Today is my forty-seventh birthday.
Birthdays have always felt less like a party and more like a threshold — a doorway I step through, carrying what I’ve learned and leaving behind what no longer serves me. I have never felt the weight of age, only the wonder: the softness that comes from knowing myself more deeply, and the sharp clarity that arrives only after years of trial, error, surrender, and grace.
So I sat down and gathered the truths that have shaped me — small reminders, spells, and signposts that I wish I had known earlier, but that mean even more because I learned them the long way around. Some are practical, some poetic. Together, they make up the compass I carry into this next turn around the sun.
Here are 47 lessons at 47.
On Self & Spirit
It is never too late to set a boundary.
Alcohol is overrated.
Everything can change in a year.
Solitude is sacred. Learn to be your own best company.
Meditation really is as amazing as they say. It will change your life.
Sit in silence sometimes. That’s when you’ll hear subtle signals.
The body remembers what the mind forgets. Listen to its whispers.
Forgiveness is for you, not them. Release the weight when you’re ready.
Trust the red flags. The first whisper is the truth.
The only person who has to see your worth is you. Once you do, everything else will fall into place.
On Magic & Ritual
Do magic, cast spells, and dance naked under the full moon whenever possible.
Tea, taken slowly, is medicine.
Make bedtime, your bedroom, and your sleep a ritual of self-devotion.
Ritual makes the ordinary extraordinary. Light the candle. Say the prayer. Stir with intention.
Delight is sacred. Seek it daily, in the smallest of things.
On Creativity & Curiosity
Read and write as often as you possibly can.
Make art, even if it’s bad. Especially if it’s bad.
Spend time thinking about desire. A lot of time.
Curiosity is a form of love. Nurture it.
Sending a postcard is the most charming way to say “hello.”
Putting pen to paper will always be superior to digital journaling.
Leave books unfinished. Life is too short to spend reading something that drags.
On Seasons & Nature
Spending time in nature heals in a way nothing else can.
Bread tastes better when you bake it yourself.
Winter is for rest. Stop trying to get things done and let your body hibernate.
In the summer, nothing beats coffee in the garden at sunrise.
A slow walk at twilight crackles with magic.
Travel is my single greatest source of inspiration. Do it as often as possible.
Dogs will teach you more about loyalty, joy, and presence than any human book ever could.
On Home & Style
No overhead lighting. Ever. Just don’t.
You can never have too many books or too many lamps.
Your home should be your sanctuary. Remove anything (or anyone) that threatens your peace.
Your home should be a reflection of the life you live. Fill it with things gathered across time and geography.
The people with the best style do not follow trends.
Change your hair. It grows back.
On Love & Boundaries
Toxic people don’t belong in your life, even if they’re family.
If you have a choice between disappointing yourself and disappointing someone else, disappoint someone else.
Understand the rules so you can break them. They were not made to benefit you.
Prioritizing yourself makes everyone happier. Just do it.
Be your own best friend. Have your own back.
Know what you want before you ask someone else what they want.
On Joy & Living Fully
Save nothing for a special occasion. Right now is special enough—you are special enough.
Turn the music up loud and sing like you mean it.
You only get one body. Take care of it.
Your attention is one of your greatest currencies. Spend it wisely.
Solo dates will fill your soul. Indulge as often as you can.
Focus always on what you want, not what you don’t want.
Happy Birthday Kelley, and thank you for sharing. I appreciate who you are, and how you think. Your writing connects with me more than you know. I wish you the day you deserve, the best one. I love that you are in this word and I get to read your thoughts and what drives and guides you.
Thank you for being you.
happy late birthday Kelley. I’ve been watching your parent regrets videos for some time now , it’s made me ponder on kids myself and if I really want them. I’m twenty now, which sounds crazy to type, I feel sixteen, I feel scared. I want to do a million things travel, walk, find love, be kind. but first, I think I’ll dye my hair purple, as you said, hair grows back anyway. thank you Kelley, your life has helped shape mine, one tiny step at a time.