Dolly Parton says she’s held onto one piece of advice from her mother her entire life.

The 79-year-old music legend has often credited her success to her strong support system growing up.

Whether it was her 11 siblings or her mother, Avie Lee, Dolly has always said her family’s love and encouragement played a big role in helping her become the country star she is today.

That means she’s received plenty of advice over the years, but one piece stands out.

In a recent interview with TODAY, Dolly shared that the most inspiring life advice she ever received came from her mother.

The simple but powerful phrase was: “To thine own self be true.”

“There’s a whole lot of meaning in that phrase,” Dolly told the outlet. “Because I’ve always tried to stay true to me. And always, when people ask me for advice, that’s kind of what I tell them.”

For those who may not know, the phrase “to thine own self be true” comes from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. It’s a timeless reminder to stay true to yourself.

Not only has the “9 to 5” singer taken these words to heart throughout her life, but she’s even come up with her own version of the phrase that she often shares with others.

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose. And do it with purpose,” Dolly said. “You got to know who you are because so many people try to emulate or copy somebody else.”

“So they think they have to do a certain thing a certain way, but you really need to do things your way, according to your rules, your personality, your mindset, your faith,” she continued. “So I think it’s most important to find out what you really want, what your values and principles really are, and not try to be like somebody else.”

Dolly has always been a great example of staying true to herself. Her one-of-a-kind style is proof that she doesn’t just say those words, but she lives by them.

The Country Music Hall of Famer admitted that plenty of people have told her that her look was too much, but she never let that stop her.

Instead, she stayed confident in who she was and kept embracing the style that made her feel like herself.

“I’ve had people through the years say, ‘Oh, we need to tone it down. Nobody will ever take you serious looking like that because you look like trash,’” Dolly recalls. “I said, ‘Well, I was influenced by the trash in my hometown. So I’m not trash, but I like that trashy look.’”

“And I just like that Frederick’s of Hollywood, you know, that glamor girl kind of look,” she added. “And that never went away… so I never thought that I had to change it just because somebody else said I would. I only change anything because I say it.”