The energy I'm trying to bring in 2025
We could all take some hints from Dolly Parton.
My family went to Dollywood over fall break, and I came home with this sticker.
This is the energy I want to bring into 2025. Why?
Dolly is really good at hospitality. My sister-in-law says that it’s like Dolly Parton and her business partners read all the complaints people have about Disney World and quietly addressed them in their design of Dollywood and the Dolly Parton resorts. The whole experience of the Dolly properties is customer-centered and designed to make everything as easy and enjoyable as possible for guests, which really ratcheted down my anxiety. I want to do that for others who are feeling unsure what to do or where to turn.
Dolly is extremely generous. I remember when my son was younger and it seemed like magic to both of us that a high-quality children’s book geared to his developmental stage would show up in our mailbox each month. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a free program available to young children, at first just in Dolly’s home county and now in several countries. This effort not only promotes literacy but also introduces children to the kinds of people they might not meet in their everyday lives. Dolly is also well-known for her donations toward the development of a Covid-19 vaccine, families affected by the Gatlinburg wildfires and Hurrican Helene, and probably many other good causes few people know about. I want to share as much as I can from what I have.
Dolly brings people together. A few years ago NPR produced a podcast called Dolly Parton’s America. It examined why Dolly has such broad appeal. She connects with listeners across ages, races, political persuasions, gender identities, and sexual identities, and this is despite the fact that she mainly stays in the country and pop music genres. This is a gift that, I believe, stems not just from her musical talent but also from her authentic care for and curiosity about people. I could learn a lot from her influence in this area about how to build bridges.
Dolly knows who she is. Over the years I’ve heard lots of people try to reduce her to her physical attributes. She is well aware of what people say about her looks, and she takes it all in stride and makes no bones about the alterations she’s made to her body to look the way she wants to look. These efforts are for her - and they do not define her. She defines herself through her artistry and philanthropy. I want to have that kind of sense of self.
Dolly has a great sense of humor. She is quick on her feet with a snappy response, and she’ll make self-deprecating but not self-negating remarks about herself. (I’ve never seen a mean remark from her, though.) I want to embrace the kind of wit that defuses potentially tense situations rather than dials them up.
Dolly collaborates with and lifts others up. She partners. She celebrates the accomplishments of her friends and colleagues. She never exudes jealousy. I want to do this for the women in my networks.
Dolly talks about her faith. It is informed by her life experiences, and she talks easily and often about it as a driving force in her life. I want to be better at doing this in non-churchy circles, not to pressure anyone into certain beliefs but to make better connections for myself between what I think and feel and what I do.
No, Dolly Parton isn’t perfect. None of us is. But if I can carry some of her vibes into this new year, I will focus on what I can do to make my part of the world better, no matter what else is going on around me. And that will have ripple effects beyond what I’ll be able to see.