Ep. 6 - Dolly Parton on Confidence, Ambition, and Being Yourself

One woman. So many different ways to be inspired by the way she lived.  In the days following Dolly Parton's passing, tributes from around the world reflected the extraordinary range of what she meant to people. Artist. Songwriter. Businesswoman. Philanthropist. Storyteller. Trailblazer. Beloved by family, friends, collaborators, and generations of people who never knew her personally.  Someone who seemed unmistakably, unapologetically herself.  In this episode of *The Practice Ground*, Ken and Kari reflect on the parts of Dolly's life and words that spoke most deeply to each of them — and the wisdom they hope to carry forward.  Ken is especially drawn to the congruence between who Dolly was and how she lived: the self-knowledge to recognize her own value, the confidence to define success for herself and carve her own path, and the humility to remain open to mistakes, criticism, and continued learning.  Kari is inspired by Dolly's ability to hold deep self-acceptance and enormous ambition at the same time: to know who she was without believing she was finished becoming, to do the sustained work required by what she wanted, and to keep finding new ways to develop her gifts and use what she'd built to contribute to others.  Their reflections aren't identical — and perhaps that's part of the point.  The same life can illuminate different things depending on where we're standing and the questions we're living. For Ken and Kari, Dolly's example offers a reminder that growth doesn't have to begin with rejecting who we are. We can know ourselves, want more for our lives, work for it, remain willing to learn — and use what we build to leave something meaningful for other people.  **What you’ll hear inside the episode:**  - what Dolly's life and words can teach us about knowing who we are and recognizing the unique value we bring - why self-acceptance and ambition don't have to be opposites - Dolly's distinction between being a “professionalist” rather than a perfectionist - what it can mean to define success for ourselves and have the self-determination to carve our own path - why pursuing what we want may require developing some “calluses” along the way - how confidence and humility can coexist — including in the way we respond to mistakes and criticism - why knowing and accepting ourselves can also make room for other people to be themselves - how developing our gifts and pursuing our ambitions can expand what we're able to contribute - what Dolly’s life can teach us not only about living fully ourselves, but about the way we make other people feel along the way **Cited in this episode:** Podcast | WorkLife with Adam Grant | Dolly Parton is Burning Up Not Burning Out via TED Podcasts on YouTube Podcast | We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle | Dolly Parton: How to Make Decisions, Even If They Break Your Heart Book | Be: A No-Bullsh\t Guide to Increasing Your Self-Worth and Net Worth By Simply Being Yourself* by Jessica Zweig \----- **Ken Li is a confidence coach.** Connect with Ken on LinkedIn, where he regularly shares mindset tools, resources, and strategies to help professionals who second-guess themselves feel as confident inside as they look. **Kari Watterson is a mindset and habits coach.** Connect with Kari on Instagram (@theadhdhabittrainer). where she shares her ongoing series, *The Habit Training Diaries,* or visit her website at KariWatterson.com.