Bob Marley: the man, the myth, the legend. The famous Rastafarian, Jamaican philosopher and the reason every stoner loves red, yellow and green. This man has more wisdom than Socrates himself, and he wasn't afraid to sing about it in his songs. I think we could all learn a little something from some of his quotes- for those of you who don't worship him already.
"Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?"
Have you ever had one of those days where you just don’t know what you’re doing with your life? Not sure if you’re doing everything right, if you could be doing anything else, anything more? Assuming you’re a college student, you’ve probably had these thoughts. I think each one of us needs to think to themselves: “Am I living the life I want to be living?” Because that’s what matters in life, not how much money you make, or who you know, but if you’re satisfied with what you have, even if it isn’t that much. If you don’t like the life you’re living, change it. That’s the beauty of life- nothing is permanent. You can do anything, the stars are your limit, and you can achieve anything you believe yourself capable of.
"When one door is closed, don't you know, another is open."
We can’t all get what we want in life. We either don’t make enough money, he’s taken, or it’s impossible. But just because all of our wildest dreams won’t come true, doesn’t mean that there aren’t other good things out there that will bring you happiness. It’s ok to be upset about not getting that grade you were hoping for, but don’t be too bummed there’s always next time.
"Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold..."
In today’s society, we’re all very busy with trying to make money, budget our money, and spend our money wisely. But I think we all need to take a step back and realize that money isn’t everything, and it definitely can’t buy us happiness. Happiness isn’t what’s in your pocket, but what’s in your heart, and no amount of money can make you a better person if you have an empty heart.
"Beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad, but it’s everything in between that makes it all worth living."
I can’t help but relate this to a relationship, or even to life in general. Think about the first time you meet someone and you realize that you really like them. How do you feel? Probably a bit nervous and not sure how they feel about you. Now think about the end. Breaking up with someone you truly care about is hard, and we’ve all been there. But it’s the memories between those times that made the entire relationship worth it. All the scary movies, late night texts, and sneaking out late at night for some pizza, those are the things you’re going to remember for a very long time.
"She may not be the most popular or prettiest, but if you love her and she makes you smile... What else matters?"
Do you ever walk down the street and find yourself nit-picking at some guy’s shoes? Or some girl’s hair? And eventually you find yourself making so many judgements about their life based on the five seconds you looked at them as you passed each other on the sidewalk? Well, you’re not alone, most of us do it. But it’s these judgements and assumptions that make us distant from one another. So she doesn’t look like someone you would regularly hang out with, but that doesn’t mean you can’t talk to her and be nice. Life is about social interactions with others, and if we’re always judging from afar and never really getting to know someone, what kind of life are we really living? Sometimes we need to look past the outside beauty and try to see the beauty of everyone’s soul. If we could do that, the world would be a much better place.
"Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet."
Some people are so caught up in the everyday little things they have to do to get by, that they forget to slow down to stop and smell the roses. We often think of rain as just messing up our hair, causing traffic to be worse on the way to work, or just messing your whole day up. But if we were to stop and just see the beauty of rain, we would all be a little happier. Slow down and feel the each rain drop on your skin, understand that no force is greater than Mother Nature, and realize how small we really are in this life.
