Harry Potter and the Palace of possibilities

Clearly this isn't the title of a new JK Rowling book!

I was discussing the topic with my coaching group this week. Athletes and other peak performers understand how success starts in the mind. But how do you know which bit of the mind is blocking your success?

The founder of EFT, Gary Craig, shared a wonderful metaphor for how to approach the vastness of this subject. He described how each individual lives in a Palace of Possibilities. This palace is filled with rooms of fun, joy and success. We'd all like to inhabit rooms like these.

Alnwick Castle, England
Photo credit: Emma Henderson

There are also rooms that are shabby in feel and which don't reflect our full value. We might choose to stay in these 'less than' rooms because of the writings on the walls of our mind. We can have limiting beliefs about what we can and can't do. These have been learnt from our parents, teachers, TV, books, friends, etc.

Examples I grew up with include:

Don't expect things to be easy for you
You have to work very hard if you want to get anywhere in this life
You shouldn't make a single mistake
We know more than you as we're older and more experienced in the ways of this world

We can let these beliefs limit us and our enjoyment of life. I chose not to. I created freedom by changing those beliefs to much healthier ones that support my success. Some people understand this intuitively.

For those who would like a more playful approach I bring in Harry Potter. In the first book, The Philosopher's Stone, we see Harry being bullied and feeling miserable at the Dursley's house where he was only allowed to live in the cupboard under the stairs.

As the invitations to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry came along, Harry got given his own room with furniture. There was a glimmer of hope that he could have something more in life.

When Harry eventually got to Hogwarts it took a while for him to find his feet and be accepted. However, he made friends with Ron Weasly and had a place where he belonged in Griffindor Tower. As time passed he opened more rooms with opportunities, like the Room of Requirement. This is a secret room that only reveals itself to meet a person's specific need, e.g. it becomes a bathroom or a place to practice Defence Against the Dark Arts. As Harry uncovered more of his true magical self he met with flying success on the playing fields.

Harry's story is a wonderful metaphor for how releasing our fears and worries uncovers more of our brilliance. In the end Harry is the unlikely hero who turns out to be the only person able to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

The Healthy in Mind viewpoint: That successful person exists in all of us. We just need to give it the right environment to shine. Clearing beliefs that limit us is one way of doing this.

Article Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2011