Don't quit playing your song

​Miles Davis suggests that when a musician hits a wrong note, it's too early to know whether that wrong note was good or bad.

It's the next note one plays that determines that.

The keys on a piano aren't meant to be played one at a time. They are meant to be played together. There are sequences of individual notes that sound good or bad. There are notes played together in chords that sound good or bad.

But an individual note - an individual note is not good or bad. It's just a note. It's what comes next that determines good or bad.

Too often we hit the wrong note and we get stuck there. We get stuck there lamenting how wrong that note was. We get stuck there believing our song is now a disaster. And we get stuck there believing that one wrong note makes us a horrible musician.

But the song isn't over. Not as long as there remains a keyboard.

Maybe you run a mile in a race that didn't go so well; that next mile just became a really important mile in your song.

Maybe you get frustrated and yell at your kid; an apology just became an opportunity for a beautiful next verse in your song.

Maybe you lose your job; a job is over, not your ability to start a brand new one. Will it become your best song ever?

Maybe you've been through a divorce; well a relationship in life ended, not your life song.

Your life song is made up of a lot of notes. And maybe you feel like some of those notes are the wrong notes. Okay. So be it. They were wrong notes.

But the song isn't over. As long as you can sit at that piano there are still notes to be played that can turn one wrong note into one beautiful song. Maybe your most beautiful song ever, if you'll just keep playing.

We need to be reminded, in the end, if we are remembered for one wrong note, it won't be because of that note, it will be because we quit playing our song.

I believe there's a beautiful song left in me; I believe there's a beautiful song left in you.

Play your next note.

Play your song.

The world is waiting to hear it.

#playthenextnote

(*re-written from an article I wrote in 2022)