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A Lesson from Dolly

I’ve always admired Dolly Parton. And I have to admit, I’m not even a country music fan. But there has always been something about Dolly that I’ve loved—her voice, her bubbly personality, her confidence, her kindness, her sense of humour, and her ability to make people smile.

After her passing, I learned a story about Dolly that really resonated with me. It was about her song I Will Always Love You.

Many years ago, Elvis Presley was interested in recording the song, and Dolly was thrilled at the possibility. She really wanted Elvis to sing her song. But there was a catch: she would have to give up half of her publishing rights to the song.

She said no.

And later, Dolly shared that she cried all night afterward.

I find that part of the story so meaningful because we sometimes imagine that when we follow our intuition, we’ll immediately feel confident, peaceful, and certain. But that isn’t always what it looks like.

Sometimes, trusting your inner knowing is hard. Sometimes, the choice that feels right can still hurt. And sometimes, we have to walk away from something we really want because, deep down, we know it isn’t aligned with what matters most to us.

Dolly didn’t know what would happen next. She didn’t know that years later, Whitney Houston would record I Will Always Love You and take the song to an entirely different level.

She simply knew that giving away something so important to her didn’t feel right.

So she trusted herself.

And that is what resonates with me most about Dolly. She stayed connected to who she was. She didn’t allow someone else’s success, status, or opportunity to determine what was right for her. She listened inward, trusted her knowing, and stayed true to her values and her purpose.

How often do we give away our own inner knowing because something outside of us seems more important?

How often do we override that little voice within because we’re afraid of disappointing someone, missing an opportunity, making the wrong choice, or choosing a path that others may not understand?

Perhaps we could all benefit from asking ourselves these questions every now and then:

What is my intuition trying to tell me?

Do I trust myself?

Do I honour what I know to be true?

Am I willing to choose what feels aligned with my soul—even if it isn’t the easiest choice?

Dolly once said, “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”

I love this because it feels like such a beautiful reminder that we don’t always have to look outside ourselves for the answers. Sometimes, we simply need to get quiet enough to hear the answers that are already within us.

This is something I return to often in my own work with women. In our circles and retreats, we create space to step away from the noise and the many roles we carry—to become still, listen inward, and reconnect with the part of ourselves that can sometimes get lost beneath the responsibilities, expectations, and needs of everyone else.

Because there is a quiet inner voice within each of us.

The one that knows.

The one that whispers:

This is what I need.

This matters to me.

This is who I am.

This is where I’m being called.

My retreats are an invitation to spend time in nature, breathe, become still, listen, and reconnect with yourself beneath all the roles and responsibilities you carry. And perhaps most importantly, to remember that your soul already knows the way.

Sometimes we don’t need another person to tell us what we should do. We need the space to hear ourselves clearly enough to know.

Maybe the question isn’t always, What should I do?

Maybe sometimes the better question is:

What feels right for me?

And then:

What would I do if I trusted myself enough to follow it?

Perhaps that’s one of the lessons Dolly leaves us with.

To know who you are.

To honour what matters to you.

To trust yourself—even when the choice is difficult.

And to have the courage to do it on purpose.

If something in this message is calling to you, perhaps that little inner nudge is worth listening to.

If you feel drawn to step away from the noise, reconnect with yourself, and create space for what truly matters, I’d love to welcome you to one of my upcoming women's retreats.

Explore Upcoming Retreats Here→

Come home to yourself.
Listen within.
Trust what you know.
Live in alignment with your soul.

Be Well,
Josie Knowles,
RN, RNP, HTP-A, CYT200

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