You know the feeling. You’ve just been confronted with some uncomfortable, unsettling news or are facing a tough decision or difficult situation.
Your body’s first reaction is that you have to swallow.
There’s no reason to. You’re not eating. You literally have to swallow the bitter pill we metaphorically talk about.
The next time you watch Harry Potter, pay attention to how often Harry swallows. In some scenes it’s subtle. In others it’s obvious. But he does it all the time.
After every nightmare, before every challenge, with every piece piece of soul-crushing news, Harry swallows.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is my favorite book of the series. I read it when I was 12. One idea has stuck with me ever since.
There is a distinction between what is right and what is easy.
“Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.” – Albus Dumbledore
Every time Harry swallows, he lets go of the easy decision. After that moment, it’s gone. The only choice left is to do what’s right.
Not because he likes making these choices, but because he can’t not do it. The physical reaction is a manifestation of his character.
I’ve come across this idea lots of times since then. But I always remember Harry when I do.
He chooses to do what’s right, over and over again. Because that’s just who he is.
So every day for the past 14 years, I’ve tried to become a little more like Harry Potter.
