SL and Positivity

So many times when SL is discussed, negative aspects of it are often mentioned. Whether it's a shaky infrastructure or the latest resident rebellion or bad publicity of the moment, it makes you sometimes wonder why folks are even bothering to continue to be inworld at all? When trying to describe SL to others who aren't involved in it, I find that I tend to think of the good things about it and how it's helped me in my RL:

It's made me even better at Photoshop.
I was a graphic designer for years, but the things I've created inworld have challenged my skills in PS and helped me to become better at it.

I've met and made friends with some very interesting people from all over the world.
If I walked away from SL right now, I know that I have some positive, encouraging friends that I'd be happy to count now as RL ones as well.

It makes conversations about difficult topics easy to have.
Often in RL, we might feel reluctant about bringing up difficult subjects due to a feeling of being judged, embarrassed, or retribution of some sort. Due to our relative anonymity inworld, it just feels easier to more freely discuss hard topics. Technology like this has the power to help us understand each other better...not drive us apart.

Creativity inworld spurs/inspires my creativity in RL.
I find that building and creating inworld inspires my writing and artwork in RL. Being surrounded by so much inventiveness gets me going!

The altruism that others exhibit is often amazing.
My experience over and over again in SL has always been that people are more than willing to explain, give, and share with one another and their inworld community. Can you imagine if more or us behaved like that in RL too?

I feel more "plugged in" tech-wise.
I've always had a love of all things tech. My involvement with SL has made me more aware of things trend-wise in that regard, and not in a bad way.

Learning about yourself and what you're capable of inworld can be transferred to RL if you are open to it.
I think a lot about using the lessons I learn inworld about myself to benefit RL me. Why not use the positive aspects of SL you for RL you and make it work for the positive?!

It's can be absolutely fun-filled.
In the end, SL can be just plain fun and I still see it as a big world filled with interesting places to explore and learn.

So, what has SL done positively for YOU?