Level Up is a forum for sharing ideas and values that you find interesting, enjoyable, or useful toward flourishing. We invite you to submit:
- Articles about ideas for loving life or defending freedom
- Reviews of books, podcasts, or videos you find valuable
- Personal-development tips, strategies, or tactics
Submissions are moderated for alignment with the purpose of the blog and may be edited for clarity and brevity. Read submission guidelines here.
Contributors here offer their own ideas, which do not necessarily reflect those of the staff or managers of OSI.
All Posts
Cal Newport to Speak at TOS-Con 2021
Exciting news! Cal Newport—author of Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and the forthcoming A World Without Email—has joined the roster for TOS-Con 2021, this July in Boston. In his talk, "Your Superpower for Success in a Distracted World," Dr. Newport will discuss...
Maximizing Your Creativity with Productive Meditation
Deep Work: “Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.” —Cal Newport What if you could produce...
Cracking the Code on Team Performance
Daniel Coyle, in The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, presents a compelling case for why some teams are more successful than others. His one-word answer is “culture,” which he defines as “the way that people interact within an organized...
Art as Inspiration: Lang Lang at the Prado
Great musicians can inspire students of music to improve their own playing and artistry. I experienced this myself in 2017 when, as a novice piano student, I went to see the world-renowned pianist Lang Lang on tour. I was awestruck by his technical skill, fluidity,...
Cara E. Yar Khan on the Value of Courage
“Courage and confidence are practical necessities . . . courage is the practical form of being true to existence, of being true to truth, and confidence is the practical form of being true to one’s own consciousness.” —Ayn Rand I love listening to people...
Level Up is a forum for sharing ideas and values that you find interesting, enjoyable, or useful toward flourishing. We invite you to submit:
- Articles about ideas for loving life or defending freedom
- Reviews of books, podcasts, or videos you find valuable
- Personal-development tips, strategies, or tactics
Submissions are moderated for alignment with the purpose of the blog and may be edited for clarity and brevity. Read submission guidelines here.
Contributors here offer their own ideas, which do not necessarily reflect those of the staff or managers of OSI.
Featured Posts
Orlando’s Christmas Gift: Two Nutcrackers and Spiritual Fuel
When was the last time you leaped to your feet to applaud artists performing live in a theater? It seems like forever ago for me. That void was recently...
How to Make Work Something You Love
For many people, “work” is a word with unpleasant associations. Children associate it with the burden of school work, which they have to do, like it or...
“Pick Yourself Up” with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Performers who love what they do can invoke a pure, soul-fueling joy in their audiences. Two performers who exemplify this are Fred Astaire and Ginger...
The Value of Creative Solo Projects
Producing a solo work of art that beautifies your home can leave you with a wonderful daily reminder of your abilities. I learned this after arranging...
Improve Your Life in Seconds with Mel Robbins’ 5-Second Rule
Feelings are not proper guides to action, but they are a tremendous and compelling aspect of our lives. Whatever goals you are pursuing, there may be...