On August 22, 2024, I received an email from a board member of Harcum College in Coatesville, PA. He expressed appreciation for our counseling center’s work in the community and graciously explained why he enjoyed watching me as a leader. Then he wrote, \u201cHarcum College has never had a counseling department, but we are ready to advance in this important endeavor. Mr. Henley, please prayerfully consider starting and developing a counseling program and being the Director of Counseling at Harcum…\u201d<\/p>\n
My body responded by leaning back in my chair as I whispered, \u201cWhooaaa.\u201d For the next 30 minutes, my mind could not stop racing about who to hire, getting the proper accreditation, being creative, and training students in trauma, psychoneuroimmunology, somatic therapy, and equine therapy. After two hours, I basically responded that I would speak with trusted friends and my family, pray, and get back to him. My racing thoughts of educating and training men and women to bring healing to my community, state, and country were off the charts!<\/p>\n
After three weeks of praying, talking with friends who understand the process of starting a counseling program at a university, and listening to my family, I kindly but painfully declined because I needed to focus on completing my doctoral studies this year.<\/p>\n
Then, two weeks later, I read “The 100-Year Life” by Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott. In the book, the authors make a compelling argument for reimagining the traditional life stages and the linear life plan that includes education, work, and retirement, especially in light of longer lifespans. They introduce the concept of a multi-staged life, which involves embracing diverse careers, taking breaks for learning, and making transitions between full and part-time work. This model promotes a more adaptable approach to careers and personal growth, acknowledging that an extended work life necessitates ongoing learning and flexibility. And once again, the wheels started spinning about starting a counseling program at Harcum College.<\/p>\n
What if, at around age 65, there is still no counseling department at Harcum? Could I do it then? \u201cWe are in the midst of an extraordinary transition that few of us are prepared for. If we get it right it will be a real gift; to ignore and fail to prepare will be a curse.\u201d1 <\/sup>Did God want to plant this seed in me now, so it could germinate later? I can definitely see how being a CEO of counseling centers and a Director of Counseling in a college go hand in hand. I thought about:<\/p>\n As I read this book and pondered the four biblical characters, I began reimagining my life by living longer. \u201cFor most of the last two hundred years, there has been a steady increase in life expectancy.\u201d6 <\/sup>Since life expectancy has steadily increased, the authors demonstrate how we can best plan for it. Chapter 6 helped me process living longer and spoke to me about the stages of life and how to use them to order my life. Two of the stages were quite meaningful for me:<\/p>\n BECOMING AN EXPLORER<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>\u201cWhen we think about the exploration stage, we imagine excitement, curiosity, adventure, investigation, and anxiety.\u201d7 <\/sup>Since this is a discovery stage, I will journey for the next few years to discover and learn about what it means to be a Director of Counseling at a college.<\/p>\n \u201cTransformational leaders are those who stimulate intrinsic motivation within their followers, which results in their producing extraordinary outcomes.\u201d8<\/sup> As my leadership heart, passion, and knowledge develop, I will be forever, as in the words of Annabel Beerel, \u201cRethinking Leadership,\u201d to change my society by pushing the boundaries.<\/p>\n BEING AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCER<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThese are job creators rather than job seekers.\u201d9 <\/sup>I can see myself from ages 65 to 75 creating a new kind of counseling department at a college by utilizing the culture, my past experience, creativity, and leadership style to implement a program that I have never seen or experienced in my life. Just like in my own counseling center, I have created areas for my therapists to flourish by helping them obtain certifications in Equine, Message, Play, Art, Yoga, and, soon, Nature Therapy. Most likely, around age 60, which is in 2 years, I will begin to dream about this possibility.<\/p>\n CONCLUSION<\/strong><\/p>\n The 100-Year Life is brimming with fascinating statistics, captivating real-life stories, and relatable scenarios that really bring the concept of living to 100 to life. It inspires readers to rethink their financial planning, career paths, and personal connections as we embrace the possibilities of a longer life ahead. The authors emphasize how vital it is to invest in our health, education, and relationships, which are essential for experiencing a fulfilling and vibrant extended life. With all this in mind, I have also decided to seriously emphasize my mental and physical health. My cycling has become sporadic, but I have set goals to train and enter some tough races over the next five years. I am also spending more time in nature and connecting with God in the woods. This has encouraged me to start a photo journal. Basically, I take pictures in nature, tape them to a page in my journal, and connect with God by observing the pictures. The 100-Year Life has really challenged me to think way beyond what I was already considering about the end of my life. My goal has never been to retire, but I did think around 70 would be a time to slow down considerably. But if I can stay in shape, keep praying, reading, and connecting, I will be able to make a difference in this world for longer than I had previously imagined.<\/p>\n \n \n \n \n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On August 22, 2024, I received an email from a board member of Harcum College in Coatesville, PA. 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