Harry Potter: The “Magic” of Optimism

This past year, my husband and I have been in a race to see who can get to the last Harry Potter book first. I was ahead in early 2009, until we hit our summer house and the hubby spent a few days in the hammock jetting past me. But now, finally, I’ve pulled ahead and beat him to book number 7. (Hmm, is this really something to be bragging about? Now, I’m not so sure…)

Apparating is all about optimism

Anyway, my favorite so far was Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. First because it was, well, awesome. But second, because it revealed how much the wizards at Hogwarts believe in optimism and manifesting what it is you want.

In book six, the young wizards at the school were allowed to learn the process they call Apparating: moving their bodies from one place to another in an instant. A teacher named Twycross came into the school and started slow, explaining that they’d learn to Apparate into the space of a hula hoop laying a few inches in front of them on the floor. Eventually, with practice, they’d be able to Apparate from the school to the little town of Hogsmeade if they wanted.

Here’s how Twycross explained the process to Harry Potter and his friends:

“‘The important things to remember when Apparating are the three D’s!’ said Twycross. ‘Destination, Determination, Deliberation!

‘Step one: Fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination,‘ said Twycross. ‘In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate on that destination now. . .

‘Step two,’ said Twycross, ‘focus your determination to occupy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!’

‘Step three,’ called Twycross, ‘and only when I give the command…turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation! On my command, now…one…”

This is so similar to the important process I write about in Meeting Your Half-Orange:

First, you must boldly ask for what you want. Second, you must picture yourself having the life and love you want coupled with a determination to get it. And finally, make a deliberate effort to focus on how you want to feel every day, with your entire emotional being, so that your day is spent feeling like you already have the life you want.

Apparating is magic in Harry Potter’s book. But manifesting what you want in real life isn’t magic at all. It just feels that way when you end up in the life you were determined to have.

So do as Harry Potter and his friends and focus on your three steps to end up, like magic, in the relationship you want: Destination (in your love’s arms), Determination (see yourself getting there) and Deliberation (focus on it every single day with every particle of your body).

I’m sure Twycoss and Professor McGonagall would encourage the very same thing.

Big love,