Dolly Parton, who died yesterday at age 80, was famous for her music and for her dogged resilience. The odds seemed to be against her from the start, but she overcame many obstacles. Raised in rural poverty, Parton transcended her circumstances and became a successful female artist in a male-dominated industry.
Throughout her life, she responded to adversity by reframing negative experiences into positivity that fueled momentum. Her mindset was one of her greatest tools. Here are some of her most famous beliefs and sayings, lessons that can help us all grapple with hard times:
“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” We don’t have to feel stuck in life. We can pivot to a new opportunity. We can shift our perspective; instead of seeing a dead end, we can view an untenable situation as a fork in the road.
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain!” Dolly reframed adversity as a journey of hope. Adversity is a prerequisite for resilience. Reaching a goal requires moving through obstacles and difficult times. Science agrees. Research from New York University shows how confronting and moving through realistic obstacles can help a person achieve their goals.
“Storms make trees take deeper roots.” We might feel battered during difficult times. Yet, in her view, difficult times make us better. Rather than diminishing or defeating us, bad times can empower us and strengthen our inner character. Research on post-traumatic growth shows how a life crisis can force positive transformation and deep inner strength.
“Anyone who says you can’t take it with you has never seen me pack.” Self-confidence, resourcefulness, creativity, and a positive mindset can turn the impossible into the possible. We each have agency. And we find out that external limits can be flexible. When you change how you think and act, tough problems are solvable. With a growth mindset, hard limits are just temporary skills waiting to be learned.
“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” While we can’t change what is beyond our control, we can adapt and turn a negative into a positive. We can not only survive a challenge but thrive. Therapies like acceptance and commitment show us we can learn to stop fighting difficult situations, be psychologically flexible, and start adapting.
“If you’re feeling low, don’t despair. The sun has a sinking spell every night, but it comes back up every morning.” The antidote to hopelessness is hope. Yet, no matter how positive we may be, we are human. We all experience lows, but it’s important to remember that we’ll always rise again. The late psychologist John Cacioppo likely agrees; he researched how we can expect good things to happen.
That’s doggedness.
In the words of Dolly Parton, “You can’t just sit around and think of all the things you want to do. You’ve got to think of what you want to do, and then you’ve got to get out and make that happen.” Stay dogged.