Interview Series
Working Quinquagenarians, Sexagenarians, Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, and Nonagenarians
Nader Shabahangi
Thursday, December 1, 2011, 10:30 am Pacific, 11 am Mountain, Noon Central, 1 pm EST, 2 pm Atlantic, 7 pm Zurich, 8 pm Istanbul
Benjamin Franklin once said, “All would live long, but none would be old.”
To continue the learning experiences at the Poetics of Aging Conference (and to share with those who could not attend), Careerwell is presenting a mini-series, starting this December, on "Working Quinquagenarians, Sexagenarians, Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, and Nonagenarians." The interviews provide approved continuing education and training for counselors and other career and caring professionals nationally and globally.
Launching the series will be Nader Shabahangi, CEO of six AgeSong Elder Communities in the San Francisco Bay Area and President of AgeSong Institute. Nader is the originator of the Poetics of Aging Conference, that was launched just before Thanksgiving this year. He will discuss why getting older is something to look forward to, rather than dread. He will also discuss his approach to work and career development and how he believes this approach will evolve as he ages.
Bio
Nader Shabahangi received his Doctorate from Stanford University, is a licensed psychotherapist, and is cofounder of AgeSong. His multicultural background has fueled his passion for becoming an advocate for marginalized groups and for creating programs with the purpose of caring more comprehensively for elders.
Contact
Background on New Interview Series
First I want to give you a little background about the series of interviews that I am conducting for the next two months. To continue the learning experiences at the Poetics of Aging Conference, Careerwell is presenting a generational series, starting in December, on "Working Quinquagenarians, Sexagenarians, Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, and Nonagenarians." The interviews provide approved continuing education and training for counselors and other career and caring professionals nationally and globally.
Speakers will address the special attributes and challenges of one of these working in their 50s on up, and also the attributes and challenges that each generation has in common. We shall address the following topics: What works and what doesn't in leading a meaningful and satisfying life at each age and stage? What can we learn from our elders that can enrich our work and home lives? and much more...
The rationale for conducting this series is that in less than 100 years, life expectancy has increased by an average of 30 years in developed regions of the world. Stanford University's Annual Report, which was just published on the Internet today, stated:
There are now are more people living longer in the world than ever before in human history and they are accounting for an increasingly greater percentage of the world population. Improved longevity is, at once, among the most remarkable achievements in all of human history and one of our greatest challenges.(http://longevity.stanford.edu/annual-reports-2/).
Nader Shabahangi, today's speaker, is an existential philosopher. For those who are not familiar with this approach, existentialists believe that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual. Many existentialists believe that traditional systematic or academic philosophies, in both style and content, as too abstract and remote from concrete human experience and I sometimes wonder if some of our very structured career development processes are too removed from the actual career and life transitions of our clients and of ourselves.
Introduction
This is Dr. Sally Gelardin with Careerwell Tele-Interviews. Our speaker today, Nader Shabahangi, is a visionary, driven by his belief in the wisdom of people at any age or stage. In my opinion, he is the most innovative existential theorist of the 21st century. He received his Doctorate from Stanford University, is a licensed psychotherapist, and is cofounder of AgeSong's six elder communities. Nader is a doer, as well as a thinker. He conceived and is the driving force behind the Poetics of Aging Movement. AgeSong Institute sponsored last month's inaugural and hugely successful Poetics of Aging Conference. Welcome Nader!
I'm amazed that so many listeners registered for this interview, which I only announced a few days ago. I didn't know so many career counselors and other caring professionals were interested in work issues for those in their 50s on up. A caution to listeners. This series, which Nader is launching, is not about writing the perfect resume, nor is it just about paid work. It's about how we work and live at different ages and stages or our lives.
Interview Questions
- What decade of your life are you in the midst of now?
- I asked you to launch this series because you view aging as something to look forward to, not dread. What do you look forward to as you age?
- Who are/were your older role models are what do you admire about them?
- What is holding you back now from being the way you would like to be when you are older?
- Do you admire people who are leaders of others or leaders of themselves or both?
- Which are you?
- What is your life mission? Do you believe you will have this mission the rest of your life?
- What age do you expect to live to? What will you be like at that age?