Dolly Parton credits her Tennessee roots and southern family upbringing for who she is today.

Speaking to TODAY.com about her new line of frozen meals, recipes inspired by the ones she ate growing up, Parton says her mom gave her one particular phrase to live by that always stuck with her: "To thine own self be true."

"There's a whole lot of meaning in that phrase," Parton says. "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."

"To thine own self be true," is a famous line from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" that Parton's mom took to heart.

The "Jolene" singer says she has her own expression, which fans call a "Dolly quote," that echoes a similarly inspiring message.

"Find out who you are and do it on purpose. And do it with purpose," Parton advises. "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 tells TODAY.com. "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."

During her interview with TODAY.com, Parton acknowledges life is full of sacrifices, but she counsels, "Don't ever sacrifice who you are, your principles and your morals and your values to just try to get ahead in business. It ain't worth it."

For Parton, embracing this authenticity not only comes out in her character, music and business decisions, but also in her legendary style.

Though the country icon claims she's "never been locked in" to one particular style, she says the "look" she's most known for "came from the fact that I'm not a true beauty."

"There are some people just born beautiful, and then if they add more stuff, they're just more beautiful. But then there are people, like me, that you just try to make the most of what you got," Parton says. "I'm not tall. I'm never going to be like a supermodel, so I like to wear my high heels."

"My hair, I used to try to tease it to make it all it was, and with the bleach and all that, I thought, 'Well, I'm gonna start wearing wigs,'" she continues, adding that she keeps her natural hair the same length and color.

Just like her personal philosophy, Parton says she always intends for her style to represent her most "authentic self." She says her clothing choices bring out a more "outgoing and more friendly and more accessible" version of 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.' 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. And that never went away."

"So I never thought that I had to change it just because somebody else said I would," she adds. "I only change anything because I say it."