Today, I turn 33. I’m celebrating it quietly with my husband, up in the mountains, breathing the crisp autumn air while taking long walks by the lake.

I’m deeply grateful for turning 33. It’s one of the few birthdays I’ve felt truly happy and excited for.

There’s a certain lightness to my 33. A joy and bliss I have never felt before. For the first time in a long time, I feel like time stands still as I’m welcoming my 33.

Change is on the horizon; the profound, soul-awakening kind. The type of change that only the wisdom, maturity, and confidence of becoming your authentic self can bring.

There is bliss in being 33. There is grace in growing older another year.

Valuable, Profound, and Humbling: My 33 Life Lessons In 33 Years

Here are the most valuable life lessons I’ve learned so far, written as if I were addressing myself:

1. Allow yourself to be your authentic self. The one that emerges above all the conditioning, shame, and others’ expectations. The authentic, brilliant, curious, insightful, powerful self that no longer needs to hide. It is safe for you to be yourself.

2. Boundaries are the gatekeepers of personal freedom. Set them strong, stand your ground, and always communicate them clearly.

3. People-pleasing is not the same as being kind. It’s self-betrayal and a learned behavior that kept you ‘safe’ and ‘loved’ in childhood. You do not need to put other people’s needs first above your own in order to be loved and accepted.

4. Find joy in the little things. Life is made of moments of bliss. Having big ambitions is great but living slow and simple will teach you about the meaning of true happiness and contentment.

5. Your life can (and will) change for the better, despite the current circumstances. Despite everything you’ve been through. Your past does not define you as a person and does not define your future.

6. Your mindset and perspective is everything. We see the world as we are inside. Still, we can consciously choose our thoughts, reactions, and perception of things.

7. Commit to always, always, always prioritize your mental and physical health. It took me years of self-neglect and self-betrayal before I finally understood this. Self-care isn’t selfish — it’s self-preserving and it’s the path to a happy, content, fulfilled life.

8. Know who to let in and who to remove from your life. You don’t have the time, energy, or tolerance for toxic people who lack self-awareness and are unwilling to change.

9. Your faith will be tested by the Universe. Choose to trust anyway. If something isn’t working out, trust that the Universe has a bigger, better, brighter plan for you

10. Miracles are real and can happen if you strongly believe in them. You’ll witness so many big and little miracles if you allow your mind to go beyond the logical. Once miracles start appearing in your life, your faith will be solidified.

11. It’s not about the destination but about the journey. This was one of the biggest, most difficult life lessons I’ve had to learn in the past year. I was living on standby, not making any important decisions and waiting for a big life goal to come true so I could finally be happy. I learned I can be happy in the present while working on my future goals.

12. Other people’s opinions of you are just that: opinions. They’re not facts and they’re not the truth. Most importantly, others’ opinions should not be YOUR truth.

13. Honor your own needs and desires. You are a worthy human being with a beautiful soul and a meaningful purpose. Your light is bright, your soul is soft, and your heart is all-encompassing. Give yourself the grace, love, and understanding you’ve been giving others.

14. You can heal yourself. Healing also means asking for help when you’re overwhelmed. Healing is not linear so be gentle with yourself, set soothing routines in place, and speak to yourself softly.

15. Gratitude is LIFE-CHANGING. What you focus on, grows, so when you focus on all the things you’re blessed with right now, you’ll uncover infinite potential for joy. The deeper the gratitude you feel, the more blessings the Universe will send you.

16. Your gifts are your life purpose. There is an entire Universe inside you and you’re made of stardust. Your gifts were given to you for a reason. It took me 33 years to embrace my gifts, turn them into a career, and be courageous enough to share them with the world.

17. You can rebuild yourself at any age. It’s never too late to start something new, change your life, change your perspective, or move to a different place. After a lifetime of working jobs just for the sake of working, I’m finally pursuing my passion for creative writing at the age of 33.

18. Money is energy. The more open you are to receive it, the more money will flow. The more you resist it, criticize it, or approach it from a place of lack, the more it’ll run away from you. Changing my money mindset towards a more positive one was one of the most challenging things I’ve done but also the greatest, most valuable lesson I’ve learned.

19. Living a good life is possible. Beyond all the painful experiences, the hard days, the broken relationships, and the hopelessness, a good, fulfilled, free-flowing, carefree life is possible, attainable, and tangible.

20. Living a slow life can be beautiful. In fact, it might be exactly what you need to feel alive again. You can dream big and still lead a simple, blissful life. You can enjoy the little things, find contentment in the everyday routines, and still aim for the stars. You can seek solitude and silence and still thrive in a community.

21. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to have wonderful things. You deserve to be treated with respect. You deserve the best experiences life has to offer.

22. Self-acceptance is an ongoing process. No matter how much inner work you’ve done, accepting and loving yourself will ebb and flow. Some days, you’ll see yourself clearly and love yourself unconditionally. Other days, you’ll fall into old patterns of thinking and slip into the familiar conditioning. Both are okay — and you’ll be okay.

23. Your body is your home. It carries you through life day in and day out. Being mean to your body, ignoring or disconnecting from your body, or not taking care of it will keep emerging in some form until you pay attention to it.

24. There will be triggers but what matters is how you react to them. Observing people’s behavior objectively and not taking things personally will save you a lot of stress. Other people’s behavior is a reflection of their own inner world.

25. The Universe always has your back, even when it doesn’t look like it. Even when it feels like everything is on stand-by. Even when it feels like you’re drifting away from your goals. The Universe will always support you if you allow it.

26. Good things can happen in life without expecting bad things to follow. You deserve all the unabridged joy of this world and you deserve it unconditionally.

27. Taking risks and listening to your intuition will lead you to your greatest blessings. Living for yourself according to your own inner guidance will be the hallmark of a happy life.

28. Ask and it is given. The Universe works in mysterious yet clear and precise ways. Your wishes, desires, and greatest goals can become a reality if you visualize them clearly, hold the faith, and take inspired action. It is done, it is done, it is done.

If you’re new to the Law of Attraction and manifesting, start with Manifestation Babe. She has a modern, fun, easygoing approach to manifesting that’s really easy to grasp and implement.

29. You can choose your own thoughts and how you react to things. This inner shift will change your life. By choosing what thoughts to allow in and what thoughts to let go of, you’re reclaiming your own inner power and deep knowledge.

30. Therapy will be the best, most worthwhile investment in yourself. I owe the wonderful life I have today, my inner peace, and my self-love to therapy. To this day, it’s one of the bravest things I’ve ever done.

31. You don’t need to wait for a breakthrough to start enjoying your life. You can be happy here and now and work towards a better future without hindering your growth in the present moment. You don’t need to wait or dream for a future moment when you ‘make it’ in order to be happy. You can simply choose to be happy right now, in this moment.

32. You are your own best friend. If you take a journey within to discover who you are, get to know all your parts, and accept yourself exactly as you are, you’ll become your own best friend.

33. Turning 33 will be the beginning of a new, wonderful chapter of your life. 33 is a magical, Master, and Angel number. This birthday, more than ever, I feel the powerful life energy, inspiration, and support from the Universe as I manifest my dream life.

I Am 33 Years Young Today

I’ve grown to surrender to the process of learning lessons. However uncomfortable they may be in the moment, I have faith and hope that it’s all happening for my greater good.

At 33, I sense my life purpose strongly — it is to experience spiritual awakenings that I’ll share through my words and my art in the hope they’ll be a cotton ball to your soul.

I appreciate you, I hold space for you, and I hope you do the same for yourself, too.

If you’re ready to explore your inner world, get to know yourself better, and love yourself a little more, start with my 30 journaling prompts for self-reflection.