I love Johnny Depp. Yes, he’s a cutie, but beyond that, I love how he embraces extreme roles. His willingness to take risks has led him to create unforgettable characters like Edward Scissorhands, and Captain Jack of the Pirates of the Carribean. Every now and then he plays a “normal” leading man, like in Chocolat, or Finding Neverland, but even those roles have quirky, artistic elements. Obviously, Johnny thrives on going the distance – from quirky to bizarre and everything in-between. So what can we learn from Johnny Depp on thriving?
Let’s start with this odd truth: Remaining comfortable is the highest goal our instincts were designed to attain. As far as our chemistry is concerned, if we’re able to not just survive, but actually get comfortable, we’re rockin’ it
The thing is, thriving is one step beyond comfort – and it actually includes a touch of adrenaline now and then. The thrill of accomplishment – a goal reached, a fear overcome. Without that edge, boredom is not far behind.
Now I’ve never had a chance to look at Johnny Depp’s hands, but it is quite possible he might be in the School of Peace. One of the hallmarks of the School of Peace is being an “adrenaline junkie.” This is someone who arranges life so they are always pumped with adrenaline – whether through physical derring-do, or surrounding themselves with chaos – perhaps physical, perhaps relationship-based chaos. Why would they do this? Adrenaline masks a base-line level of fear that a School of Peace soul comes in with. Being driven by adrenaline at least makes it seem that the cause is external – it’s possible to blame life at large instead of taking personal responsibility.
Learning to back off of over-dosing on adrenaline, and to invite it in in a healthy way, is a part of the journey for the School of Peace. By making these choices a part of his professional life, Johnny can bracket adrenaline’s arena, potentially avoiding it in his personal life – mind, I said potentially.
Since we all must live the rules of all 4 Life Schools, each of us can relate this idea of “adrenaline in strategic doses” to our own lives. Where do you fall right now? Are you over-indulging in adrenaline, or have you controlled your life so carefully you avoid adrenaline (conflict, chaos, risk, change,) at all costs?
Since our instincts come down on the side of playing it safe, making choices to stretch your comfort zone and do the next scary thing takes focus. It also takes being willing to fail, to possibly make a fool of yourself, and so forth. But providing you are willing to forgive yourself, these are temporary setbacks at worst. The truth is that everyone else is too busy protecting their own image to care about yours.
Coach’s Challenge: Plan a strategic adrenaline hit. Take a tip from Johnny Depp on thriving. Do the thing you need to do that scares you most. For most of you, that involves investing in yourself. Take a leap, sign up for the Imagination IQ event — use my code: LINDY to get the early-bird price, $1000 off the full ticket fee.Leave a comment to share your journey!
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