Life Optimized
Dr. Wharton was more than a trailblazer—he was an inspiration, a mentor, and a living example of what it means to break barriers with grace and determination. It’s hard to sum up a life as extraordinary as his, but to know him was to witness history being made.
To inspire the next generation to reach higher, think deeper thoughts and do greater things. This is the stuff of immortality. When Russ Gibb returned to his “spirit self as the purser on the Japanese steamer Mitza Maru sailing somewhere in the South China Sea,” many who didn’t now him…
My good friend, Edward Charles Liebler left us on November 24. He was 79. In nearly two decades of friendship, he was my role model for a renaissance man. Born in Brown City, on April 6, 1939, he absorbed the classic American work ethic early and thought he might dedicate…
W. Scott Westerman, Jr., the man I’ve always called “The Real” Scott Westerman, passed away peacefully early in the morning of April 18, 2018, on what would have been my mother’s 93rd birthday. She would want me to remind you that she left us on Dad’s birthday nearly 13 years…
By Scott Westerman The common theme we’re all talking about as we reminisce about The Artist we’ll always remember as Prince is that he defied convention. He was born into a world of stereotypes. He knew he didn’t fit in. He created his own truth, based on a love for…
By Scott Westerman “Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness. And they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy… Or they become legend.” ~ Jim Harrison Jim Harrison was, in every sense, an extraordinary Spartan. A Michigan boy, born in Grayling, high schooled down the…
Hear an audio version of this message. Our good friend and colleague Tim Shy has died after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Nobody knows for sure where it came from. There was no genetic history in his family. But we know from personal experience that the monster is often indiscriminate…
I never had the honor of getting to know Carl Izzo personally. But I’ve had the opportunity to study a few of his greatest creations. And they reflect an exceptional human being. Italian culture so mixes the elements of devotion and passion to create strong family bonds, deeply rooted in tradition, loyalty and personal accountability.…
By Scott Westerman Dr. Wayne Dyer left us this past week. But his wisdom endures. Here are some of our favorite Wayne Dyer quotes. “How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” “You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what…
By Scott Westerman Our good friend, Hazen Schumacher, passed away on the morning of July 19, 2015 in Ann Arbor. He was 88 years young. Hazen was one of the world’s leading authorities on the first three decades of recorded American Jazz, served on the Ann Arbor School Board at a…