The wildly successful Harry Potter fantasy books are not only highly entertaining, they also contain valuable lessons of life for people of all ages.

The Harry Potter series of fantasy books, though written primarily for young people, carries important lessons for life success. People of all ages enjoy reading these books and can benefit from taking these lessons to heart.

There Is Magic All Around Us

Though Muggles, non-magical people, live side by side with witches and wizards, they are unaware of this parallel community. There is magic all around us, too. The magic of life and the wonders of our universe, but we are often blind to the beauty and the magic that surrounds our daily lives.

Courage Is Taking Action in Spite of Fear

Time and time again, Harry Potter and his friends follow their instincts and values, taking on challenges despite their fears and the cautionary warnings of others. This is courage, taking action in spite of fear. It's not that courageous people do not feel fear, but their convictions and values inspire action in spite of the fear.

The Importance of Friends and Mentors

Harry struggles in situations in which he fails to rely on his friends and mentors, but thrives and overcomes huge challenges when he confides in and depends on them. Even at our best, we are not as competent, as courageous, and as creative as when we work together with others. A strong support network is crucial to success in all aspects of life.

Play to Your Strengths

Even wizards and witches have strengths and weaknesses. Harry and his friends are no different. When Harry uses his strengths of courage and flying skill and when Hermione utilizes her wisdom and research skills these young wizards and witches are able to overcome challenges that thwart experienced adults. Harry demonstrates this most succinctly in winning the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

We, too, are at our best when we use our strengths. We're happiest, most productive, and most creative, when we build our lives around strengths.

Believing Makes it So

Despite their magical prowess, the witches and wizards of Harry Potter adventures demonstrate that our truths in life depend on core beliefs. This is illustrated clearly when Ron, believing he had taken a potion that guarantees he will have good luck in all he does that day, plays brilliantly as Keeper in that day's Quiddich match.

"If you think you can do a thing or you think you can't do a thing, you're right," Henry Ford

What we believe is instrumental in our performance, too.

The Power of Love

Though a child, Harry successfully wins out in battles against the feared Dark Lord, Voldemort. Voldemort, so evil and fearsome that most adult wizards and witches refrain from using his name, is stymied again and again by the young wizard, Harry Potter. Potter's advantage, according to his mentor Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, is love, his secret weapon against dark magic.

Choices, Choices, Choices

Headmaster Dumbledore to Harry: "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we are, far more than our abilities." The choices we make create the lives we lead.

Though facing tough odds against success, Potter and his friends continually focused on positive end results. Overcome the dark magic in your life with positive thinking.