Some people are just bred to work for their entire lives. There's that old saying that if you do what you love, you'll never have to work a day in your life. Dolly Parton certainly finds that to be true. So much so, she never feels like she has to retire.
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Recently, Dolly spoke with The Guardian ahead of her upcoming album Smoky Mountain DNA — Family, Faith & Fables. There, she admits that she's living the dream and doesn't want to let that go without good reason to do so. "I always say I've dreamed myself into a corner. I've got to keep all those dreams alive. Every dream spins off into some something else," Parton emphasizes.
Dolly Parton Says She Doesn't Want To Let Her Dreams Go to Waste by Retiring
Additionally, she eases concerns that her music career is wrapping up. However, Dolly does say that she's likely to ease her touring schedule due to her and her husband's age. It's not out of a lack of enjoyment, Parton's love for performing remains as strong as ever. But the challenges and the grind becomes something she can't maintain forever. "It's misinformation when I said I was not touring anymore. I still do shows. I just don't go on the full-blown tours where I go overseas for weeks. I'm older, my husband's older, and I want to be with him more. So, no. I couldn't retire if I wanted to. And I don't want to," Dolly states.
Lastly, Parton clues us in on how to maintain happiness in work and in life. It all centers around grounding yourself in the present and working towards shifting perspectives. "You have to work at being happy. Some people work at being miserable. 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 then you just go deeper and deeper. I just try to have a good attitude and make things right; to be grateful for the things I have, thank God, and look for spiritual strength for myself," Dolly says.
