I’m a big Harry Potter fan. I own the audiobooks, two sets of the series printed in Britain, one set printed in America, a Russian version and a Chinese version. What can I say, I am a nerd. I’ve even found myself in conversations relating Harry Potter to the Color Code. My brother once asked me to quick code each of the four Hogwarts houses into the four personality types. Of course, I sorted the resourceful, power-hungry Reds into Slytherin, the adventurous, fun-loving Yellows into Gryffindor, the peacemaking, easygoing Whites into Hufflepuff and the responsible, perfectionistic Blues into Ravenclaw.

I’m currently listening to the series for the umpteenth time with a couple of friends for a Harry Potter Book Club. When I read the end of the Chamber of Secrets, the second book in the series, I tend to get emotional when Albus Dumbledore speaks one of the most profound lines of the entire saga. More on that in a minute.

To give a little background, Harry is wrestling with the idea that maybe the sorting hat put him in the wrong house. He remembers specifically asking the sorting hat not to put him into Slytherin, because he’d heard every witch and wizard who had turned bad came from that house. (Side note: The evil side of Slytherin is not meant to be compared to the Red personality.) The sorting hat tells him he’d do well in Slytherin, but takes his desire into account and ultimately sorts him into Gryffindor. Fast forward to the second book, and Harry learns he has more in common with the villainous Lord Voldemort (AKA Tom Riddle) than he ever realized. He wonders if he should have been a Slytherin after all.

When Dumbledore finally hears of Harry’s inner turmoil, the following conversation ensues: “[The Sorting Hat] only put me in Gryffindor,” said Harry in a defeated voice, because I asked not to go in Slytherin.” “Exactly,” said Dumbledore, beaming once more. “Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

So what does all of this have to do with the Color Code? Let me tell you. A few people I’ve met do not like the Color Code, or personality tests in general, because they feel like it puts them in a box. They don’t want their behavior chalked up to the fact that they “are just that way,” because they believe people are in charge of their actions. And of course, they are right about that part.

The Color Code is awesome in that it teaches us what our main motive in life is and outlines the strengths and limitations that come naturally to us. But that doesn’t mean we have to choose a life that leans into our limitations just because they come naturally. As Dumbledore said, “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

For example, as a White/Blue personality, I have historically struggled with timidity, conflict avoidance, overworry, oversensitivity, and perfectionism. These natural limitations have all contributed to my years-long struggle with anxiety and depression.

After becoming a mom, I knew I had to take charge of my life and work toward overcoming my crippling limitations. This was anything but easy and included taking medication and going to therapy regularly for 2 years. But after a lot of dedication, endurance, hard work and tears, I now feel like the choices I have made have helped me become a far better person than any of my abilities.

Now, when I feel myself wanting to get offended by a well-meaning but sarcastic Yellow or I spend too much time worrying about what I cannot control in the future, I am able to utilize the skills I’ve gained to set aside those limitations and live in my strengths. While it has been challenging to get to this place in my life, it’s been oh so rewarding.

So, next time you are tempted to blame bad behavior on what comes naturally to you or you curse the personality color you were born with, remember, “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

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Megan Christensen is a White personality who has loved writing for as long as she can remember. Megan graduated from BYU-Idaho in 2014 with a degree in communication. A lifelong fan of the Color Code, she’s thrilled to be the content editor of the blog and hopes to help as many people as possible become more self-aware. When she’s not writing, Megan can be found reading, doing yoga, and spending as much time as she can outdoors.