Self Improvement
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A community which focusses on improving yourself. This can be in many different ways - from improving physical health or appearance, to improving mental health, creating better habits, overcoming addictions, etc.
While material circumstances beyond our control do govern much of our daily lives, people do have agency and choices to make, whether that is as "simple" as disciplining yourself to not doomscroll, to as complex as recreating yourself to have many different hobbies and habits.
This is not a place where all we do is talk about improving "productivity" (in a workplace context) and similar terms and harmful lifestyles like "grindset". Self-improvement here is intended to make you a generally better and happier person, as well as a better communist, and any other roles you may have in your life.
Rules and guidelines:
- Posts should be about self-improvement. This is obviously a wide category, and can range from advice, to finding resources, to self-posts about needing to improve in a certain area, or how you have improved, and many other things.
- Use content warnings when discussing difficult subjects.
- Do not make medical decisions solely because of a discussion you have had with any person here (e.g. whether to take or not take medications; diagnoses; etc.) as we do not vet people. All medical problems should be discussed with a real-life medical professional.
- Do not post harmful advice here. If this is seen, then please report it and we shall remove it. If you are unsure about whether it's precisely harmful advice or not but feel uneasy about it, please report it anyway.
- Do not insult other users and their lifestyles or their habits (unless they ask, I suppose). This is a place for self-improvement. Critique and discussion about a course of action is encouraged over shit-flinging. Don't talk down to people.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
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Hello comrades and welcome to the second improvement megathread of December! 
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your week?
+ Do you have any plans for next week?
Poster caption: "Everyone to the election of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Socialist Republics" 
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I want to pin this thread as a resource for people looking into recovery from substance abuse. Post your links!
(www.samhsa.gov)
I've used SAMHSA before to find a rehab, 2 times now and both times it helped me out greatly so I want to share this with the community for anyone who wants to make the plunge.
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@moonlake@hexbear.net's great commrequest to create this comm was here, and the improover thread that inspired it is here. Hopefully, we can make this space a place for comrades to talk about their efforts to improve oneself.
This community's purpose is to gather ways for us leftists to become more effective and self-disciplined, forging healthy habits and setting goals. It is undoubtably true that most problems that we experience are due to systemic issues. We do, however, possess some degree of individual agency that we can exert.
We explicitly reject the narratives of "grindset" and "increasing productivity" which are usually associated with "self improvement" among grifter circles, especially in the context of working for capitalists to earn a wage and giving them even more of your surplus value. If you're in a position to slack off at work and still receive a wage that can support you, then don't work any harder than necessary for those bougie motherfuckers. This is a community that is focussed on self-improvement in every other way, allowing us to become happier, healthier, and more knowledgable communists. I believe that we should, as much as possible and when it is safe to do so without being assaulted by chuds, be role models for communism - compassionate, caring, and hard-working (as said before, outside of the workplace). We should be, as much as possible, friendly and reliable to those around us - somebody other people go to when they need support or are confused about the world. After all:
As revolutionaries, we don't have the right to say we are tired of explaining. We must never stop explaining. We know that when the people understand, they cannot help but follow us.
While revolutionary scenarios in the imperial core are very rare right now, we are entering an incredibly tumultuous global situation in the coming years and decades as American quasi-hegemony is threatened. We must be prepared, and cultivate discipline and revolutionary optimism now, so that we can take advantage of all opportunities that come our way. As our comrades in Palestine and elsewhere are fighting imperialism on the front lines, spilling their blood for a better world, we must not fall into resignation and doomerism. We must not cede the concept of improving oneself and becoming a better person to right-wingers and self-help guru grifters.
We naturally have a lot of overlap with c/fitness and c/theory, as well as other communities. Again, this is self-improvement in virtually every way - whether you want to eat healthier (and ideally go 
), improve fitness (whether that's to be big and muscular, or more thin and lithe), transition successfully via HRT and voice training, stopping doomscrolling on Twitter or Reddit so much in your spare time, stopping smoking/drinking/etc, learning a language - and a dozen other ways that you can improve yourself.
- Learning a new language, especially that of the largest minority in your country (such as Spanish in the US).
- Learn first aid and CPR, as well as how to administer and receive narcan.
- Meet your neighbours - either introduce yourself in person, or, if you're shy, write a polite note and leave a small gift. Obviously, sometimes your neighbours are hostile chuds and so shouldn't be engaged with if possible.
- Join or start a reading group. Note that @Vampire@hexbear.net and many others have been discussing getting these back on track.
- Know where your community resources are, if applicable - such as the closest food pantry, warming shelter, free clinic, libraries, etc.
- Brush up on how to protest safely, including from a legal perspective.
- Pay attention to local boycotts, as well as larger ones like BDS. Don't cross picket lines.
- If you have the time and energy, volunteering in your community is a good way to contribute and socialize with others in your community and build organizational and life skills.
- Read theory, and also the history of communist organizing.
- Take care of yourself. Eat as well as you can on your budget. Get enough sleep. Go outside, even if just for a walk around the block every day (remember to mask when needed!) Be social, if that helps you.
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Hello comrades and welcome to the first improvement megathread of December! The thread is one day late this time, sorry about that.
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your week?
+ Do you have any plans for next week?
Poster caption: To grow is our change!
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Hello comrades and welcome to the fifth improvement megathread of November! It's the last day of November, which is a good time to review the progress from the past month.
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your November?
+ Do you have any goals for December?
Poster caption
A Pioneer’s tie burns bright and with its three corners is the slogan: Great friendship with Komsomol and the Party, the link between three generations is solid as granite!
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Hello comrades and welcome to the fourth improvement megathread of November!
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your week?
+ Do you have some plans for next week?
Poster caption
The PLA uncle teaches me target shooting
解放军叔叔教我学打靶
Jiefangjun shushu jiao wo xue daba
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Hello comrades and welcome to the third improvement megathread of November! We are in the middle of November. It's a good time to remind ourselves of our goals for this month.
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your week?
+ How is your November going so far?
+ Do you have some plans for next week?
Poster caption
"Greetings to the world’s largest Dnieprostroi Hydroelectric Station that has started operating. Long live the most productive workers of socialist construction! DGES (Hydroelectric Station Of Dnieper-Petrovsk)."
This poster is oversized. The Dnieprostroi Hydroelectric Station was built on the Dnieper River, the third largest river in Europe. Soviet architects designed the dam and its buildings while a U.S. team assisted with the engineering. When completed in 1932, the dam was the biggest in the world and it was a tremendous achievement for the First Five-Year Plan and for the Soviet Union.
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Hello comrades and welcome to the second improvement megathread of November! I hope your November is off to a great start.
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your week?
+ Do you have some plans for next week?
Poster caption
"Military training for all people is the pledge of victory. A strong working hand with a rifle by the machine."
Vsevobuch was the U.S.S.R.'s universal military training. By decree, all citizens were obligated to receive basic military training even if they did not join the Red Army. (Written on the machine) "Workers of all countries, unite!"
Good luck with your goals!
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Hello comrades and welcome to the first improvement megathread of November! It's time to review our progress from October and make some plans for November.
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your October?
+ Do you have any plans for November?
+ How was your week?
+ Do you have some plans for next week?
Poster caption
"Stand up, rise to your feet, working nation! Endure a little longer! Workers of all countries are rising up and coming to your aid!”
This poster quotes a revolutionary song and notes the first anniversary (1918) of the October Revolution. The date on the poster (November 7) is when the revolution occurred per the Julian Calendar used by Russia at the time. The current Gregorian calendar records the revolution as having been on October 25. Russia changed to the Gregorian after the Soviets took control.
The November Revolution marked the second (and final) phase that terminated the provisional government in Russia. The provisional government was formed after the February Revolution (the first Russian Revolution) when the monarchy was toppled ending Russia's 303 years of under the Romanov Dynasty. Once the provisional government was dissolved, Russia came under the control of Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks.
Good luck in November!
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Hello comrades and welcome to the fourth improvement megathread of October!
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your week?
+ Do you have some plans for next week?
Poster caption
"Down with capital, long live the dictatorship of the proletariat!"
During the middle of the Russian Civil War, the Bolsheviks celebrated the 3rd anniversary of the October Revolution. In Moscow, they held a parade on Red Square on November 7th, 1920. This poster shows two dates for the October anniversary. The 25th is the date of the revolution on the Gregorian calendar, while November 7th is recorded on the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar was implemented by Soviet Russia in February 1918.
Symbolically, the poster shows a worker with rifle in hand stomping on capitalism as columns from a bank building are under his foot. At the rear, workers are marching against the backdrop of a rising sun. This poster was designed by the artist Dmitry Melnikov.
Good luck with your goals! 
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Hello comrades and welcome to the third improvement megathread of October!
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your week?
+ Do you have some plans for next week?
Poster caption
"Congratulations on a victorious October!"
Aircraft searchlights illuminate the sky forming the number 28 in honor of the 28th anniversary of the October Revolution.
By November 1945, and at the time of the anniversary, the USSR had announced they were on the verge of possessing an atomic bomb, a capability that altered international relations for the next 46 years until the collapse of the USSR. The Red Army soldier illustrated on this poster appears to be from one of the Central Asian republics, and he wears a World War II victory medal on his right side along with other medals. On his left side is a medal similar in its design to the “Order of the Red Banner”.
Good luck with your goals! 
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Hello comrades and welcome to the second improvement megathread of October!
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your week?
+ Do you have some plans for next week?
Poster caption
Making a good red flag to give to the heroes
做好红旗献英雄
Zuo hao hongqi xian yingxiong
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Hello comrades and welcome to the first improvement megathread of October! The spooky season has officially started 
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your week?
+ Do you have some plans for next week?
+ Do you have some plans for October?
Poster caption
"Long live the 30th anniversary of the great October socialist revolution!"
(The tall building on this poster is the conceptual "Palace of the Soviets" in Moscow proposed to be built on the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This "Palace" was never built.)
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Hello comrades and welcome to the fourth improvement megathread of September! Just a few more days until spooky season
Some discussion ideas:
+ How was your week?
+ Do you have some plans for next week?
+ Do you have some plans for October?
Poster caption
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China
庆祝中华人民共和国成立25周年
Qingzhu zhonghua renmin gonghe guo chengli 25 zhounian
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Hello comrades and welcome to the third improvement megathread of September! It's the last day of summer.
Some discussion ideas:
- How was your week?
- Do you have some plans for next week?
+ How was your summer?
+ Do you have some goals or plans for autumn?
Poster caption
"Listen, Moscow speaks!" a poster by artist Viktor Govorkov.
The first Soviet radio station was All-Union Radio. Between 1920 and 1922, it used the radio tower in Moscow designed by Vladimir Shukhov. In 1925, the Radio Commission of the Central Committee began supervision of broadcasting in the Soviet Union. The first live, Soviet broadcast took place during the November 1925 funeral of Mikhail Frunze, People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs. Approximately 150 "radio enthusiasts" were listening to programs by 1925, and radio clubs were forming across the nation.
By 1927, the Soviet Union had twenty-nine major (state-run) radio stations and programming began to catch-up to Europe and the United States.
In the 1930s, a past-time came into being-- listening to New Year's programs on the family "tarelka" or "tochka", a plate-like receiver. During World War II, radio afforded citizens to hear the voice of their leader, Josef Stalin. By the 1950s, Soviet radio had become formulaic with drab news programs and symphonic music. It was not until the 1960s that broadcasters developed more listening options.
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Hello comrades and welcome to the second improvement megathread of September! We are entering the last week of summer, let's finish strong and prepare for autumn.
Some discussion ideas:
- How was your week?
- Do you have some plans for next week?
Poster caption
Revolutionary friendship is as deep as the ocean
革命友谊深如海
Geming youyi shen ru hai
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Hello comrades and welcome to the first improvement megathread of September! I hope your month has started well.
Some discussion ideas:
- How was your week?
- Do you have some plans for next week?
Poster caption: "Protect the beauty of the Earth"
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Hello comrades and welcome to the fifth improvement megathread of August!
It's the last day of August. Tomorrow brings a new month to conquer!
Some discussion ideas:
- How was your week?
- Do you have some plans for next week?
- How was your August?
- Do you have some plans for September?
Poster caption
The socialist camp is unprecedentedly united, prosperous and strong
社会主义阵营空前团结富強
Shehui zhuyi zhenying kongqian tuanjie fuqiang
Good luck with your goals!
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Hello comrades and welcome to the fourth improvement megathread of August!
Some discussion ideas:
- How was your week?
- Do you have some plans for next week?
- Do you have some tools or resources that you want to share?
Poster caption
Intellectuals must unite with fellow workers, peasants and soldiers
知识分子必须同工农兵相结合
Zhishi fenzi bixu tong gongnongbing xiang jiehe
Good luck with your goals!
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