Author: Scott Westerman

“Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – GandhiRunning through the streets of Oxford in the pre-dawn Great Britain darkness, one can feel the presence of intellects past and present who came to this place with one common objective: To keep learning.I am here with 40…

“The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire.”Over the last decade, Colleen and I have been among the care givers for four loved ones we ultimately lost to cancer. A year and a half ago, I took on the caregiver role when Colleen was diagnosed.Nobody. Nobody can truly empathize with a cancer caregiver unless…

Listen to an audio version of this message.“If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.”Lose weight without dieting! You, too, can live like a millionaire! Free muscles, fast! Get an MBA without going to class!Everyday we are bombarded by messages like these. They reinforce the false assumption that rewards don’t involve sacrifice.This idea has…

In The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Dan Millman writes, “When you don’t get what you want, you suffer. If you get it, you suffer too since you can’t hold on to it forever.”This is the essence of attachment. We always want life to be perfect and so we seek the “things” that are supposed to…

By Scott Westerman“All successful people are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” -Brian TracyI had the pleasure of meeting with the board of a small non-profit recently. Their goal for the meeting was to…

“If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn’t follow. I’d be at the bottom to catch them when they fall.”Bob Greene tells of a time when Frank Sinatra was down on his luck. His boy crooner days were behind him and his break-out role in “From Here to Eternity” was still…

“In the middle of all these tragic events, I am proud to live in a country that has stood firm at a critical time. I am deeply impressed by how much dignity and compassion I have seen. We are a small nation, but a proud people. We will never abandon our values. Our reply is:…

At 29 years old, Aaron Scheidies, is world champion. This MSU alumnus, has competed in more than 150 triathlons and was recently nominated for an ESPN ESPY.He also happens to be visually impaired.One of the best radio announcers I ever met was Frank Bonfiglio. Radio done right is all about nuance. The inflection of the…

Walking to lunch today with Sara Metz we came upon Ben English and Elitza Nicolaou, chalking the sidewalk near the Alumni Chapel. It didn’t take long to figure out that Ben was planning to guide his soul mate, Kat Cooper from her Union office to the chapel so he could pop the question. Ever the…

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.” Albert EllisOne of my favorite Earl Nightingale maxims is, “Our rewards in life are in direct…