Doing the name change paired with the warm summer days got me thinking about the original inspiration for Betty LIVIN. Betty was for my Jeep Wrangler that I was absolutely obsessed with and LIVIN was after the Dazed and Confused quote “Just keep livin’! L-I-V-I-N!”
That quote always struck a cord with me. I fell in love with the movie when I first saw it in college and the reason (besides being hilarious) is that I liked how carefree I felt when I watched it. These kids were out of school for summer and their only concern was to party and get Aersosmith tickets. To a stressed out, Type A perfectionist the thought of being so carefree really appealed to me.
I always feel attached to my phone and social media and the thought of cruising around with my friends in the car just listening to music with nowhere else to be and nothing else to do sounds spectacular.
So let’s take in a few life lessons from this movie.
Have you heard the popular adage “bloom where you’re planted”? This is one for me to take to heart because I always dream of the different places I could live and what life could be like but I’m here for the long haul so Ryan can watch his kids grow into adults.
Never sit around and wait for your location to be perfect, make where you’re at as awesome as you can.
As a planner this one really sticks with me. I didn’t enjoy certain times of my life because I was so focused on the future and what it held. How many times have you thought along the lines of “I’ll be happier when…[I find a boyfriend, I have kids, my kids get older, we buy a new house, I pay off my debt, I get that promotion]?” I am SO guilty of doing this it’s insane!
I really have to work to enjoy the present and not try to “get through” it to something else.
This is kind of different from the last thought isn’t it? This is to the people who think that the present is the best time they will ever have and they feel the need to live it up because the future looks bleak. In my circles this goes out to the folks who are so worried that it’s all downhill from here and as they age life will get worse and more boring.
The future is a magical place full of infinite possibilities (just be sure to enjoy the present as well)!
This quote, besides being funny, applies to how you approach yourself as well as others. Life can get hard and you can start feeling awful and those emotions will show on your face. How often do you walk through a store and everyone shopping looks miserable? They’re tired, they’re stressed, they’re in a hurry and it shows all over their faces.
So wipe that face off your head bitch and take a deep breath and focus on the positive!
Holy cow is that ever true!!!
Society really dictates how we are supposed to live our lives.
There’s a certain age you’re supposed to get married around, and you’re supposed to have kids, and supposed to buy a house and get a full time job. Yikes! I’m no bohemian free spirit (though I wish I were), I myself am living my life by these “rules” but there are a few aspects where I rebel. I dress however I want whether it’s stylish or age appropriate be damned, I act like a little kid and ride shopping carts while grocery shopping, and I say exactly what I’m thinking as I’m thinking. I always admire the people that live life to their own beat and don’t worry about what they are “supposed” to be doing.
There you have it, Dazed and Confused is more than a stoner movie, it’s a movie that gives you real life lessons on livin’ carefree. Now I need to try to incorporate some of these into my daily life.
Do any of these quotes resound with you?
What’s your favourite quote from the movie?
