Life is Jazz: What musicians know about mistakes that you don’t

This post is an early version of a thought/anecdote that eventually made its way into my book, Sovereign.
Grab a copy here.
In jazz, every ‘wrong' note is an opportunity. The great jazz trumpeter Miles Davis once said, "It's not the note you play that's the wrong note – it's the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong." This philosophy applies equally to life.
Life rarely follows a clean script. In this way, it might be compared to music.
Every aspiring musician wants to get things right. They obsess over the perfect outcome. They hyperfocus on hitting the right note, in the right way, at the right time. But in hunting for perfection, their focus subconsciously flows from their mind to their palm, cramping it, and ruining the music.
When your grip is too tight, your rhythm becomes stiff. You lose the flow, and sour the song.
Release whatever tension you hold in your mind regarding the outcomes you seek. All you have are your actions. Let life’s turbulence resolve on its own, and you’ll be surprised at how often it still follows whatever beat you set.
You can sit patiently, practising the perfect recital, hoping for a perfect life. Or you can learn to make jazz instead.
Making jazz doesn't mean being careless or unprepared. It means being ready to improvise. It means understanding that mastery isn't about eliminating uncertainty - it's about developing the confidence to dance with it.
Loosen your grip. Let life's metaphorical drumsticks bounce naturally in your hands.
True control won't come from forcing reality to conform to your expectations, but from your ability to incorporate whatever reality offers into your performance.
Life gives you discordant notes. Pain. Hardship. Unexpected turns. Jazz gives you the opportunity to make all music good music.
It doesn't matter what cards you were dealt. What matters is the moment before you. Your next note, and what you choose to make of it.
Will you marry discordant notes into a melody? Carve riffs from randomness? Find novelty in noise? None of this can come from a place of passivity - you have to own your song, and make your music.