Books

11 J.K. Rowling Quotes To Make You Feel Powerful

by Hannah Nelson-Teutsch

There are some days — those terrible, horrible, no good very bad days, when I find myself desperately in need of a fairy godmother — a magical figure with all the answers to life's tough questions and just enough, vim, vigor, and chutzpa to challenge me to be my best self. Although she has not yet appeared to me in a sudden flash of light or a hazy cloud of sparkling sunshine, in my very wildest dreams, at the beating heart of my most deeply held magical beliefs, J.K Rowling's best quotes act as my fairy godmother.

Somehow — and I'll never know exactly how — Rowling manages to put into words the exact sentiments most certain to carry me through the dark periods, before blasting me with powerful dose of integrity, compassion and good old common sense. Whether in the guise of wizardly advice from the one and only Albus Dumbledore or straight from the mouth of the author herself, it's practically impossible not to feel empowered while contemplating the words of J.K. Rowling. So for all of those dark and stormy days when the mean reds are hot on your heels and there isn't enough chocolate in the universe to chase the Dementors away, these 11 J.K. Rowling quotations are sure to offer a quick cure for whatever it is that ails you.

1. "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

— Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

2. "Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life."

— J. K. Rowling, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination

3. "We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving."

― Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

4. "There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you."

— J. K. Rowling, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination

5. "Whatever money you might have, self-worth really lies in finding out what you do best."

— J. K. Rowling, From a July 2005 interview on Mugglenet.com

6. "It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be."

― Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

7. "We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better."

— J. K. Rowling, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination

8. "Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery."

— Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

9. "As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters."

— J. K. Rowling, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination

10. "We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are."

— Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

11. "Some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default."

— J. K. Rowling, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination

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