So many of us get stuck merely perusing - rather than powerfully pursuing - our passions.
We marinate in our thoughts about what to do and how to do it rather than taking a deep breath, tucking that fear, pulling up the shirtsleeves and just...getting going.
Dolly Parton, on the other hand, gets stuff done. No complaining, no perseverating.
At 78, Dolly remains a woman of serious action making a real difference.
Last fall, Jeff Bezos gave the indefatigable superstar $100M to re-gift to charities of her choice.
Mr. Amazon was impressed by Dolly’s audacious $1M donation mid-2020 to Vanderbilt University to help fund a Covid vaccine.
While hardly a shoo-in at the time, Dolly’s gift helped the rapid development of the Moderna vaccine and raise awareness of vaccine safety – at least according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
Not to outdo herself, this spring, she also added blueberry muffin mix to her Duncan Hines baking collection. Why? Because why not – Dolly loves baking and sharing recipes nearly as much as she loves writing songs.
Born the ninth of twelve children in the Appalachian town of Locust Ridge, Tennessee, Dolly grew up in a two-room cabin with no electricity or running water. Yes, her first bathroom was an honest-to-God outhouse.
Her father was a tenant-farmer who never learned to read or write and her mother - who birthed all twelve children by age 35, was (understandably) often in poor health.
Dolly has honored her dad’s legacy by gifting more than 224 million books to children enrolled in a program she started back in 1995.
Today, the Imagination Library mails more than a million books a month to poor children around the world who would otherwise likely not have access to books at home.
And, yes, Dolly is still passionate about writing songs and singing. In November, she released her 49th album, Rockstar.
Two years ago, Dolly told Trevor Noah she would love to hear Beyonce do a cover of her song Jolene.
On Noah's Daily Show, she said she loves it when someone takes my little songs and make them powerhouses.
Boom, this month Beyonce released a cover of Jolene - a song Dolly first wrote and performed more than a half-century ago.
Pushing up on her ninth decade, we are talking about a woman who is still manifesting some s#@!.
Sometimes Dolly's one sentence bromides can feel as trite as a guidance counselor's poster. That doesn't mean there might not be some truth there - especially if it’s one she herself seems to live by.
You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.
