In this episode, we explore the essential balance between nurturing your creativity and managing the administrative side of your dance career or business. Dancers are known for their passion and expressive nature, but navigating the world of contracts, schedules, and organization can be a challenge. I discusses practical tips to help you strike that balance and maintain focus on both the art and the business aspects of your dance life!

In this episode of Deep Dive Reads, we dive into Matthew Allen's Smart Thinking Skills for Critical Understanding and Writing, a practical guide to enhancing critical thinking and analytical skills. Allen explores reasoning as a communicative act, blending logic with communication theory to improve thinking processes. We discuss key elements of reasoning, such as claims, assumptions, and their interconnections, supported by various exercises. The episode also delves into different types of reasoning and strategies for effective research and analysis, emphasizing the importance of context and audience in communication. Tune in to unlock powerful tools for improving your thinking and writing skills. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freelancing can be an exhilarating journey — building a business from scratch, gaining financial freedom, and securing prestigious clients. But what happens when the work that once lit you up begins to feel hollow?   If you've ever wondered if there's more to your career than just success, this episode is for you.   In today’s show, we explore the concept of “Halftime,” a mid-career pivot that shifts your focus from external achievements to deeper personal fulfillment and significance. Drawing from personal experiences and the transformative lessons of Bob Buford’s book Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance, this episode invites you to rethink your path and take actionable steps toward a more meaningful second act.   What You’ll Learn The concept of Halftime and why it’s a proactive, purposeful pivot—not a reactive crisis. How to identify the signs that you’re ready for a career transition. Strategies to realign your work with your core values and personal goals. Practical ways to leverage your existing skills and experience to build a meaningful legacy.   Key Insights and Takeaways Why Halftime Matters for Freelancers As a solo professional, you don’t have a corporate roadmap for navigating career transitions. The freedom to chart your own course is both a burden and a gift. Halftime provides a framework to help you pause, reflect, and realign your business and life in a way that serves your higher purpose.   Recognizing the Need for Change Do any of these resonate with you? You’ve achieved financial milestones but feel unfulfilled. Burnout or fatigue has crept in, leaving you questioning the purpose behind your work. The creative spark that once energized you has faded. These are common signals that it’s time to pivot toward significance.   The Pillars of a Successful Halftime Journey 1. Success Without Significance is Hollow Many freelancers measure success by income, clients, or accolades. But these metrics alone often lead to burnout and dissatisfaction. Reflect on moments in your career that felt truly meaningful. What made them stand out? Practical steps: Revisit your core values and align them with your business goals. Conduct a career audit to identify areas of fulfillment and disconnect.   2. Build on Your Foundation to Create Your Legacy Halftime isn’t about starting over; it’s about using your experience and skills as a launchpad for the next chapter. What does legacy mean to you? It could be as simple as meaningful client work or as ambitious as creating a program that outlasts you. Envision your ideal second act. What kind of work excites you? How can you structure your career to reflect your values?   3. Embrace Experimentation and Small, Purposeful Steps Transitioning doesn’t require a drastic overhaul. Start with small shifts: Say yes to projects that align with your values. Begin phasing out work that drains you. Introduce joy and creativity back into your routine with passion projects. Create margin in your schedule for reflection and exploration.   Actionable Exercises Identify Your Big Why Ask yourself: What matters most to me at this stage of my life and career? Write down 3-5 values that guide your decisions and revisit them regularly. Conduct a Legacy Audit Reflect on your career and identify moments of significance. Ask: How can I create more opportunities for this kind of work? Try the “Joy Alignment Check” List current clients or projects. Which ones energize you? Which ones drain you? Take one small action this week to bring more joy into your work. Draft Your Legacy Statement Example: “In the next 10 years, I want to be known for helping [audience] achieve [outcome] through [method].” Use this statement as a guidepost for decisions moving forward.   Listener Challenge This week, carve out 30 minutes for a personal “vision session.” Ask yourself: What would my career look like if it fully aligned with my values? What small changes can I start making now to move closer to that vision?   Memorable Soundbites “Success without significance is ultimately unfulfilling.” “Your first half built the foundation; your second half builds the legacy.” “This isn’t about starting over—it’s about leveraging everything you’ve built in a more meaningful way.”   Join Me for a Transformative Coaching Experience If today’s episode resonated with you, I have an invitation. Next month, I’m hosting an 8-week small-group coaching program designed for freelancers and solo professionals ready to embrace their Halftime journey.   We’re going to work together over the course of 8 weeks to write a new story for yourself — one that’s unique to you and will enable you to navigate through this fog of doubt and overwhelm.   I'll provide a supportive environment where you can engage deeply with your professional challenges. Together, we'll tackle tough questions that will help you discover the answers you need to confidently navigate your future.   This journey could very well be the catalyst for that profound transformation, helping you navigate through uncertainty with newfound clarity and confidence.   The program is intentionally small and deeply personal. If you’re in your 40s, 50s, or 60s and ready to explore your next act, email me [] with “CLARITY” in the subject line. I’ll reply with all the details.

News items read by Laura Kennedy include: Newly discovered alphabet could be oldest in human history (details) Cutting-edge imaging reveals hidden text in legendary Blue Qur'an (details) New statistics technique better detehttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241119181845.htm Bermuda dig reveals forgotten Colonial-era history (details)

The source is a selection of excerpts from Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, a guide on improving interpersonal skills. The excerpts demonstrate Carnegie's core principles, which include giving sincere appreciation, arousing genuine interest in others, avoiding criticism, and making people feel important. They offer a practical approach to communication, highlighting how understanding and respecting others' perspectives can lead to improved relationships and more successful outcomes.

In-depth study of the book⁠ - 📚Explore our comprehensive analysis for free.(Warning: Proceed with caution! Reading this might just count as finishing the book. 😉) ⁠Read the full book ⁠- 📚Dive into the complete text.

Discover why the market isn’t your enemy in this insightful article. Learn how taking full responsibility for your trading actions can turn the market into an ally and unlock endless opportunities for growth. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mentalcapital.substack.com

COP29: UN envoy calls for countries to agree on new climate financing dealLebanon’s food insecurity ‘set to worsen’ amid ongoing conflict: WFPSouth Sudan election delay offers time for democracy to take root: top UN official

Welcome to the November 2024 Meaningful Leader. In this episode I talk about: How do I inspire loyalty in a world full of options? | "Fail Fast" is passe’— Fail Loudly Instead. | Amplifying Decisions with ChatGPT | What are you pretending not to know?   Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn Follow Level 52 on Youtube   The Meaningful Leader is a bite-sized disruption that gives insight into challenges other leaders are facing, the latest tools to tackle turbulence, and inputs to innovate your leadership.

The opioid epidemic is now a well-known phenomenon, drawing justified attention in medicine, politics and pop culture. But how much do you know about benzodiazepine dependence?  In this episode, author Melissa Bond tells us how she unintentionally ended up becoming deeply dependent on benzos, a journey chronicled in her memoir “Blood Orange Night.” Mayo Clinic pharmacist Dr. Michael Campbell joins us to provide expert insight on this complex issue.This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens. In this episode, we talked to:Melissa Bond is a narrative journalist and poet. In the years of her dependence on benzodiazepines, Melissa blogged and became a regular contributor for Mad in America. ABC World News Tonight interviewed her for a piece in January 2014. Her memoir “Blood Orange Night” was selected by the New York Times as one of the best audiobooks of 2022. Bond has been featured on PBS Story in the Public Square, Radio West, the podcasts Risk!, Endeavors, Psychology Unplugged, The New York Times Podcast, RadioWest and Mom’s Don’t Have Time to Read Books. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband and five wild teenagers.Dr. Michael Campbell is a board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist. He works under a collaborative practice agreement with Mayo Clinic Providers to improve patient outcomes in a wide variety of disease states. Largely his focus involves resolving medication-related problems for individuals with hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, depression, anxiety and obesity.We talked about:In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:An onslaught of symptoms. After getting hit with severe, unrelenting insomnia, Melissa was prescribed benzodiazepines — and a lot of them — to help her sleep. She didn’t realize that the side effects of these drugs were responsible for her rapidly deteriorating quality of life.Struggling to find understanding and support. It was hard to find a healthcare professional who could help her get off the drugs while avoiding the dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Even her friends didn’t understand, suggesting she go to rehab and “sweat it out” — a potentially life-threatening method for those with benzodiazepine dependance.Hope for recovery. Today, Melissa is free of benzodiazepines. She offers hope of healing for those on similar journeys.Can't get enough?Purchase “Blood Orange Night.”From Bookshop.org.From Amazon.From Barnes & Noble.Got feedback?If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary. The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.