If you’ve read the famous Harry Potter book series, then you’re aware of the many spells and enchantments used by witches and wizards. Some spells like Scourgify (which is used to clean something), Reparo (used to repair broken or damaged objects), Lumos (used to turn the tip of a witch’s or wizard’s wand into a flashlight), and Alohomora (used to unlock most doors) sound like they can make life in Eden Prairie, MN even better than it already is. But unfortunately for us, we don’t all have access to a magic wand that can clean up something with a simple wave of our hand.
In addition to introducing us to a world of magical spells, enchantments, and creatures, Harry Potter touched on a lot of ideas and themes we can learn from. Even though Arrive Eden Prairie is no Hogwarts, you can still benefit from a few of these life lessons that are downright magical.
Don’t believe everything you read.
2017 is infamous for so much drama concerning fake news. This year, move forward with the intention to not instantly believe something the moment you read it. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter is marked as Undesirable No. 1, “a criminally-wanted wizard by the Ministry of Magic.” Let’s just say that many wizards and witches believed the rumors floating around and thought Harry was a threat when in reality he was not at fault for the claims against him.
Take courage in both easy and difficult situations.
One of our favorite lines from the Harry Potter books is spoken by Albus Dumbledore: “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”
There may be times in life when your close friends make decisions that might be harmful to both you and them. This year, have the courage to stand up and be that friend who says something that needs to be said. It can be easy to stand with those we are close to, but a true measure of courage can be seen when you might just have to stand alone.
What you want most is often on the other side of fear.
Ron Weasley faced his fears in the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in order to get information that he needed. And no, this was not an easy task — who on earth would want to walk through a dark forest while spiders the size of trash can lids surrounded you by the hundreds, if not thousands?
Sometimes in life, we’d prefer to stay in our apartments, drink hot cocoa, and listen to music rather than face the world. But life always has a way of throwing curve balls at us, requiring us to pop our bubbles for reasons we might not expect. When situations arise when you are afraid, smile knowing that what you want or need is often past those few steps of fear.
As said in the 2011 movie We Bought A Zoo, “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”
We hope that these few life lessons bring a spark of magic into your life as you move forward in 2018. Sure, you might not have a magic wand to cast cool spells, but your apartment here is much better than living in a broom cupboard. And you can take that to the bank (unfortunately, not Gringotts!).
