---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hate to say stuff like this because…"
description: "\"I hate to say stuff like this because everyone dreams about playing The Opry, everyone dreams about playing Gruene Hall, but I've always tried to not c..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/cody-johnson-15676_disappointing_i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-ev_2334991.jpg"
---

#  I hate to say stuff like this because everyone dreams…

![“I hate to say stuff like this because everyone dreams about playing The Opry, everyone dreams about playing Gruene Hall, but I've always tried to not concentrate too hard on where I want to go because I know if I put too much stock into it, it would be pretty disappointing if I never got there.” quote by Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/cody-johnson-15676_disappointing_i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-ev_2334991.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/cody-johnson-15676_disappointing_i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-ev_2334991.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/cody-johnson-15676_disappointing_i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-ev_2334991.jpg)

> “I hate to say stuff like this because everyone dreams about playing The Opry, everyone dreams about playing Gruene Hall, but I've always tried to not concentrate too hard on where I want to go because I know if I put too much stock into it, it would be pretty disappointing if I never got there.”

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Advises not over‑investing hopes in specific outcomes to avoid disappointment.

**In simple terms:** Don’t fixate on a single goal; stay flexible.

Key Takeaway

Focus on the journey, not just the destination.

Themes

music career expectations resilience

Mood

reflective cautious

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- songwriting
- tour planning
- career decisions
- personal expectations

Key Concepts

goal setting psychology of disappointment flexibility

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance ambition with realistic expectations?
- What steps keep you adaptable?

A Different Perspective

Too much focus can lead to anxiety and missed opportunities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Disappointing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointing/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams-playing-636966/) [Halls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/halls/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [I hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-hate/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Like Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-dreams/) [Opry Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opry-dreams-5631584/) [Playing Gruene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-gruene-5631585/) [Playing Opry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-opry-1628721/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/)

## Related quotes

> [Playing the Opry, when I get the opportunity - it's one of the coolest honors for any musician in any genre, but especially for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-worsham/playing-the-opry-when-i-get-the-opportunity-it-s-one-of-the-coolest/)

[Charlie Worsham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-worsham/)

> [Playing the Opry is one of the few performances in this world that will make my knees shake a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-tritt/playing-the-opry-is-one-of-the-few-performances-in-this-world-that/)

[Travis Tritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-tritt/)

> [Playing at the Opry, for me, it has such a history. It feels sort of like a coming-out party as a country artist. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrie-sellers/playing-at-the-opry-for-me-it-has-such-a-history-it-feels-sort-of/)

[Aubrie Sellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrie-sellers/)

> [If you're playing pretty good, you have dreams of playing in the major leagues some day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-boone/if-you-re-playing-pretty-good-you-have-dreams-of-playing-in-the-major/)

[Aaron Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-boone/)

> [The World Cup is a very big event. Every player dreams of playing in one, and it was my dream, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/the-world-cup-is-a-very-big-event-every-player-dreams-of-playing-in/)

[Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/)

> [Every player dreams of playing for a team like United.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/every-player-dreams-of-playing-for-a-team-like-united/)

[Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/)

> [Every young kid growing up playing football dreams of playing in those big famous stadiums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcginn/every-young-kid-growing-up-playing-football-dreams-of-playing-in/)

[John McGinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcginn/)

> [Any football player dreams of playing a World Cup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/any-football-player-dreams-of-playing-a-world-cup/)

[Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/)

> [Every kid dreams of playing in the Premier League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deandre-yedlin/every-kid-dreams-of-playing-in-the-premier-league/)

[DeAndre Yedlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deandre-yedlin/)

> [Every kid in America dreams of playing in the big leagues and they don't, just because. It's not because they blew out their knee.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-blucas/every-kid-in-america-dreams-of-playing-in-the-big-leagues-and-they/)

[Marc Blucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-blucas/)

> [Every kid dreams of playing in the NFL or MLB and I was that 27-year-old that dreamed of fighting in the UFC. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brenneman/every-kid-dreams-of-playing-in-the-nfl-or-mlb-and-i-was-that-27-year/)

[Charlie Brenneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brenneman/)

> [I have dreams of playing in major clubs in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred/i-have-dreams-of-playing-in-major-clubs-in-europe/)

[Fred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred/)

> [I think every single player dreams of playing in the Premier League one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquinhos/i-think-every-single-player-dreams-of-playing-in-the-premier-league/)

[Marquinhos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquinhos/)

> [Angus and I had silent dreams about playing in a band since we were kids, always playing our guitars and listening to records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-young/angus-and-i-had-silent-dreams-about-playing-in-a-band-since-we-were/)

[Malcolm Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-young/)

> [Going back to the first time, your first dreams of playing in the NFL, you don't just dream of playing in the NFL. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cooper-kupp/going-back-to-the-first-time-your-first-dreams-of-playing-in-the-nfl/)

[Cooper Kupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cooper-kupp/)

## More by Cody Johnson

> [When your songs are like your babies, even the one that you know aren't great, you still love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/when-your-songs-are-like-your-babies-even-the-one-that-you-know-aren/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [I'd love to do a live record, I'd love to do an acoustic record, I'm already thinking about what I may want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-d-love-to-do-a-live-record-i-d-love-to-do-an-acoustic-record-i-m/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [When you're in a room with a guy who has a vision like that, it's just one of those things where you close your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/when-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-guy-who-has-a-vision-like-that-it-s-just/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [There's that area, right there, where you can be too hard on yourself or you need to be really hard on yourself - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/there-s-that-area-right-there-where-you-can-be-too-hard-on-yourself/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [Once we get out on the road, my tour manager who is also my guitar player does a great job of taking weight off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/once-we-get-out-on-the-road-my-tour-manager-who-is-also-my-guitar/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [I don't like reality TV as far as it being scripted and not being true reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-don-t-like-reality-tv-as-far-as-it-being-scripted-and-not-being/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [I think everything moving forward will just be instinctual, like we'll know exactly which doors to walk through when they open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-think-everything-moving-forward-will-just-be-instinctual-like-we-ll/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [I think my brand of country music is that's been influenced by not just the rough-stock rodeo side or Ted Nugent's "let's get crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-think-my-brand-of-country-music-is-that-s-been-influenced-by-not/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [ Without changing my style and who I am, they \[Trent Willmon and Dan Couch and Dale Oliver \] know how to draw those things… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/without-changing-my-style-and-who-i-am-they-trent-willmon-and-dan/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [As far as the persona, I'm true to myself. Not because I'm arrogant, but I'm true to myself because I believe that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/as-far-as-the-persona-i-m-true-to-myself-not-because-i-m-arrogant-but/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [I don't know about one moment that has pivoted my career. I do know that one thing that hit me and made me take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-don-t-know-about-one-moment-that-has-pivoted-my-career-i-do-know/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [The people that have looked out for me and helped to steer me in the right direction, I just can't thank them enough. So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/the-people-that-have-looked-out-for-me-and-helped-to-steer-me-in-the/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [I really think it's just the people you put around you. For instance, you mentioned "Kiss Goodbye," that was a song that was brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-really-think-it-s-just-the-people-you-put-around-you-for-instance/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [I think that no matter what you do, whether you rodeo, whether you work in an office, you work in the oilfield or you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-think-that-no-matter-what-you-do-whether-you-rodeo-whether-you-work/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

> [I try not to keep my head in the clouds .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-try-not-to-keep-my-head-in-the-clouds/)

[Cody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

[Explore all 42 Cody Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/)

## More Disappointing quotes

> [To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/to-refer-even-in-passing-to-unpublished-or-struggling-authors-and/)

[Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/)

> [I never felt I was quite the ticket academically. I always felt I had to put in an enormous amount of effort not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-academically-i-always-felt-i-had/)

[Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/)

> [I was depressed. I knew I was lost, but I had no idea how to find myself again. It was as though I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmina-khadra/i-was-depressed-i-knew-i-was-lost-but-i-had-no-idea-how-to-find/)

[Yasmina Khadra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmina-khadra/)

> [There's plenty of great stuff out there. I think it's just what we do is we all spend our allowance on the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-englund/there-s-plenty-of-great-stuff-out-there-i-think-it-s-just-what-we-do/)

[Robert Englund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-englund/)

> [It is always disappointing when you miss a match.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuvneshwar-kumar/it-is-always-disappointing-when-you-miss-a-match/)

[Bhuvneshwar Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuvneshwar-kumar/)

> [I really like the George Clooney of Solaris also filmed by Andrei Tarkovsky, before Steven Soderbergh: that's very obviously sci-fi, and it seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/i-really-like-the-george-clooney-of-solaris-also-filmed-by-andrei/)

[Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/)

> [The exit polls suggest that after a relatively disappointing first term, Obama managed to reassemble almost all of his 2008 electorate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/the-exit-polls-suggest-that-after-a-relatively-disappointing-first/)

[John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/)

> [“How very disappointing truth is sometimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/how-very-disappointing-truth-is-sometimes/)

[Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/)

> [You're born and then you're on your own, you start having relationships, you're developing relationships to the world and your wider community, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirah/you-re-born-and-then-you-re-on-your-own-you-start-having/)

[Mirah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirah/)

> [What's disappointing about @usopengolf is the fans not being about to walk around the course/get close enough to most of the greens to cheer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-horschel/what-s-disappointing-about-usopengolf-is-the-fans-not-being-about-to/)

[Billy Horschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-horschel/)

> [For the world is an ever-elusive and ever-disappointing mirage only from the standpoint of someone standing aside from it—as if it were quite other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-the-world-is-an-ever-elusive-and-ever-disappointing-mirage-only/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Christianity persecuted, tortured, and burned. Like a hound it tracked the very scent of heresy. It kindled wars, and nursed furious hatreds and ambitions...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/christianity-persecuted-tortured-and-burned-like-a-hound-it-tracked/)

[George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/)

> [From this instant on, vow to stop disappointing yourself. Separate yourself from the mob. Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/from-this-instant-on-vow-to-stop-disappointing-yourself-separate/)

[Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/)

> [Don't ever love anything too much, or expect too much it will just end up disappointing you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-ever-love-anything-too-much-or-expect-too-much-it-will-just-end/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [All those men who end up disappointing you. After a while, you don't even want to have feelings anymore. You just want to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/all-those-men-who-end-up-disappointing-you-after-a-while-you-don-t/)

[Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/)

[Browse all 364 Disappointing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointing/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I hate to say stuff like this because everyone dreams about playing The Opry, everyone dreams about playing Gruene Hall, but I've always tried to not concentrate too hard on where I want to go because I know if I put too much stock into it, it would be pretty disappointing if I never got there.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cody Johnson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-everyone-dreams-about-playing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Disappointing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-everyone-dreams-about-playing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/cody-johnson-15676_disappointing_i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-ev_2334991.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/cody-johnson-15676_disappointing_i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-ev_2334991.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a10/cody-johnson-15676_disappointing_i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-ev_2334991.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I hate to say stuff like this because everyone dreams about playing The Opry, everyone dreams about playing…” — Cody Johnson",
                "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": "Cody Johnson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-johnson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I hate to say stuff like...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-everyone-dreams-about-playing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-johnson/i-hate-to-say-stuff-like-this-because-everyone-dreams-about-playing/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
