Dolly Parton says her faith is at the core of her identity.
“My faith impacts everything that I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible,” Parton told Fox News. “So I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out.”
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“I try to just live through love as much as I can. And so I just think that my spirituality has been a guiding light in my life and my strength, really, in my creative energy,” Parton added. “My spiritual energy has really been a great force to keep me going all these years and still being productive.”
Parton, 77, began her career in the mid-1960s. She shared that she still feels young and wants to keep dreaming.
“It’s been a great journey,” Parton said. “It’s not always easy. And I’ve definitely paid my dues, but I’m here and still kicking and still coming up with new dreams all the time.”
This week, the country music icon released a new children’s book, Billy the Kid Makes It Big. The book is about a dog named Billy the Kid who must overcome bullies in order to pursue his dreams of making country music.
I am so proud to bring this book and the message it conveys to life. When I launched the @DoggyParton line of pet products earlier this year, my god-dog @btkthefrenchie got to be the star of the show. Since he’s a big star now, I knew a story with him at the center could help… pic.twitter.com/80XPw5xkls
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) April 25, 2023
“I want [children] to feel empowered,” Parton said of why she wrote her latest book. “I want them to think that they know that they can do anything that they set their mind to do and that if they stick with it, it’s likely to happen. So, it’s really about confidence and standing up to bullies and just keeping on with your dream until it comes true.”
“But I think that little kids and bigger kids are standing up to bullies,” she added. “You need to kind of hold your own as well. And don’t let them get the upper hand, and you don’t have to play into what they’re doing. It’s the worst thing you can do for bullies is just walk away as if they don’t exist. You know, like you didn’t hear it and you don’t care. Like, that’s not who I am. I know who I am. You don’t need to be telling me who you think I am.”
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Parton said that amid life’s difficulties, she has tried to maintain a youthful approach.
“Whatever age I am, I remember all the different selves that were all these different ages, and here I am. I’m as much of a child today as I was when I was a child. And, as they say, maybe I’m in my second childhood, I don’t know. But I like to think more that I’m childlike instead of childish,” Parton said. “But I just really try to keep a child’s take on things. I try to think more young, and I try to not think doomsday. Of course, I know I’m old enough to die, but I’m not ready to, and I don’t live my life thinking that. I figure I’ll go when it’s time. I hope it’s easy, but in the meantime, I’ll go to work until I go, however that is.”
