Quote Of The Day By Bob Marley: 'Now Is The Time When You Have To ...'

Bob Marley was an international star who helped bring reggae and Rastafari, the religion he practiced, to an international audience before his untimely passing from cancer in 1981. Still, his spirit lives on through his incomparable musical legacy. Born Robert Nesta Marley on February 6, 1945, in the village of Nine Mile (sometimes written Nine Miles) in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. As a child, he moved to Kingston's low-income neighborhood, Trench Town, a hotbed of music.

Marley was drawn to music early, and by the 1960s, with the Wailers (Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer), he became a star in Jamaica. In 1973, the British-Jamaican label Island Records released Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Catch A Fire" internationally, beginning Marley's rise to global stardom.

Marley's music was socially conscious from the start and continued in songs like "Get Up, Stand Up" (co-written with Tosh) on the Wailers' second 1973 album, "Burnin'" that's a call for human rights and social justice. He used his platform to do the same and was even nearly assassinated in 1976 (his wife Rita Marley and two others were also wounded) purportedly by gunmen associated with the U.S.-backed Jamaican Labor Party, rivals to the left-leaning People's National Party with whom Marley had become associated (whether willingly or not). Even after this, he continued to preach peace and self-empowerment, and that's why Bob Marley is today's quote of the day.

"Now is the time when you have to get conscious. We must know that things now. God goes on forever; minutes slip by, plenty things happen, but people make decisions."

Bob Marley said these words during a wide-ranging June 1975 interview with the Ann Arbor Sun in which the singer discussed everything from the Jamaican record industry to social inequality to Rastafari. This quote encompasses his religious and societal beliefs. Marley, in part, tells readers to seek a personal and spiritual awakening now and make the changes they want to see in the world.

Marley put these ideas into practice in his own life. For instance, after his near-assassination, he performed for 80,000 fans at a free concert with a bullet still lodged in his arm in an attempt to bring peace to his country that was in the midst of political chaos.

There's a lot to unpack in Bob Marley's quote. To start, he exhorts people to "get conscious," meaning to wake up to the realities around them. This encompasses both social consciousness and the spiritual. In Rastafari, the idea of becoming conscious relates to the concept of livity, a natural way of living that helps one to connect to and honor God (Jah).

Marley then states that the time for the awakening is now, especially in light of how fast life moves and its uncertainty. Finally, he tells us that even in the face of these obstacles, it's up to us to take control of our destinies instead of living our lives complacently.

In our own lives, we can take Marley's message and use it in whatever way it most makes sense. In general, taking responsibility and greater control over our lives is a key to being happy. If we want to become more socially conscious, today's a great day to begin by connecting with like-minded people or organizations that can help effect positive change in the world. If we're seeking a more spiritual way to live, we need to take the time to seek this out. Marley was only 36 when he died, but look at all he achieved. It's time to get up, stand up, and get what needs to be done, done.

• "It happens a lot in every capitalist place, where one guy has $7 million, a guy has $2,000, and another guy has none, ya dig it. It is not in balance."

• "The Earth have to be one. There's too much heads, too much worthless rulers."

• "T'ink positive when you listen. Too much negativity goin' round."

• "Everyone search for something, you know? I search, I find it was Rasta since Rasta was forever."

• "I not change. I always live the same way. Y'know, when I was young my grandfather had a farm. I learnt there about country life, the tree, the corn. That's how I live."

• "Me don't love fighting, but me don't love wickedness either."