Me and Johnny D

This morning as I sat down tying my shoes, I suddenly thought, "Wow, it'd be cool to meet Johnny Depp."  There was no reason for the thought to occur to me, it was just one of the ideas which passed though my mind this morning.  My next thought, however, was one which I hadn't much pondered: "What would I say?"  I had no clue. I didn't want to simply tell Depp that he was cool  Maybe I'd tell him that I liked him in What's Eating Gilbert Grape...and that he was cool.  Although I figured it would be swell to meet Johnny Depp, I hadn't thought much about what I would say to him.  I was, in short, unprepared.

My Johnny Depp daydreaming can be compared to other fantasies/daydreams which we may have but for which we're regrettably unprepared.  We daydream about winning the lottery but we lack the knowledge to manage a large sum of money.  We say we want a better job but we're not getting the skills to qualify ourselves for such a job.  We imagine one day being on Oprah but we don't know what we'd talk about and we're uncomfortable with being the center of attention. 

So should we drop the Johnny Depp-lotto-Oprah fantasies and resign ourselves to our day-to-day routine?  Nyet, that'd be kinda boring, right?  After all, our daydreams give us something to aspire to and add more color to our lives. 

Instead of dropping the fantasies, I recommend that we prepare ourselves for their realization.  In my instance, I'm not saying that I'm going to track Mr. Johnny Depp's every movement or send him frequent and insistent postcards, I have though brainstormed on questions I'd ask Depp.  I've also reflected on what I admire about him---his risk taking, unpredictability, character range, skill in transitioning from TV to movie work, overseas lifestyle, career longevity, coolness.

The following are some questions that can help you to make your fantasy a reality...or at least prepare you for that chance celebrity encounter:

Why do you daydream about the person/experience? 

What feelings do you associate with the daydream?

How can you experience those feelings now?

Have you done any research on your dream goal/person? 

If you wish to meet an inspiring person, what qualities do you currently share with the person...or what qualities does the person have that you'd like to embody?

What would you tell the person about yourself?  What are your accomplishments?  What obstacles have you overcome?  Remember and appreciate your strengths!

How are you preparing yourself for your daydream-goal? 

Do you have a daily/weekly habit that is moving you closer to realizing your daydream?

What do you expect to gain from achieving/realizing the daydream?

Hopefully, these questions will be helpful so whether you bump into P. Diddy in the airport or win that multi-million dollar jackpot, you'll be prepared...instead of speechless.