This line is from a song written and made famous by the band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It came on my radar last week as I was in Lodi, CA, the place the song is written about.
My dad lived in Lodi the last few years of his life, and the place has special meaning to me. I am especially fond of Lake Lodi which was a place I did a lot of soul searching during my first year as a coach.
As I was driving into Lodi, that song came to mind, and I looked it up on my phone so I could play it. I was shocked to see how many people have recorded that song! I chose an Emmylou Harris rendition followed by Patty Griffin.
Then I got to wondering what the song meant and got super curious WHY is this song still played and covered so often after more than 50 years?!
When I tuned into the lyrics, I heard a tale of woe. Stuck in Lodi again…wa,wa,wa. After having so much hope. After the man from the magazine told me I was on my way.
The word that was the most vibrant was the word AGAIN…
It was then that I saw a connection between that song and a situation I have been in countless times. Especially with my coaching business. Stuck…in Lodi…not where I wanted to be…not as far ahead, as successful, as masterful as I thought I should be by now… AGAIN!
Those words are a very common lament for my — and perhaps many other people’s — inner saboteur voices. That limiting voice of doubt and judgment, the one that arises whenever I am aiming for something I really want.
It is often its very LOUDEST when I am ALL IN on my goal and it seems like I am stuck. AGAIN…
Does that ever happen to you?
It isn’t ever true.
Holding the tension between having a vision, a beautiful dream you are pursuing that has not yet come to fruition. It may seem like you are stuck when, in reality, you are doing all the right things.
Below the surface, everything is moving right on time. The pieces are coming together. The universe is supporting you to bring the people and other resources you need to go all the way.
It just could be that you are meant to hang around Lodi for a while. To learn a few things. To be in the right place at the right time when that talent scout shows up!
I imagine the song is so popular and often played because many of us can relate to that experience, and it feels good to belt out the unfairness of it all. The pity party line… “came here on a greyhound, I’ll be walking out if I go.”
As if the main character in this song has no will, no power to make new choices for themselves.
It is fun to sit in that victim spot for a short period. To let your ego recover before taking stock of what you have and where you are headed. To pick yourself back up and go out there and keep showing up.
Ironically, this is one of the very things I did over 20 years ago at Lodi Lake. I imagined the coaching career I really wanted. The one that wasn’t happening… yet. I took some time to feel how hard it is to want something so badly and not know exactly how or when it’s going to happen.
In that soul searching, I found something that helped me take the next steps that eventually did lead me to have the career I had dreamed of… HOPE
Hope that came from a belief I had in myself. Hope that was bolstered and solidified because I had support from my friends, colleagues and an amazing coach.
Hope is something I need on a regular basis, and it is something I need AGAIN and AGAIN.
If you are stuck somewhere on the journey of making your dream real, I encourage you to allow for just a little pity party or whatever you need to touch base with the true disappointment that comes when things don’t happen how you want them to.
Then, instead of allowing yourself to be stuck in Lodi AGAIN, do some soul searching to find your way to move forward toward the dream you are holding in your heart.
Notice when that voice of doubt is cutting you off at the knees.
Look out for that saboteur that whispers hopeless messages in your ear.
Find higher ground by connecting with your strengths, your power, your knowing.
One of the things that helps me feel hope on a regular basis is that I have people in my corner. I have a coach and others who support me through the stuck times and help me to keep my heart open to new possibilities.
I recommend you find a support system to help you keep moving forward with genuine hope.
If you are looking for support, I would love to have you in my community. It is FREE and comes with valuable resources, live training and other wonderful coaches on their journeys to making dreams happen for real.
Here’s the key to my community:
Join the Soul Driven Success Public Network
P.S. I will be there to welcome you!
