Country music legend Dolly Parton overruled her critics in an interview with Fox News when she credited her success to faith, God, and spirituality. She said: “My faith impacts everything that I do.
“I do believe that, through God, all things are possible. And 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.
“So, 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. And my spiritual energy has really been a great force to keep me going all these years and still being productive.”
Parton has a new children’s book, Billy the Kid Makes It Big, out. She said:
“The book, released April 25, is about a dog named Billy the Kid, based on Parton’s ‘god-dog,’ who dreams of making country music but has to overcome bullies on his quest for stardom.
“I want them to feel empowered.
“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.
“I think that little kids and bigger kids are standing up to bullies.
“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.”
When asked what she would tell her younger self, Parton said:
“Well, I would just tell her to buckle up.
“You’re in for the ride of your life. I do still have my little self inside me.
“I never forget who I am, where I came from, how I felt, what I wanted as a child or what I dreamed and hoped for.
“So, I always try to stay in touch with that little girl.”
“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.
“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.”
. @DollyParton credits faith for being a ‘guiding light’: ‘Through God, all things are possible’ https://t.co/FTLl1xpWmd
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 27, 2023
