Banana George: Age is About Attitude
If you find yourself slowing down as you add more candles on your birthday cake — you need to shift directions and start ramping UP your life.
Meet Banana George.
George Blair was recovering from spinal fusion surgery when a water ski instructor challenged him to strap on a pair of skis at the age of 40. Despite the brace around his body, George fell in love with water skiing the minute he got up out of the water. He loved it so much that he signed his wife and four daughters for lessons and purchased a boat by the end of the week.
Six years later, George ditched the skis and learned to skim the water on his bare feet. He took up barefoot water skiing competition and became the only person to ski on all seven continents.
A savvy entrepreneur, George was the guy who set up a hospital portrait service and expanded it worldwide. Anything he was passionate about, he turned it into a business: a water ski school, a boat shop, a scooter shop, a pesticide business, and more.
After he sold his businesses, he became a banker and focused his time on learning new things. He took up snowboarding, surfing, race-car driving, skydiving, camel-riding — all in his 80’s. For fun, he played drums in a band and entertained people at local establishments.
“DO IT,” was his mantra. He urged everyone to eat well, exercise often, and to enjoy life.
While many of his friends were slowing down, George was ramping things up, such as barefoot water skiing behind a sea plane.
The whole idea of aging has to do with attitude. If you see yourself as “old,” you will slow down. The opposite is the answer — do more, see more, experience more, and for crying out loud — forget your age.
I had the honor of writing George’s book with the Blair family. I had never met George, but once the project was finished, I was completely blown away at this man’s amazing life. I know I will never look at aging in the same way ever again. I am eagerly planning new things to learn, to experience, and to enjoy.
Banana George!: Don’t Wait for Life to Happen Make it Happen is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The foreword was written by Phil Keoghan of The Amazing Race (George was his best man at his wedding vow renewal.)
Here’s what Dave Ramsey says about Banana George:
“When you’re a barefoot skier like I am, you live life large and want to be Banana George when you grow up — and never grow old. He was iconic in the sport, but you may not know how the passion he showed on the water extended to every area of his life. This book will inspire you to follow his example by squeezing all you can out of each opportunity you get.”
So get out there and “DO IT.”
Karen Putz is known as The Passion Mentor. Take a class at The Passion School. For even more passion, hop over to her site: Ageless Passions. To unwrap your own passion, grab the book, Unwrapping Your Passion.
