this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
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Doesn't have to be a thing you bought. Just some thing you didn't have but then once you did it expanded your scope of actions.

The first obvious example that comes to mind is a car. Plenty of drawbacks to prevalence of cars, but being able to go where I want when I want, and far away, is very transformative.

I'm interested in other examples of things that aren't just useful, but that open new possibilities.

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[–] [email protected] 69 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I had a teacher advise me to make a habit of occasionally seeking out embarrassment, to stay in the habit, and prevent being paralyzed by fear of embarrassment.

I've followed that advice for years, and it's like a super power.

I've done so much cool shit that a previous version of myself would have been afraid to try.

I don't even remember all the embarrassing stuff, even though there's plenty. The cool stuff is what sticks in my memory, even though I'm prone to remembering my mistakes.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Saw a Ted talk that said the same thing. The guy over came some social anxiety by actively putting himself in an awkward situation each day (his was asking if he could get his coffee for free at the coffee shop). Once he got use to low stakes situations where people were surprised, confused or mildly judgemental (but also amused or just disinterested) it was easier to do things that actually mattered without worrying about people's reactions. And he got a few free coffees.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago (8 children)

First step is to post something onpopular but true on Lemmy, and be OK with the downvotes. I dare you all. :)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Youtube is actually good for both viewers and uploaders if you use it right. If youre upset with your experience of it, its your fault.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Dance. Started dancing (taking classes) at 350lbs 4 ½ months ago, still going now at 295lbs. Everything is sooo much easier. First exercise I really liked, improves my flexibility, strength, and cardio. And I feel mad sexy doing it.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I'd highly recommend playing Dance Dance Revolution, if you're at all interested. Very fun way to burn lots of calories. There's an open source clone called StepMania. If you really end up enjoying it, you're going to want to invest in some high quality metal dance pads. Worth every penny though, in my opinion.

By the way, I'm 400 pounds. I know your struggle. I've lost well over 100 pounds playing StepMania before. Unfortunately I've had some bad events put me in a bad depression, which caused me to gain it back.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

I'm a crossfit guy, but I absolutely agree. Once you find an exercise you enjoy and look forward to life just seems better.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 8 months ago

I am handicapped and in early retirement. I had a hard time going on walks, got tired fast, there was always the fear of stumbling/falling again and carrying a bag was painful using a backpack made me getting tired faster.

I bought an expensive walking helper /walker with 4 wheels (not something you sit on and drive, but walk behind), a seat and a big bag for shopping. I feel like superwoman now when I am on a walk, because I can walk longer, buy stuff and just put it on the thing and it is so easy to get even heavy stuff home and whenever I get tired and no matter where I am, I just sit down, relax, power comes back and I can keep going.

The best thing I have ever bought in my whole life.

I was told this is only for very old people and that it looks ridiculous at my age and that I would not need it by everyone, fuck them. It is pure quality of life and increases my power to over 9000! I have been more outside in the last 12 months, than in the 5 years before that because of it.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 8 months ago

Internet. I've lived in rural areas most of my life and only in the last five years was able to start gaming with friends and watching unlimited video. I feel much less resentment that people don't want to visit me and am happier getting my social needs met in person by physically going out less often (I still get out once a week ish)

It's not a replacement for intimate relationships but any means, but I do think it can enhance them with healthy boundaries n whatnot. I went through a rough break up recently that's had me realizing I'd like a partner that's ok with me having space to chill with friends day to day but still making time for each other.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

As sad as it is, it's true. I was broke for so many years that I even today, after years of having some, it eats at me paying so much for a car or other stuff. And I don't know if I should change. I think I'll never will anyways. Just trying to help without being exploited. First: tell no one how much money your project (or whatever) made. Wife and kid know, obviously, no one else. ESPECIALLY not "family". But it's a super power in our world that one could get lawful justice if anybody does you wrong. Without any money, you won't. From experience. And the daily anxiety is gone. Ok, not gone, but very, very small. Completely without I'd be too lazy in the long run, I presume.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 8 months ago

Transitioning

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Generator so I have power when the power goes out. Would like solar but soooo expensive.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago (2 children)

The first was my bike. Totally changed life. It opened up the entire county to me, though the far end was not viable time wise.

Then my first car.

After that, I suppose it was a cell phone. Gave me the freedom to travel and stay in communication on my terms. However, part of that was caller ID by default. The freedom to ignore calls and make the decision based on who was calling without having to worry about missing an important call was big time. Since I could do this anywhere my car could reach, it was the pinnacle of freedom, with subsequent iterations only expanding the use.

After that? My cane.

After my body fucked up, and I was on a walker for a while, being able to walk steadily without the walker was freedom again. It may seem like the walker was that, but it never felt like it. I went from jogging and walking and hiking freely to crawling, literally in a second.

From crawling, a walker sure was better, but it was as much a symbol of limitations as it granted more mobility.

But the cane? That's when I knew I would be able to have something resembling the life I had lost. It isn't the same as it was and never will be. But the difference between having the cane and not having it is what makes it powerful.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago

Literally, tyrosine and iodine, because my thyroid gland was running slow and I was feeling cold most of the year. Now my body's idling power is higher.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (6 children)

Getting a 3D printer.

Most things I had to replace because of being broken, the thing that broke was just some plastic bullshit; now I can just replace the broken part. Not to mention the myriad of things people have made that solve problems I never even thought of until seeing them on Thingiverse and such.

Add a soldering iron and some other tools and I can make my own electronic gadgets.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I want a 3d printer so badly. I don't have the money for it, or the set up where I currently live to have one. But I'm supposed to be moving soon, and I want to start saving for one. I'm a crafty/DIY(read: jury rig) person by nature. I love fixing shit, making shit, and creatively solving problems. If I had more money, I'm pretty much the exact target audience for a 3d printer. Lol

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago

Moving to a city with a tool library. For an annual £20 fee I can borrow any of a myriad of power tools. Currently using an orbital sander for some DIY, previously borrowed a hedge trimmer for the garden, it’s freaking great.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Experience. Learning when it’s okay not to give a fuck, and when I definitely should.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

At some point you just realized everyone is "faking it till they make it"

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago

stimulant use

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago

Reading regurlarly, It really improved my attention time, and it definitively helps to manage my anxiety, weirdly enough.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago

Tools.

Drill, star bits (make allen wrench bolts much easier), circular saw, oscillating multitool, clamps, a tiller, power washer, ladders

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago

I moved to a different country driven by a wanting to become worldly rather than for economic reasons.

Facing a whole new place, with a different language, different social norms and expectations and even different living conditions, like that on your own makes you massivelly more adaptable to new environments, as a later move to a different country showed as well as living for a couple of months in yet another one.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

The Dark Side.

Now I have unlimited power.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

Getting proper diagnoses and treatment/medication

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

Does upgrading my electrical panel count?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

Self-diagnosing with ADHD in my 30s. Going for an assessment soon!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (2 children)

My divorce. I didn't even realize that my ex-wife was abusive until getting into the divorce process. Once I got away and started to understand, I began to take some of my power back and develop even more. I went from terrified of her to strong and confident.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Becoming proficient with Linux (I use NixOS, btw 🤓).

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago

Learning another language, I guess? Besides learning English, being able to understand a few others even at a basic level is useful (if you ever get the chance to use it 😅).

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

Lets see uh falling into a vat of acid, suffering intense radiation , getting bit by radioactive insects and a lion ?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

Psychedelics. Very eye opening.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

2011- prescription Vyvanse

2017- $300k family inheritance

2020- freedom to travel with no responsibilities

2024- semaglutide

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

semaglutide?

I envy the 'travel with no responsibilities' don't take that for granted.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Anti diabetic / weight loss drug

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

I quit my job. Not sure if it gave me something but it sure took away a lot of asses I had to kiss.

Does that work?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

Learned to code. Most profitable hobby I've ever had. Crazy fun.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

Quitting smoking

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Being touched by Super Kami Guru

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

I need an adult.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

A decent GPU (rx 570). Could play any game I wanted without going through desperate measures to get it to run at minimal settings, could do more with game dev and 3d modeling, etc..

These days, integrated graphics are honestly pretty decent though. Hell, I'm pretty sure the steam deck's apu is more powerful than my machine in a few ways.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

A low-powered zoom microscope. I can again look at and work on tiny things, fix jewelry, electronics, remove splinters. Use it WAY more rhan I ever thought I would.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

Real-time live AI captioning.

It's not perfect but more words than none.

I hold daily Scrum meetings in Zoom and everyone benefits with the transcript saved at the end of the meeting.

I raid with my guild, with Live Captions window overlaid onto of my chat box.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

When I figured out how to run computational chemistry software on my home pc. It entirely changed how I saw chemistry because I could tinker and experiment with (virtual) molecules on a grand scale. Being able to run five maybe ten thousand simulations significantly increased my understanding.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago
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