Since this week marks 20 years since the very first Harry Potter book was released over in the UK, I thought these words of wisdom from the author, J.K. Rowling, were only right. I literally grew up with the books and the movies, just a preteen when the first actual film came out. The well-written, magical and dramatic stories and movies pulled you in. Shoot, when I was in LA, I made it a POINT to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood AND bought Hermione’s wand just because! With millions of fans all over the world, the impact of Harry Potter for multiple generations can’t be denied.

What’s even more powerful, though, is J.K.’s story. I remember watching a movie about her life, Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story (J.K. wasn’t involved in it, but still a good movie). She went through abuse at the hands of her first husband, lived life as a single mom in a crappy apartment, struggled to even feed and take care of her daughter, lost her mom, and even had Harry Potter rejected over and over again. But she kept pushing through all of the adversity that came her way, and kept writing. It really only made her hungrier and stronger!

Watch some of her inspiring words below, taken from her 2008 Harvard commencement speech  (you’ll see some clips from the movie as well)!

There’s no way around it. Adversity is going to hit you at some juncture. Maybe even right now. No matter what comes your way today, or any day, KEEP PUSHING THROUGH. Keep working towards your goals and passions, and have the faith that, one day, everything will come into fruition.

The post Words Of Wisdom: “You Will Never Know Your Strength Until It’s Been Tested by Adversity” – J.K. Rowling appeared first on Imperfectly B.