“With hope, there’s nothing you can’t do!”
As one of the most lauded country music performers of all time, Dolly Parton has always been larger than life with her iconic voice, joyful personality and radiant smile. But underneath the Tennessee-native’s dazzle is a core forged from hard work, hope and grit that helped her overcome poverty and hardship. Here, she shares how faith, family and a little fire carries her through it all
There’s something about Dolly Parton that makes her seem like she is everyone’s best friend. With her quick wit and good-hearted sass, she has a way of making people feel special— even if they’ve only heard her songs or watched her in a movie.
The essence of Dolly’s charm lies in her Tennessee Smoky Mountain roots. Born the 4th of 12 children, Dolly grew up in a close-knit family, and though she’s scored 47 Grammy nominations and 41 Top 10 country albums in her lifetime, the heart of that small-town gal still beats strong and true.
“I’ll always feel like that little girl,” the 73-year-old shares with Woman’s World. “I keep the memory of my childhood and my family so close to me, it’s in everything I do.”
Though her family was rich in faith and love, Dolly’s early years were also marked by poverty and hardship. “I’ll always remember how hard my dad worked and how much we appreciated things,” she recalls.
“That feeling of having a family to feed has always kept me striving throughout my career.”
That career began when Dolly started performing at age 6 to help her family make ends meet. “I knew who I was even back then and that God wanted me to use my gift,” she smiles. “But following your true path doesn’t mean it’s gonna be easy— that road for me was often paved with sacrifices…i’ve had to make hard choices. But I’d rather see my own choices through than give my life over for others to decide.”
Dolly’s determination to stay the course catapulted her to super stardom, and today, the Country Music Hall of Famer is chasing new dreams with a fall Netflix series, Heartstrings, and as the creator of the soundtrack for the hit film, Dumplin’. “Just like the songs say, you can do anything,” she smiles. “Trust yourself and God, and you’ll have the strength to face it all!” Here, Dolly’s tips for staying happy and whole—mind, body and soul!
Speak your truth
“It’s so important to speak your mind without fear,” Dolly says. “Whether at work, in your relationship or just to your kids when they’re driving you crazy, you have a right to say, ‘Look, I love you more than life, but I’m also a human being with rights of my own.’ Honesty is the best policy, so just blurt it out: ‘Here, this is how I feel. This is who I am. Deal with it.’ Muster up the courage to say it or write it and give them the letter. Just being able to speak your heart is so freeing— and healing too!”
Read to relax
“We all need something to help us unwind after a long day,” Dolly smiles. “For me, that something is reading. Whether I’m reading on my bus or reading myself to sleep at night, it gives me a chance to have some personal time, relax and carve out a moment to catch up and learn new things about myself. It brings so much peace and joy!”
Trust your gut
“My mom always said, ‘Be true to who you are, know what you can do and learn to do it well,’” Dolly recalls. “And that’s the best advice I’ve ever gotten. Whatever it takes to find that place that makes you feel safe and whole, you do it. In my life, I do things because they make me happy, or make me feel like I’m doing something good for someone else. I try to follow that old gut feeling that guides me to being true to myself— it never leads me wrong.”
Embrace mistakes
“In life, it’s not always in the cards for us to succeed,” Dolly shares. “But when I fail, I always look at it as an opportunity. I lay it all out, sorting through it to see what I could have done differently, what I don’t need to do again and what I can apply to the next project. That way, I learn not to make the same mistakes again. In fact, I don’t even consider them mistakes. If you’re learning from your experiences, that’s a gift to me.”
Laugh to spark love
“I make jokes about what keeps my marriage to Carl alive, but it’s simple really: We like each other!” Dolly chuckles. “We respect each other. We’re different enough that we can enjoy each other’s company and talk about interesting things, and we both have a great sense of humor. We can find the humor in almost anything, even if it’s not a laughing matter, and we always have fun. Somehow, we find that if we laugh, it makes whatever we’re facing easier and brings us closer than ever.”
Pray for strength
“Just like everyone else, I get stressed,” Dolly sighs. “But whenever worry or anxiety hits me, I go to my knees and pray. There are things in life I can’t figure out, so I turn to that higher wisdom in tough times, and I draw as much strength from that as I can, and then, I just cry it out and get on with it—that always restores my hope and helps me feel so much better.”