Lessons from George Canyon
Gil Ngai
Most people follow celebrities for their achievements in entertainment, or sports. I follow certain celebrities for lessons on how to live life with depth and significance.
This year I had the opportunity to help our Ontario partners VMG, film an interview with George Canyon, a country music celebrity. Here’s what I learn from George.
Be Vulnerable:
Celebrities are portrayed as larger than life. They have incredible achievements and possessions. But real life is full of hills and valleys, victories and struggles and the mundane in between. George freely shared stories of his struggles and the hard work that got him here and the hard work he continues to do. He didn’t pretend to know it all. At George’s house, we were a room of regular people sharing life stories.
Share Often, Share Freely:
George treated us, a group of strangers, like friends. We visited his hangar. He took me for a ride in his plane. We hung out at his home. He showed us his studio.
Hospitality is one of the greatest gifts. Most of us rarely open our doors to our neighbours much less strangers. Practicing hospitality breaks down barriers, builds bridges and grows relationships. We all would benefit from more inviting, more hosting and less screen time.
You Don’t Need to Own It All:
George and I had a great chat about cameras. He too, was fascinated with storytelling and the power of video. He asked for my recommendation on a camera that was within his budget. Truthfully, I am sure George can afford the best video camera money can buy along with anything else he wanted. Yet he wanted to choose a camera that was reasonable and fitting for himself. George own a small plane. However it was so tiny I could barely fit into the second rear seat. “Why doesn’t George own a jet?” I wondered. Because he didn’t need one. We could tell that he loved his small plane.
Life has a way of putting us on a relentless pursuit of stuff. It takes a focused mind to cut “through" the chase and recognize that we don’t need the best of everything. In fact having it all does more harm than good. Get what you need and use what you have.
Stay Focused on Your Passion:
With so many leaders to follow, who should I listen to today? Gary? Elon? Richard? Mark?
George use to have a big property with horses and possessions. He sold it all and moved to a normal house to stay focused on making great music and his love of flying. Don’t try to be good at everything. Pursue your passion and do what you’re good at.