“We’re all damaged in our own way. Nobody’s perfect. I think we’re all somewhat screwy; every single one of us.” – Johnny Depp
The legend of Johnny Depp (a mysterious, boundless, hot, untouchable hero who men love just as much, if not more than women) is one of a mythological figure that even the actor himself doesn’t live up to. He smokes, drinks and threatens to bite the noses off of any paparazzi who snap photos of his children.
These characteristics illustrate how Depp is simply a man; a talented man indeed, but, a man nonetheless. Those of us who adore him have kept the legend alive by putting him up on a pedestal of perfection but there are two things we can learn from the man that perfected the art of being strange.
Lesson #1 - Perfection lies in the Versatility of a Thing
This Oscar nominated actor’s rise from the horror film “A Nightmare on Elm Street” to upcoming western “The Lone Ranger” and a long-standing role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise can be attributed to his adaptable nature. If you compare the average person’s quest for perfection to Depp’s performance in each of his roles, however, flexibility is rarely among anyone’s top priorities.
As precious as time is, it’s troubling how much of it we waste trying to be perfect in every way. People seek a perfect appearance, perfect relationships, perfect mates, perfect jobs, etc. while trying to be perfect cooks, perfect hosts to house guests, perfect athletes – the list goes on.
If Johnny Depp teaches us anything, it is that a little lot of versatility can take you very far on the path to being the best in whatever role you choose to play. Want to be a perfect mountain climber, runner, writing professional, employee of the month or whatever has you putting in those extra inches of time and effort?
Consider being flexible in how you reach that desired level of perfection. Doing so will likely get you closer to your goal – you’ll just have to realize that a perfect toned body doesn’t have to look like an exact replica of the Olympic swimmers or gymnasts to be deemed a success.
You also don’t need to have your name in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the slimmest, most muscular or healthiest person alive to be the perfect YOU – whatever that looks like throughout your exterior and interior selves. The same goes for professional goals and personal interests.
Lesson #2 – All you have to do is be perfect at one Thing
The Guardian says Johnny Depp is not the best actor in the world, yet, possesses a “kooky freakery” that cannot be matched by anyone else. Despite Depp being what many people would describe as a weird individual, he is able to channel that into his work, resulting in large box office returns and critical acclaim. That goes to show that one need not be perfect in every sense of the word to excel in life.
In fact, as Johnny Depp would have it, you might be better off staying in your lane and making it work to your advantage instead of worrying about the areas where you fall short. If you are a great cook, then who cares if you can’t draw or paint worth a damn?! If you won the genetic lottery and are drop-dead gorgeous, then why are you stressing about the length or color or texture of your hair?! First, be glad that you have hair and food on the table to work with in the first place.
Perfect the things that you are best at and let those qualities shine through. The rest can probably be obtained or developed later as you go through life – or not. Either way, at least you can rest with the confidence of knowing that you are perfect the best great at something – whatever that something is.
Just as the definition of beauty varies depending on whom you ask, perfection is not something that we can put an exact finger on since it looks different from one person to another. Unfortunately, many of us forget that as we try to live up to certain standards that are skewed in the interests of public opinion and then measured against our own inner critics. It is a recipe for disaster in a never-winning battle.
Think these lesson are full of crap? Well, embracing quirks worked for Johnny Depp – and who is going to argue with a man who lives in three different countries and sits among the highest paid actors in Hollywood?! I’m not dismissing the importance of you striving to make yourself better, especially when it comes to getting out of your comfort zone every now and then. On the contrary, I am suggesting that the fastest route to perfection may be finding your thing, embracing it and working the hell out of it until you’re a master at it – and even then, there will continue to be more work to do.
If YOU could perfect one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Do YOU think perfection exists? If so, how does one obtain it? If not, then why are people trying to obtain it?
*A to Z Challenge Alert as of Saturday, April 20th, 2013: I'm not feeling well this evening and thus, the posts for Letters Q and R will be posted tomorrow on Sunday, April 21st, as a double feature.