I played a lot of sports and it's the plays in basketball that

"I played a lot of sports and it's the plays in basketball that weren't worked out that are the ones that are just fantastic that you remember. We don't know the power that's within our own bodies." Thus spoke Dave Brubeck, the master of jazz, yet here reflecting not only on music, but on the mystery of human potential. His words reveal a truth that transcends both court and stage: that spontaneity, the unplanned, often yields moments of glory greater than the most carefully rehearsed designs. It is in the uncalculated instant, when body and spirit act as one, that we touch the divine spark hidden within us.

In basketball, the set play is like a score in music—structured, expected, predictable. Yet Brubeck recalls that it was the unworked-out plays, the improvisations born of instinct and trust, that were truly unforgettable. These were the moments when a player leapt higher than he thought possible, when the ball found its way to the hoop through a movement no one could have anticipated. They linger in memory because they are not manufactured—they are miracles, expressions of something deeper than practice: the raw power within the body, unlocked by freedom.

As a jazz musician, Brubeck knew this truth in another form. Jazz, like sport, thrives on improvisation. The notes unplanned, the rhythms discovered in the moment, often carry more beauty than any carefully written score. What he learned on the court as a boy, he carried into his art as a man: that true greatness arises when skill meets instinct, and discipline meets freedom. The game and the music alike become alive in the uncharted instant, when the body remembers what the mind has not commanded.

History offers us luminous examples. Think of Michael Jordan’s “flu game” in the 1997 NBA Finals, when his body was weakened, yet he rose beyond illness to deliver one of the greatest performances in basketball history. That was not scripted; it was the eruption of hidden reserves, the revelation of power unknown until summoned by necessity. Or recall Beethoven, improvising upon the piano in salons, astounding listeners with passages never written down, pouring from the depths of his being. These were not rehearsed—they were revelations of inner strength and inspiration.

Brubeck’s words also carry a deeper warning: “We don’t know the power within our own bodies.” How often do we live as though limited, unaware of the strength, endurance, and creativity that lies dormant within us? We underestimate ourselves, thinking only of what has been practiced, what has been proven. But in moments of pressure, of play, of inspiration, we discover that the human body and spirit are capable of far more than we dare to believe. The unknown strength waits for us to act boldly enough to release it.

The lesson is profound: embrace the unplanned, the spontaneous, the moment when instinct leads. Do not fear improvisation in life, for it may reveal powers you never knew you possessed. Discipline and preparation are essential, but they are not the end—they are the soil from which unexpected brilliance may grow. Allow yourself the freedom to leap, to trust, to act in the moment, and you may discover a greatness that no amount of rehearsal could have produced.

Practical action must follow. Prepare yourself with diligence, train your mind and body, but when the time comes, let go of fear and allow instinct to move through you. Whether in art, in sport, in work, or in love, do not bind yourself only to plans. Leave space for the unplanned play, the improvised note, the uncalculated act of courage. In those moments, you may find not only joy, but the revelation of your true strength.

Thus Dave Brubeck’s words, drawn from both the basketball court and the jazz stage, pass down an ancient truth: the greatest beauty and power often arise in the moments we cannot plan. Trust the body, trust the spirit, and you will find within yourself a power far greater than you knew existed.