In More Ways Than $, If You Let It
I think poker will change certain aspects of my life, and has the potential to affect me int he short term. Long Term, I doubt, unless I really do well and play in larger games/tournaments, that the money I can make from Poker will hold the weight a few hundred to thousand dollars holds for me today as my "real" career progresses.
Poker has made me more analytical, taught me to be smarter with my money, and has taught me how to stay in better control of my emotions under great stress. I believe it is changing my life for the better, but its only starting to do so and will only do so if I stick to my long term plans. Poker teaches discipline when you let it and with a few dumb moves can teach you how much it hurts to be careless with your finances. A lot of good lessons can come from poker when you ignore the toxicity in much of its culture and focus solely on yourself, your game, your finances, your life.