Blog #85. You say Dalai; I say Dolly!

What spiritual mentor would you be shocked to see standing at your door? A friend recently asked me this. She said the Dalai Lama, and I said Dolly Parton. And we just laughed — because we realized we’d both picked “dollies” and the absurdity of that pairing was delicious.

This isn’t at all absurd. The Dalai/Dolly combination may look different on the surface — saffron robes and serene smiles on one hand, rhinestones and big hair on the other — share a surprising number of wise lessons. One teaches through silence and stillness, the other through storytelling and sequins. One invites us inward toward compassion and presence; the other calls us outward toward creativity and unapologetic authenticity.

There’s no mistaking the twinkle of knowing in their eyes. Both embody something I think we often misunderstand about wisdom. Grit doesn’t have to be grim. Tenacity doesn’t need to turn bitter. Depth and delight can live in the same breath — and maybe they should.

Maybe that’s why they both resonate so deeply with me. The Dalai Lama has endured decades of political exile. Yet, his laughter is as much a teaching as his words. (If you’ve ever read The Book of Joy, co-written with his equally mischievous and enlightened friend Desmond Tutu, you know they giggle their way through some of life’s most profound truths.) Dolly, too, has weathered poverty, sexism, and relentless scrutiny. She’s built an empire without losing her heart, and she’s done it all with a wink and a wisecrack.

It’s tempting to think of wisdom as solemn and joy as frivolous, but what if they’re actually partners? What if resilience and radiance, grit and glitter, humility and humor are meant to walk hand-in-hand?

How we meet life matters just as much as what we do with it. We can be powerful without being hardened, and serious about what matters without taking ourselves too seriously.

I think wisdom, wonder, and shenanigans are ingredients meant to be mixed into the messy, marvelous soup of a life well-lived. Wisdom is what grounds us; the deep knowing that comes from surviving, stumbling, and still showing up. It’s the part of us that listens deeply, chooses carefully, and acts with intention.

Wonder is what keeps us open; the spark that says yes to curiosity and the possibilities we haven’t yet imagined. It’s what keeps us learning, exploring, evolving, even when the world wants us to shrink.

And shenanigans? That’s the spice. It’s the laughter that bubbles up in the most serious moments. It’s the refusal to let aging turn us rigid or invisible. It’s the permission to wear sequins to the protest, or to say “why not?” long after the world expects you to say “why bother.”

So go ahead. Invite a little Dalai into your stillness and a little Dolly into your sparkle. Mix them together in your own irreverent proportions. That’s how we build a life that hums with meaning and glows with joy.

Come join me at WonderCrone.com, where wisdom, wonder, and a few shenanigans aren’t just welcome — they’re required.”