I’ve always been a massive fan of Harry Potter. I’ve read all the books more than 10 times. I’ve dreamt of one day being selected to go to Hogwarts. And I’ve always imagined that I will one day save the world along with Harry and his friends. I started reading the series a bit later on in my teenage years, and I need to give due credit to my brother who introduced me to this world of magic through his obsession as well. I guess we share that one common trait. Anyway, getting back to Harry Potter, it’s not merely a bunch of books. There’s so much more to it. It’s a story about life. How excessive greed and power can destroy you, shines light on strong leadership, the strength of friendship and shows the world the power of love.

In these difficult times, when people all over the world are so divided, where many have chosen to forsake the greater good for the good of few, where the lives of people are taken ever so lightly, where hate trumps compassion, I find it comforting to escape to Hogwarts and join the ranks of Harry Potter. Where a bunch of people fought hard against the Battle of Hogwarts, because they believed in the greater good and an inclusive world for all.  And why it’s so comforting is that, we know good triumphs against evil and that in the end of the day the wizarding world will be okay. When it comes to real life, it is a bit difficult to know if everything will be fine and if our hard work will pay off. But even in the darkest times, courageous, honorable and unrelenting leaders emerge defying the odds. So we learn about those leaders, like Harry, Ron and Hermione, Neville Longbottom, Professor Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall and many others and the lessons that they teach us. And I truly believe, that we have something to learn from them.

Picking on 3 areas which I find we as rotaractors can relate to and inculcate in our journey in this movement.

Courage

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends”

Sometimes, the people you are close to may have conflicting ideals to yours. You may not agree with it, but you may be tempted to go ahead with it just because they are your friends. Neville Longbottom was not a particularly popular student at Hogwarts, with Harry, Ron and Hermione were among his only friends. And yet, when they were sneaking out to save the Sorcerer’s Stone, he stood up to them in a bid to save house points for Gryffindor. Sometimes we are presented with instances where difficult decisions must be made, and I think it takes a lot of courage to do the right thing rather than doing things right. And we can learn quite a lot from Neville of his admirable show of courage.

Character

“It’s our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities”

Who we are and the direction of our lives do not depend on our past, the amount of money we make, our parents, our ability to sing, our mental capacity to learn, our looks or our athletic ability. Rather, it is our choices that determine our character, personality and the satisfaction that we derive from life.

Leadership is a journey, not a destination: The work is never done

People who dream of one day climbing up the ladder may often think about the power and the privilege of being looked up to. While others, may see the responsibility and service aspect to it. Regardless of it all, if you look at it as mere destination and work your way up, the chances of being disappointed is high. This is a journey that is measured by what you make out of it. Savoring the ups and downs and welcoming the challenges. “It is important, Dumbledore said, to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then could evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated.” It is important to know who we are. We are the past, the present and the people who will be shaping the future. My advice to you, is not to revel in the power that you have been thrust upon, but to make use of it to make a positive impact. It’s not the position that you hold at the end of the day matters, but the change that you have brought about. As I mentioned before, there is a lot to learn from Harry Potter and the wizarding world. It’s a lesson of life.

By ADRR Rtr. PP. Afraa Mohomed | Emai: afraa.rotaract@gmail.com