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Light in All Things


J.K. Rowling is known for many great quotes and examples of moral education for children and all readers alike. A quote I find greatly powerful can be found in Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when Dumbledore says, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light". This quote is significant as it displays a level of optimism in the novel during a hard time for Harry, and arguably the start of the darker part of the boy's story. Dumbledore's words of wisdom are significant to the story as the castle is surrounded by Dementors, a creature of darkness that literally sucked the joy from its victim, and the words encourage Harry and his classmates that things will get better even if the circumstances are not ideal for the time being. Although the quote is great in the story, it is even more significant for the reality we live in. Many individuals in this modern age suffer from mental illnesses and isolation more than any other time period in human history. Physically the world has become a piece of cake with the technology we own, and many needs such as food and water are met for a large portion of the planet. Yes, there are many nations that this is not the case for, but that is because they lack the technology needed to make their physical lives better, yet they live emotionally strong lives compared to many that have their physical needs met. This can lead to the confusion that things aren't good for anyone as one has either physical or mental security then they lack the other requirement for a healthy life. Some even argue that you only need one or the other. Why can't we all have both? I believe this is the true impact that Dumbledore's quote should have on the world. If you are without one need and have the other then your life will look dark, but if you just shine light upon what you lack, then you can find a solution to fix that issue to become whole. This light mentioned is your conscious awareness of what is considered a darkness in your life, and by turning on this light you can both see and destroy such darkness, for darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. As a wizard, Dumbledor can cast the spell of Lumos to enlighten his surroundings, but when it comes to emotions or needs such a spell has little effect. When Dumbledore speaks this quote to his students he understands that things are literally dark with the Dementors around and that the times look grim, but he encourages the students to look at their thoughts and fears and to illuminate their consciousness to find and dispel their fears to get through the present circumstances to defend themselves from the Dementors with their magic, specifically the Patronus which is conjured by happiness, and to stay positive and focus on what they need to do in order to become their best selves. He does not say this in an expectation that the students just wait around for things to get better, but rather for them to grow from the experience and become better wizards and people.

We can all learn a great deal from Dumbledor's words. It is easy to blame others for your problems and come up with reasons why things aren't great in your life, but it is important that we all look at ourselves first to see if there is something we have done wrong or something we can do to make our circumstances better. Then once we have cast the light of understanding on what has been done or needs to be done, we must take action to achieve our desires and the necessities of life. Sure, the world can look dark at times, but you have the power to decide whether you are going to be the light that puts out the darkness or if you will continue to let it grow with expectations that others will take care of it. In order to turn on that light, you must turn on the light inside yourself first, just as Dumbledore suggests his students do to get through such hard times emotionally and physically with the presence of the Dementors.

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