Listen Carefully to This 99-Year-Old Athlete

George Jedenoff skis Alta better than many of those slightly scared, lifelong intermediate skiers I know... the ones who are half his age or less.

You see, he's not driven by fear; he's driven by passion.

At 99, George still gracefully floats through the Utah powder, his hands in front of him - precisely where they are supposed to be - his knees bent just enough to absorb the bumps, and his back straight and strong.

But enough about skiing... that's not why I'm telling you about George.

As you can see in this short video, George has distilled his beliefs into a simple "powder philosophy" that involves taking the time to gain some perspective. He talks about the experience of being outside during the winter in Utah's Wasatch mountains, "The cold air seems to uncloud your brain... you have a chance to reflect on your own life. Life is so complicated, there are so many problems, and we tend to dwell on them. This is an opportunity to reflect on the positive, the wonderful things you can do."

The pluses far outweigh the minuses... but in everyday existence, sometimes the minuses overwhelm you.

By the way, George seems to be getting better. The video above was shot last year. This new one just came out:

In it, he describes his best trait. "I never give up."

(He also suggests that this is his worst trait.)

I respectfully disagree with George. His best trait is that he has never lost his sense of passion. He loves the mountains. He loves powder. He loves skiing. To be honest, it doesn't really matter what he loves; it matters that he loves many things in life. Passion is the fuel of great lives.

I'm a realist and understand that George's vitality is probably partially due to great genes. But that alone doesn't explain why he stands so strong and speaks so clearly at age 99.

When you listen closely to George and watch the videos of him skiing, he is still filled with a sense of childlike passion and delight. I regularly ski the terrain at Alta and Snowbird that you see George skiing, and it is serious stuff, over 10,000' high and lacking any "easy way" down.

It pains me to see people my age or younger who seem weighed down by solemnity. In the name of "being responsible", they accomplish less than they could. No one enjoys following - or even working with - someone who is always a bit, well, bummed out.

In other words, don't allow your minuses to weigh you down.

Problems and challenges shouldn't be surprising; they are a part of life. Celebrate the things you love. Cultivate your passions. Give yourself permission to do certain things simply because you love them.

If you haven't guessed it already, when I grow up, I want to be George.

You can see more videos about George at SkiUtah.

Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for thought leaders. He is the author of NEVER TELL PEOPLE WHAT YOU DO.