I love Miles Davis' music. I can’t say that I love the man he was because Miles had some issues, but I do love his artistry. People will, probably, share dialogue, and critiques, on his music, for the rest of time. One of the things I love most about Miles, the musician, is his drive to reinvent himself and his fearlessness about doing so over and over again. It’s true this could have been ego on his part, but I think if we look deeper we might find some meaning in the way he lived his artistic life.
Let’s face it changing from anything you’re used to doing, when you’ve been doing it one way for years, is a hard thing to do; and it really doesn’t matter what it is. But sometimes, when things aren’t working out, you may need to push the reset button on life. When we make personal and professional decisions we can feel they’re really right for us, at the time. We think the stars have aligned to make it all happen, so we might be shocked when things don’t turn out the way we thought they would. The reality that we were wrong can shake us to the core. Of course, there’s also those decisions we make, based solely on emotion, where we haven’t paid attention to the tiny details, but that’s still not the worst mistake. We make the worst mistake when we decide, because of the failure; we’re just going to give up trying.
Yes, life can be complicated. Life can be a bit messy. Sometimes, things fall into a person's lap, I suppose. I’m just one of those people who never had it that easy. To reach any goal, I’ve always had to do some intense strategizing, and sometimes things still didn’t work out the way I planned. I’ve, certainly, had my share of do-overs. I wasn’t brought up in an atmosphere that might guarantee success like some people who have the right contacts from birth. As far as college was concerned, I had to choose one I could afford, and all of it still ended up costing too much. In fact, my personal saga of student loan debt continues to unfold. Of course, the biggest drawback of having to find your own way is that you’ll probably make a mistake, or two, or three before you’re even close to getting it right. Bestselling author Robert Green writes, in his book on mastery, that “repeated failure will toughen your spirit and show with absolute clarity how things must be done”. I agree because I have lived that truth. I’ve made some bad decisions. I do thank God the good far outweighs the bad. Of course, through the ups and downs, I’ve had my moments of self-doubt. As I got older, and the fact that time is running out got real, I then understood what happened yesterday is not, hardly, the end of my story.
Just like the name of a Miles Davis favorite of mine, So What?, what defines me has nothing to do with the neighborhoods I’ve lived in, the schools I attended or the right connections my family has. I know that even my right now doesn’t really define me. Now only defines me in the context of what I’m planning for tomorrow. In the final analysis, what I decide to give to the world will define my life both now and when I’m gone. I’ve been to a lot of funerals in my lifetime, I would say, probably, more than an average person, and what I’ve learned is that the measure of a good legacy isn’t really based on the things a person kept to themselves, but more on what they gave away. It’s, certainly, not based on the amount of mistakes they’ve made, of course, as long as they keep trying. If things never work out, it’s my belief in the end; the worst people can say is, “Well at least she tried.”
Though I wasn’t raised in wealthy surroundings (most days) I still feel rich. My Dad passed down a giving spirit and my mom, a teaching spirit with a simple dedication to helping others. Things may not have come easy for you either …but so what? You may just have to reinvent yourself a time or two, and start from scratch. So what? I can attest to the fact that having to reinvent yourself makes life interesting. If we look at the life of artists like Miles, who always seemed to bring something new to the table, just when you think they’re done, we can see that your best is actually fluid if you decide to keep moving forward.
Movement is life.
There will be disappointments. Life is harder the Miles Davis way. You’re constantly progressing and pushing your own envelope into new territory. You’re striving to be better because you want to leave behind something that has meaning. Miles always had a laser focus when it came to his art, which surely rubbed some people the wrong way, but I get it. You’re so driven to move through your story, and to not give up because you instinctively know that there’s much more of it to be told. Of course, there will always be more of your story to be told--right up to the end.
The Official Miles Davis Website
Links to more Miles...
Kind of Blue some say the definitive jazz album of all time and Miles' best.The Official Miles Davis Website
Books
Miles Davis: The Collected Artwork
Notable Movies and Documentaries
Miles Ahead (Don Cheadle 2016) The Miles Davis Story© 2017 Diane Coleman No part of this work, written by the author, may be reproduced, reposted for any website, or print publication, without prior permission
Looking for Love: How to Avoid Relationships that Might Mess up Your Life and Decisions Are Destiny: Short Lessons on Decision Making and Life Wisdom for Teens and Young Adults are both available now on Amazon Kindle.
© 2018 Diane Coleman No part of this work, written by the author, may be reproduced, reposted for any website, or print publication, without prior permission.
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