8 Thought Provoking Quotes From The Late, Great Prince

April 27th, 2016

Awake Goy

Sunday marked the cremation of the legendary singer and musician Prince, who tragically passed away on April 21st at the age of 57. Over the course of his career, Prince impacted a great many of us through his music, making us smile, dance, laugh, cry, and everything in between.

But over his too-short life, Prince also managed to make us think beyond popular culture and consider much more substantial ideas. While not being quite as outspoken as many celebrities, he did offer more than enough insight, at the right times, into the issues he felt mattered the most.

Here is a list of 8 of my personal favourite Prince quotes that I think we should all take a moment to consider in memory of the legend that we have lost far too soon:

1. “Despite everything, no one can dictate who you are to other people.”

We all love to at least occasionally point the finger of blame, and in some cases it is justified, but as Prince reminds us, we are nevertheless always in control of who we are. It doesn’t matter what we have been through or are currently going through, we dictate our attitude, and we need to remind ourselves of that. Treat people as you would like to be treated, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much it can impact your life.

2. “A strong spirit transcends rules.”

The world is filled with rules. Whether it is laws telling us what we can or cannot do, or authority figures verbally and physically impeding us, there is very little that we can actually do comfortably in this world. But as Prince reminds us, if we are strong inside, we can go beyond the “rules” dictated by society and go after the life we want to live by moving outside our comfort zones, for it is out there that life truly begins.

3. “Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can’t be good for you.”

As a proud supporter of the #notechtime movement, I admittedly may be reaching a bit in my interpretation of this quote, but I’d like to believe that Prince was pointing out the dangers of our reliance on technology. We all know technology is wonderful, but living in a world where we spend more time plugged in than not it is scary, and downright unhealthy. Let this Prince quote remind you to put the tech down daily and connect with the world in other ways.

4. “Time is a mind construct. It’s not real.”

Prince gets a little “Eckhart Tolle-ish” with this quote by getting conscious in his analysis of time. Whether or not you agree with this statement, it certainly makes you think about how we use our most valuable resource.

5. “Every day I feel is a blessing from God. And I consider it a new beginning. Yeah, everything is beautiful.”

Whether or not we can relate to the religious sentiment here, it is always great to be reminded of the importance of gratitude. Given how hectic and overwhelming life can be, it’s easy to get caught up in the negative, but the truth is, there is almost always a positive side to any situation. We have only to look for it.

6. “There’s this thing called compulsory licensing law that allows artists through the record companies to take your music at will without your permission.”

Through this quote Prince reminds us of the business side to the music industry. It’s easy to simply appreciate what is being produced, but we need to remember that music and the artists who produce it have become a commodity, and many talented people are being taken advantage of as a result.

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7. “You know, when I was a kid, I used to see these trails in the sky all the time. So that’s cool, a jet just went over. And then you started to see a whole bunch of them, and next thing you know everybody in your neighbourhood was fighting and arguing and you didn’t know why, okay, and you really didn’t know why, I mean, everybody was fighting. So [Dick Gregory] started riffing about the chemtrails, and, he started to say things that hit home so hard, and I would recommend that everybody try to get what he said online, or wherever, and try to get a copy of it and just listen to it, because I was so moved that I had to write this song.”

Prince delved into the controversial world of chemtrails when asked about the meaning behind his lyrics in the song “Dreamer.” While many dismiss this phenomenon as mere conspiracy theory, Prince encourages us all to at least keep at open mind, do some research, and think critically before we decide whether or not to be concerned.

8. The time he answered a question with a link to a CE article.

Slated for a 3-hour Q&A session with his fans via Facebook, Prince ended up offering only one reply to the many questions he was asked — and it was a link to an article on our website. Prince was asked: “TRUTH .: Greetings my dear Brother… Please address the importance of ALL music being tuned to 432hz sound frequencies??? Thanks in advance!!! Warmest regards, Emanuel…” His answer? This link: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/12/21/heres-why-you-should-convert-your-music-to-432hz/

An awesome moment for not only us here at CE, but also for the whole world, as he hopefully inspired people watching to look into this “controversial” phenomenon on their own.

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SOURCES

http://www.brainyquote.com/search_results.html?q=prince&pg=1

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6266816/prince-facebook-qa-one-reply