Sometimes nothing is more inspiring than reading a good book with a good message. For me, one of these is the Harry Potter book series and it seems an appropriate thing to discuss seeing as Halloween is just around the corner! I do LOVE the Harry Potter films but I just think that there's a lot missing that movie exclusive fans just don't know about! There are so many messages that you can learn from the books, here a just a few of my favourites (if you haven't read the books or watched the films BEWARE there are spoilers!):
1) The Importance of Love and Friendship
This is not something that just appears here and there but is core to the whole book series itself. If Lily had not sacrificed herself for Harry, there would be a completely different story! And it's this ability to love that sets Harry apart from Voldemort. Also, I think the books give an accurate representation of true friendship. Through all the fights and quarrels and arguments; Hermione and Ron stuck by Harry; a friendship that can sometimes be hard to find in real life. Had Hermione and Ron not helped, may be Harry would have never found those horcruxes!
2) Choices
Right from the start, when Harry first arrived at Hogwarts and first put on the Sorting Hat, he decided he wanted to be in Gryffindor House. That choice probably was one of the best ones he made as not only did he grow into a great wizard (god knows what would have happened had he been in Slytherin!) he also met Ron, Hermione, Neville and all of his other friends. Lily chose to sacrifice herself for Harry; Severus Snape chose to act as a spy for Dumbledore's Army and Ron and Hermione chose to support Harry on his mission. I feel as this is something that you can relate to in life. Whether your 15 or 55, your always faced with decisions in your life. Hard choices. Easy choices. Irreversible choices. Bad choices and good choices. You've just got to hope that you've made the right ones.
3) Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover
Severus Snape was always made out to be a villain right from the start when Harry first laid eyes on him. And then when we found out that Snape had put a spell on Harry's broom in his first quidditch match, I really didn't like him! Then when he killed Dumbledore, I detested the guy! It's not till the very end, that you realise what his true intentions were, and by then it was too late and you kind of feel guilty for how much you hated him.
4) Self-belief
Confidence is very important throughout the books. Look at Hermione, not only is she extremely clever, she trusts her own capability. Neville lacked the self belief in the first few books but we were able to see how he grew into great adult and became a prominent member of Dumbledore's Army just because he started trusting his own abilities.
So what do you think about the Harry Potter franchise? Have you read the books? What have you learnt from them? Leave a comment below!
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There are many things that people choose not to discuss for whatever reason. This may be because they are ashamed or because they feel as if they would be judged if someone was to find out. They may choose to keep it to themselves or tell a select few who they trust.
But sometimes, its better to let others know of what's going on. You don't have to struggle alone and people may not judge you like you may think. You should always know that there is someone out there who is willing to listen regardless of how big or small your secret may be.
So that's why I have decided to share three secrets with you that I have never mentioned to anyone. You may want to read about them or you may not; and you may judge me and you may not, but it's sometimes good to share your feelings.
1) I was bullied for a long time from the age of around 12-14 years old. I don't really want to go all that much into it because it kind of sucked. But yeh, I never told my parents or teachers as I really didn't want to make a big deal of it. I used to just let them get it out of their system and ignore it until, eventually they got bored and stopped. My friends obviously knew it was going on but they too, just chose to ignore it and it was never mentioned, ever. Looking back, I don't know whether I did the right thing by just letting them get away with it but I was young and really didn't know what to do or who to talk to. I guess I never told anyone because I was ashamed and felt that somehow I had brought it on myself and I never liked looking weak.
2) I find it hard to forgive people once they break my trust. I may say that I forgive you or things are 'just the same as they used to be' but at the back of my head I'm always thinking of that one time things went wrong. I'm really trying to work on this as it can really cloud my judgement. For example, one of the people who used to bully me (as I mentioned in my first secret) is now part of my 'friendship group' and to be honest, I really don't like her. I mean she may have changed but I hate that I can't move on from the past.
3) This blog is a secret. No one, not even my family or friends know this blog exists. And I kind of like it that way. I can talk about things with people that I know won't judge me as much as real life people may. I like that I can make friends on here and meet knew people who have similar interests. The only reason I don't really tell people about this blog, as its my place and I can discuss my thoughts.
So now that I have discussed some personal things with you, tell me what you think about the issue? Is it better sometimes to discuss secrets? Feel free to leave a comment or share your own secret...
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Hello Everyone, sorry its been a long time since my last blog post, its been a busy month. The last month has involved me visiting the wonderful country of Canada, so I'm sorry for the lack of posts, so lets get to it!
By far the most popular posts that I've done on my blog have been those that start with 'My Favourite Inspirational Quotes in...' and so today I thought that I would do a music edition. Personally, I'm more of a music person than a movie person as I feel that there's a lot more you can learn from song through the lyrics and the tune, just my personal opinion though!
Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don't give up the fight
- Bob Marley, Get Up Stand up
Bob Marley has definitely written some of the best feel-good songs for when your down, and so he never fails to lift my mood. This lyric can help all those that feel a lack of motivation in their lives. The song is all about standing up for what you truly believe in and dusting of your shoulders and trying again. Only by trying again and fighting for it will you get the things that you really want in life.
You may say that I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one, I hope someday you'll join us, And the world will be as one
- John Lennon, Imagine
Often when watching 'Best songs of all time' videos on MTV or something, this song often makes it to the top, its a classic. I love this song and its message. Looking at today's world, you see all this fighting, in Egypt, in Syria, in Iraq and so on. These people may be fighting for a reason that they truly believe in but sometimes it can be because of the most petty things. I like the idea of uniting this song brings and letting go of insignificant things and being 'as one'.
You have every right to a beautiful life.
- Selena Gomez, Who Says
Lets be honest, Selena Gomez is no musical genius, and to be fair I don't even know if she wrote this song but the message is great. At the end of the day, you are no different from anyone else and so, your dreams are not any less significant. You are living your life for yourself, and so aim to make your life exactly how you dreamt to be.
Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear
- Bon Jovi, Livin on a Prayer
I absolutely love this song, and it's not just because of the funky music. Sometimes in life you just need a little nudge to let you know that everything is going to be OK. You may be being going through a rough patch in life but its always good to remember that 'it can only get better.'
Love me or hate me, i swear it won't make or break me.
- Lil Wayne, Love me or Hate me
I don't really listen to rap music and only came across this lyric to see if there were any other inspirational music quotes that I may like to include in this post. There are many people in life that are going to judge you, whether it be at work, school or family and this can often get you feeling anxious and/ or upset. Sometimes, you have to be the bigger person and just ignore any negativity that you may receive, those people will eventually get bored and move on. You have to learn not to be affected by it all, for your own good.
I remember it now, it takes me back to when it all first started. But I've only got myself to blame for it, and I accept it now. It's time to let it go, go out and start again, but its not that easy
- Kodaline, High Hopes
Its easy to be wrapped up in all the sadness and unhappiness when you are going through a depressing period. If you keep dwelling on the past, on things you can't change you're not really helping yourself. Sometimes its best to let things go and have a fresh start even though it may not be easy like the song says.
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Would you like to see a 'part 2' to this blog post? I have lots of other music quotes to still share with you, so leave me a comment or email me at leylawrites@yahoo.com. You can email me any suggestions, blog post ideas or just to have a conversation there!
This in my opinion is a rather controversial topic. Is it better to be the one who says sorry or hold your ground and wait for the other person to give in?
I often notice certain things in relationships in school, work and other places. I see people have an argument, them not talking to each other, and then one of them apologizing and their relationship being normal again. But have any of you ever noticed that often, its the SAME person saying sorry regardless of the fact that both of them was to blame?
I notice that for some people, it's such a hard thing for them to apologize for any wrong they may have done. What does that say about the person? Do they strongly believe in what they say and feel and think they have done no wrong or is their ego just too big that they feel that they shouldn't? And what does it say about those who do apologize, Are they push overs, easily made to feel guilty or do they value the relationship more than the other person?
Obviously, each argument in a relationship is different and what I've said above does not apply to EVERY fight. I strongly believe in the saying 'It takes two to tango' and so not every fight is entirely one person's fault but I think that a simple word like 'sorry' (or the lack of it) can say a lot about a person.
So who would you rather be, the one saying sorry or the one accepting the apology? In my opinion, I hate the tension and I know I am more of a person who is a sorry-sayer than a sorry-receiver.
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