Wealth Affirmation by Bodo Schäfer and the Penultimate Horcrux

April 2023. While lying in bed, I browsed YouTube for interesting videos and came across Bodo Schäfer's thirty-minute wealth affirmation. I was still a bit tired and didn't mind giving it a try. I placed the laptop next to me, started the affirmation, and closed my eyes. After a short introduction, a pleasant, deep male voice accompanied by relaxing background music resonated: "I am a winner because I make decisions. I make decisions quickly and stick with them for a long time. I don't play to lose, I play to win."

I immediately liked it and listened to the affirmation until the end. I liked it so much that I heeded Bodo's advice at the beginning of the video and committed to listening to it for thirty days to become healthier, happier, more successful, and richer.

So, starting today, I embarked on this brainwashing journey for thirty days. After two days, I was briefly skeptical, but after just one week of diligently listening to the wealth affirmation, I noticed a difference in my thinking. For example, my attitude towards problems had changed so much that I no longer saw them as burdens but as opportunities to grow and learn. Every problem that arose brought me joy, as if I were a masochist. One day, while listening to the affirmation, I somehow thought of World of Warcraft. I imagined a problem like a raid boss. Defeating the raid boss always brought rewards in the form of better equipment. Once I defeated him, I looted better equipment to tackle even stronger raid bosses. I saw every problem as a reward that allowed me to grow personally.

I also began to feel rich. Previously, I considered someone wealthy if they had a million in the bank. But since I regularly listened to the affirmations, I realized that I was already rich. I didn't have to work for my income daily and had around-the-clock time available. This freedom made me rich. Now, I internalized my wealth so intensely, which made me feel even more content and grateful in my life.

I had also changed my view of my fears. I no longer saw them as something that holds me back and paralyzes me, but as an opportunity to grow personally. Fear is a friend who tells me, "Here is the limit of your comfort zone. Cross it if you want to grow personally."

The Penultimate Horcrux

April 2023. A Sunday. This morning, I woke up just before ten o'clock, full of excitement for karate training, especially because I hoped to see Jule today. On the way to Kreipe Coffee Time, I instinctively reached for my phone to see if Jule had responded to my message from yesterday and if she would join us. But there was still no response from her. A pang of disappointment shot through me, and I decided to call her. She didn't pick up. Perhaps she didn't feel like going to karate today and stayed in bed. I hesitated for a moment and then decided to make a U-turn. Instead of rushing to karate, I settled in the café to continue creating my English formula collection. As the scent of fresh coffee caressed my senses and I sat down with my laptop, I dared to take one last look at my phone. Finally, Jule's words lit up on the display: "My phone was on silent. I'm on my way to karate, on the bus."

"Oh, too bad," I thought and asked her, "Do you want to grab a coffee together today?"

The hours passed as I immersed myself in a book called "Thinking, Fast and Slow" at Opernplatz. Eventually, I decided to call her again. But once again, the call went unanswered.

After reading, I headed to Rewe at Steintor to buy Nutella and toast. As I left the store and glanced at WhatsApp, the long-awaited message from Jule finally arrived: "No, I don't want to."

It was a brief, emoji-free response that made me think. I felt like someone needy chasing after their ex without having their interest reciprocated. I paused for a moment. Then I clicked on Jule's contact and deleted it. I wasn't yet brave enough to delete our chats, which represented a reminder of her. But after a walk home, just before entering, I decisively took out my phone and deleted all our chats - the penultimate Horcrux of our relationship.