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.
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.
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.
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.
stimulant use
Reading regurlarly, It really improved my attention time, and it definitively helps to manage my anxiety, weirdly enough.
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?
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.
I hope your new positive path continues. Good luck, said the survivor or a bad marriage.
Thanks. You too!
Getting proper diagnoses and treatment/medication
2011- prescription Vyvanse
2017- $300k family inheritance
2020- freedom to travel with no responsibilities
2024- semaglutide
Self-diagnosing with ADHD in my 30s. Going for an assessment soon!
Psychedelics. Very eye opening.
Does upgrading my electrical panel count?
The Dark Side.
Now I have unlimited power.
Confidence.
Underrated answer here. Real, or outwardly displayed, it’s a game changer.
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.
For anyone interested, just Google “stereoscopic dissecting microscope used”. The ‘used’ part is to makes it less expensive. They can cost a lot. I used to use my lab sonicator water bath to clean my jewelry, and our dissecting scope to check the jewelry to make sure all the skin crud is gone from every crevice.
