Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones

I wake up with new dreams everyday.

Find out who you are and do it on purpose, with purpose.

I don't care what other people do as long as I'm left alone to do what I do and to do it my way.

I try to be a better me. I don't try to compete with anybody else, I'm not really that aware of what other people are doing, I'm not that interested in other people's business. I got to be my best self. I got to be me. Don't be a coward. Know who you are. Do what you do, don't be so easily influenced by other people, don't be insecure about it. You know who you are. If you don't, you need to find out, pretty soon, you can't live your whole life trying to please other people. And so I would just say go for it. Of course, I try to improve every day. If there's a better outfit, I want to wear it. If there's a better song I want to write it. If there's a better record I want to record it. I want to continue to try to be as good as I can at all my abilities. I want to make the most of them, if I want to do better movies, and I come up with new ideas all the time.

I think you need to make friends with yourself, you need to be your own best friend.You need to know who you are, and there's that famous saying of mine is to find out who you are, do it on purpose, and with purpose. Because you really need to know who you are.

I got dreams so big they'd scare some people.

I don't try to compete with anybody else. I got to be me. When people who are afraid to be themselves ask me what to do, I tell them, "Don't be a coward. Don't be influenced by other people. You know who you are. If you don't, you need to find out pretty soon. You can't live your life trying to please other people. Go for it!

Whoever you are, be that!

It's easy to get lost.. But you can't do that, you've got to focus on who you are, what you want, and what your talents are. You've got to be smart enough to know- is it good enough? Is this a dream that I can accomplish? Am I good enough at this? Am I good enough to even have enough personality to go ahead, if my personality is stronger or greater than my talent, how can I combine the two? But you've got to come to terms with yourself early on. Be true to you, to know what you can do, and if it's worth it, to get out there and go for it, and then that's what you need to do. And don't let nobody else tell you that you're wrong. If you believe what you believe about yourself to be true, that's all you really have to know to be and anchored, decent human being.

I love being busy, I'm very creative, I'm very inventive, and there are a lot of people a lot smater than me but I've always said I'm a very professional Dolly Parton, I know what I can do what I want to do, and what I believe is best for me. Like when I started the imagination library, I wanted to have a charity that was something that I could believe and, something that meant something that was personal to me. And so that's how I built my whole life whether it be the theme park, production companies, or whatever.

I know what I can do and what i want to do, but I try to be smart about the things I choose to do. I also surround myself with really good people. I ask God every day to bring all the right things and all the right folks into my life and help me recognize them when they show up.

I believe that you need to stick with one thing long enough to make it happen.

I was born with a happy heart. I've always tried to let that shine even during my dark times. I'm one of those people who, even if things are not right, goes about trying to make it as right as I can rather than just lying around on my ass and wallowing in it all day.

I don't give advice, but I've got a lot of information to share.

If you know who you are, and you keep that in mind at all times, and not let that get away from you to sacrifice your principles, your values, your true self. Because if you're true to you, then life will be true to you.

I knew I'd get the boys' attention, but I was always able to do that. But I like that, I like the attention. But not just from boys, I liked just having the attention of feeling like I was different and special.

I'm sometimes asked what it takes to be pretty. For me, feeling pretty is feeling like I accomplished what I wanted to do that day. That's a different thing from fashion or how you wear your makeup or your eyelashes. If you know who you are and keep that in mind at all times, then you won't sacrifice your principles, your values, your true self. You can look in the mirror and feel good about yourself - even feel pretty - inside and out.

I just wanted to be different. I wanted to be seen.

For me, feeling pretty is feeling like I accomplished what I wanted to do that day. That's a different thing from fashion or how you wear your makeup or your eyelashes. If you know who you are and keep that in mind at all times, then you won't sacrifice your principles, your values, your true self. You can look in the mirror and feel good about yourself - even feel pretty - inside and out.