Dolly Parton seems to be one of the sweetest and most positive people in the music business. As a result, some may believe that she lives a near-perfect life. However, that isn’t the case. Instead, she chooses to be happy. This is something she’s been practicing since her childhood.
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Recently, The Guardian collected questions from fans and Parton answered them. During the crowdsourced interview, the country icon revealed how she stays positive and how her upbringing shaped her outlook on life.
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Dolly Parton on Choosing to Be Happy
One fan wanted to know “What is your advice for being positive, despite setbacks, and how to dispel despair?” Dolly Parton gave a frank answer. “You have to work at being happy. Some people work at being miserable,” she began.
“If I wake up in the morning and don’t feel great or things are not great, I try to think about what I can do to make things work better, rather than just falling into that deep hole because you just go deeper and deeper,” Parton explained. “I just try to have a good attitude and make things right,” she added. “Try to be grateful for the things I have, thank God, and look for spiritual strength in myself.”
Today, Parton is a country icon and a successful businesswoman. Her current life is a far cry from her upbringing. She grew up in a small town in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. She shares stories from her impoverished childhood in songs like “Coat of Many Colors” and “My Tennessee Mountain Home.” During the interview, she shared how important her childhood was in shaping her current attitude about life.
“Everybody where we grew up had a hard time. We were mountain people,” Parton said. “Most people were poor, but we didn’t realize that we were poor until some smart-head said so. Everybody around us lived the same way, but you don’t think about that until you’re away,” she explained.
“We had good parents, but we didn’t have all the big luxuries that I’m able to afford now. But I wouldn’t trade it for nothing. The only thing I regret is that my parents had a hard time,” she explained. “They never complained, so why should I? That’s made me who I am, so I’m grateful,” she added.
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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