Dolly never lost sight of her past

This is the second of three posts on Dolly Parton where I explore how she took her passions and made them real for so many people.

In 1986, she became involved with a struggling theme park in Tennessee and transformed it into Dollywood. The park became a major tourist destination and an important source of employment and economic activity for the region.

She wasn't simply writing checks to help her hometown.

She was creating opportunities.

And her giving didn't stop there. She supported hospitals, medical research, disaster relief, education and numerous other causes.

Dolly Parton was certainly busy making a living.

She recorded music. She toured. She acted. She wrote. She built businesses. She invested. She protected her creative work and built an enormous business empire.

But she was also busy making a life.

She invested in her marriage and family. She remained connected to the community that raised her. She developed her gifts. She served others. She created opportunities for people who needed them. And she used the resources she accumulated to address problems that mattered to her.

That distinction is important.

Making a living is about earning income, building a career, accumulating possessions and achieving professional success.

Making a life is about building relationships, developing your gifts, serving others, creating memories and living according to a purpose that is bigger than yourself.

And eventually there is a third question:

What kind of legacy are you going to leave?

This is especially important as we enter the second stage or second act, of life.

During our working years, we have legitimate reasons to concentrate on earning.

We have mortgages, children, college expenses, careers and businesses to build. We work hard because we have responsibilities.

But somewhere along the way, a danger develops.

We can become so good at making a living that we forget to make a life.

And then retirement arrives.

Next week I will fully explore how this plays into your life, purpose and legacy. See you than.

#SecondAct, #RetirementWithPurpose, #PurposeDrivenLife, #MakingALife, #MakingADifference, #Legacy, #GivingBack, #LifeAfterRetirement