Legendary singer Dolly Parton is always reinventing herself – as an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, an author, a playwright… but whatever she’s doing, the country icon says she always has six words she lives by.
And she learned them from her mother.
In an interview with Today.com, Dolly says mother Avie Lee Parton gave her one particular phrase to live by that originated with William Shakespeare in his play “Hamlet.”
And the phrase has stuck with her ever since: “To thine own self be true.”
“There’s a whole lot of meaning in that phrase,” Parton says. “Because I’ve always tried to stay true to me. And always, when people ask me for advice, that’s kind of what I tell them.”
In fact, one of Dolly’s more famous quotes (and there are many) is derived from the “Hamlet” quote.
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose. And do it with purpose,” Dolly says she often tells people who ask her for advice. “You got to know who you are because so many people try to emulate or copy somebody else.”
“So they think they have to do a certain thing a certain way, but you really need to do things your way, according to your rules, your personality, your mindset, your faith,” she went on. “So I think it’s most important to find out what you really want, what your values and principles really are, and not try to be like somebody else.”
Dolly Parton Talks About Sacrifice
Dolly also talked about making sacrifices in the Today.com interview. “Don’t ever sacrifice who you are, your principles and your morals and your values to just try to get ahead in business. It ain’t worth it.”
The legendary singer addressed making sacrifices at the debut of her new exhibit, “Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker” at the the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee May 19. There she read the audience a poem, saying, “I’ve sacrificed time with family and friends. I gave up vacations for work without end. 24-7 365, but I was willing to make, that sacrifice. But empty or full, I’ve carried my pail. But you don’t drink the water, if you don’t dig the well. Grindstones and rhinestones have made up my life. And you ask, was it worth the sacrifice?”
Dolly then looked at the crowd and said, “Well, I reckon it was! Cause I’m here tonight, and I’m thankful for every person that’s helped me! I’m thankful for you tonight. I love you and I hope you have a good time!”
One Thing Dolly Won’t Sacrifice: Potatoes
Dolly Parton may be willing to make a lot of sacrifices, but there’s one thing she’s just not giving up.
While talking to Today.com about her new line of frozen meals, Dolly revealed that there is one food she eats every single day. “I have to have something with potatoes. I mean, I’m just one of those people that I have to either have a baked potato, some mashed potatoes, or some french fries, or something to do with potatoes.”
Dolly says she enjoys both cooking and eating “good, hearty food,” which she says she’s been known to prepare ahead of time to freeze and reheat later, especially when on tour.
“I’ve done that for years. When I used to travel on my bus, I would start cooking a few days before so I would have good food that I was going to be craving when I’m out on the road, when you don’t always find what you want,” Dolly revealed. “I would always have things like that in my freezer on my bus.”
Parton says the recipes in her new frozen food line are inspired by the ones she ate growing up- and include southern favorites like beef pot roast, chicken and dumplings and country fried steak.
Dolly and her youngest sister, Rachel Parton George, even put together a cookbook of family recipes titled “Good Lookin’ Cookin’.”
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Dolly Parton: 6 Words She Lives By (and 1 Food She Can’t Live Without)