Muhammad Ali visited Bob Marley on his deathbed — Bob’s final words to the champion changed everything.

“My father often spoke of Bob Marley, of their last conversation, of how Bob, as he was dying, told my father to live, to rest, to take care of himself. My father said that Bob gave him permission to be human, to stop performing and start living. That gift gave us decades more with him. He gave the world decades more of his wisdom, his presence, his love.” Laila continued, “Two warriors, two champions, two men who stood up when the world told them to bow. But in the end, Bob taught my father that the greatest fight isn’t always the one in the ring or on the stage. Sometimes the greatest fight is staying alive for the people who love you.”

Today at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, there’s a small exhibit about Ali’s friendship with Bob Marley. It includes a photo of them together from 1978. Two icons, two fighters, two men who changed the world. Below the photo is a quote from Ali’s last interview about Bob.

Bob Marley told me, “You taught me how to stand up. Now I’m teaching you how to rest. Both are courage.” Those words saved my life. I stood up for justice, but I also rested for my family. Both mattered. Bob died at 36 because he never stopped. I lived to 74 because he taught me that it’s okay to stop. That’s the gift he gave me, and I’m grateful every day.

Legacy isn’t just music or fights. Legacy is the wisdom passed down between warriors. The understanding that courage takes many forms. The knowledge that standing up for something is important, but living for someone is essential. Bob Marley stood until he was killed. Muhammad Ali learned to rest before he was killed. Both were heroes. Both were champions. But only one lived long enough to tell the tale.

If you’re reading this and you’re consumed by a cause, a career, a mission, listen to Bob Marley’s last words to Muhammad Ali. You can’t help anyone if you’re dead. Take care of yourself. Rest. Live. Stand up for what matters, but also rest for those who matter. Both are courageous. Both are necessary. Bob Marley taught Muhammad Ali that lesson with his last breath. And Ali lived an extra 35 years because he listened.