By Kayla DeKraker
Dolly Parton still feels like her career is just getting started, even at the age of 79.
“You know, I have just been going so fast my whole life,” Parton told PEOPLE. “And I just start thinking, ‘How in the world did I even have a life? How did I even get it done?’ I really realized when I was putting this book together just how much I had sacrificed in my life. I never had children, so at least I didn’t have a guilty feeling. I’m thankful that I got to see my dreams come true.”
She said her age hasn’t stopped her, and she still has plans to come.
“People say, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ Well, so what? Look at all I’ve done in 80 years. I feel like I’m just getting started,” the country music legend emphasized.
Related: Dolly Parton Postpones Shows for Health Concerns: God’s ‘Telling Me to Slow Down’
She added, “I know that sounds stupid, but unless my health gives way, which right now I seem to be doing fine…I think there’s a lot to be said about age. If you allow yourself to get old, you will. I say, ‘I ain’t got time to get old!’ I ain’t got time to dwell on that. That’s not what I’m thinking about.”
Parton also expressed her willingness to always try new things.
“You have to grow into things, and you have to grow out of things; that’s how I handled my career,” she said. “I needed to try things. A lot of people think because you’re a girl, you don’t always know what you’re doing. I don’t care about what other people are doing. I only care about what I need to be doing.”
“I’m not trying to outdo anybody except me. I just want to be my best self at all times and try to improve every day,” she added. “It wasn’t about just being rich; it was about being successful at what I love to do. Dreams nor wishes come true without a lot of hard work.”
Parton is still doing a lot. In addition to a cooking line and jewelry line, the legendary singer is also released a book titled Star of the Show: My Life on a Stage detailing her decades-long career.
“This book looks back on my seven decades of performing,” she posted on Instagram. “It’s a love letter to the stage and to the fans who’ve made it all possible. What a way to make a living! I can never thank you enough.”
Parton’s career is an encouragement that no matter how much you have accomplished, you can always keep dreaming.
Read Next: How Dolly Parton Invited God into Her Big Dreams
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +4Share:
– Content: +4