Have You Been To Hogwarts?

The new "Harry Potter" movie "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was released this week. Jessica and I both enjoy the books and the movies. We're going to Atlanta this weekend and will probably catch it there.

As I was thinking about the story, I realized that most of us are a little like Harry Potter.

In the first book/movie "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", we find out that Harry has spent most of his early years in trouble for the strange things happening in his life. He doesn't know that he's got magical abilities....and so he often gets punished for things that happen....and he doesn't know he's the one causing them.

At one point he gets upset by his cousin at the zoo and -- without realizing he does it -- the glass in front of a snake exhibit disappears and his cousin falls in with the snake. He gets punished by being sent to his room with no meals.

So, Harry's problem is that his magic works to cause all kinds of trouble but -- because he doesn't know he's a wizard -- he sees himself as an innocent victim of those happenings.

And guess what....that's how it works in real life, too.

Most people go through their entire lives without understanding that THEY are creating all their struggles....all their adversity...all their financial difficulties....all their relationship issues.

They may blame their boss.
Their parents.
Their negative relatives.
The economy.
The Democrats.
The Republicans.
Their boss.
Their company.
Or any one of dozens of other factors.

But the truth is that you are where you are because this is the situation you've CHOSEN for yourself.

Now, when I was dead broke and struggling to make ends meet.....would I have agreed that I was "choosing" to live that way? Of course not! But, I was. Because while it's true that I didn't consciously choose to struggle....it is 100% true that I was making choices every day that led me to a life where struggle was inevitable.

And choosing to succeed is the same way. When you choose to develop a Million Dollar mindset by taking responsibility for your own quality of life....you can begin making daily decisions and actions that will lead you to a life where wealth, abundance and wads of money are a natural way of life.

It's all about choice.

So, which "Harry Potter" are you being? Are you the confused one who doesn't understand why things keep happening? Or are you the one who understands that he's in control of his own power and has the ability to make things happen deliberately?

Life is a choice -- choose well!

Tony Rush