself. That focus of attention is essential to the process of overcoming obstacles.
So in summary, while I agree with the sentiment of focusing on overcoming obstacles from the standpoints of Nietzche and Washington, Washington's implied supremacy of a criterion of success is somewhat problematic.
