logo
I set out to find love by manifesting the perfect man - weeks later I reunited with my secondary school crush after 27 years apart

I set out to find love by manifesting the perfect man - weeks later I reunited with my secondary school crush after 27 years apart

Daily Mail​11-05-2025

A woman has revealed she found her husband just weeks after writing a 'desire statement' to manifest Mr Right - which she believes led her to reunite with her former school crush.
Kelly Lundberg's love story is the stuff of Hollywood rom-coms - however the 44-year-old insists a simple manifestation strategy led her to the love of her life.
Kelly, from Edinburgh, Scotland, married Graham Ross, 44, after setting down in 'very clear words' what her future partner would be like - and even what he would say to her.
The couple, who shared a first kiss at their 1998 high school prom but lost contact soon after when Kelly moved to Dubai, were reunited in 2019 after Kelly's mother, Heather, convinced her to join a dating app.
She took her mother's advice and signed up to Bumble - and before long, she matched with Graham.
Yet, it is not only her love life that has been transformed by using a desire statement - Kelly has also used one to manifest personal and professional achievements.
Kelly, author of personal branding book Deseed The Lemon, said: 'A desire statement is a lesser-known manifestation technique that a life coach introduced me to.
'You write a note as your future self, as though what you desire has already happened, and describe what it looks like from that perspective.
'Six years ago I wrote the desire statement that manifested Graham,' Kelly added.
'I was feeling stuck in life. I'd been living as an expat in Dubai for 12 years, but a break up at 37 had left me with a broken heart.
'I decided I needed a break from my day-to-day life, so my mum flew out from my home city of Edinburgh to meet me in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.
'That trip, and the idyllic setting, allowed me the time and space to step back and see my life with more clarity. I put a lot of thought into what I wanted to achieve - both professionally and personally.'
Kelly detailed exactly what she was looking for in a man, mentioning that he should be tall and in great shape.
The personal branding expert added that the man of her dreams would pick her up easily, love her playful nature and tell her that she's beautiful.
'I stuck it on a wall in my bathroom when I got home and pretty much forgot about it,' Kelly said.
'When I read it again after re-uniting with Graham, I was so surprised; it's basically a description of him.'
Kelly and Graham went to secondary school together and shared a first kiss at their prom in 1998 when they were both 16 - but went their separate ways.
Kelly worked as cabin crew with Emirates in Dubai when she was 21 before securing a £25,000 loan at 24 and launching StyleMeDivine, the top personal styling business in the Middle East, which now has a thousands-strong client base that includes royalty and celebrities.
She married her first husband in 2012 but later divorced in 2017.
In 2019, Kelly launched her personal branding business Kelly Lundberg Official, working for luxury brands as well as high-profile clients.
In May of that year, after going through a divorce, Kelly and her mother jetted off to the Seychelles on holiday and it was there that Kelly wrote the desire statement.
The statement was authored by her 'future self' and focused on the man that she wanted to meet.
Kelly said: 'It was the second time I'd attempted one. The first had been filled with ambitious dreams. This time I played it simpler, really being honest with myself.
'When you are in your late thirties and have gone through a break-up, you start to question so many things. You wonder if you are going to be alone all your life, whether you will ever have children.
'And so I thought about the person I would like to meet next, using very clear words of what he would look like, his personality, and how we would act together.'
Kelly's statement read: 'My love life has never been so fulfilling. I am in a new relationship - he is tall, in great shape, picks me up easily, loves my playful nature, and thinks I am beautiful (and tells me often). He is handsome, super thoughtful, and generous. We love working out together.'
Four weeks later, during a trip home to Scotland, Kelly's mother convinced her to join Bumble, promising her daughter that she would manage the account.
It was then that Kelly saw a picture of a man she recognised but hadn't seen since they were both 17: Graham.
Kelly said: 'I reluctantly agreed to join Bumble - which allows women to make the first move if they're matched with someone. Graham's face was one of the first to appear.
'He may have been 20-odd years older than when I last saw him - and now with a beard - but I recognised him straight away.
'He was the boy I'd liked all the way through school and who I'd shared a kiss with at our prom. We never saw each other again. Despite the fact I'd liked him for five years, it never went anywhere. The timing just wasn't right.'
Kelly admitted that there was some confusion at the beginning - because her mother had set up the Bumble account, Graham thought maybe Kelly had moved back to Edinburgh.
Still, the pair started messaging each other straight away.
Kelly and Graham arranged to meet one afternoon - and Kelly recalled how at 5 feet 2 inches she had to stand on her tiptoes to give Graham, who is a whole foot taller than her, a kiss on the cheek. The date went on until 2am.
It was on that very first date in June 2019 that Graham said the words Kelly had written on her desire statement: 'You're beautiful.'
Kelly said: 'I'd known Graham since I was 12 but I was still incredibly nervous.
'Our prom kiss had given me butterflies, and I thought that was what happens at 17 if you kiss the guy you like. But, some 21 years later, we kissed on our first date, and I had the same feeling! It's definitely the person that makes you feel that way.'
For the next four years, Kelly and Graham navigated a long-distance relationship, with hours-long calls and sharing wine and pizza while 4,000 miles apart.
The couple got engaged in 2023 and Graham moved to Dubai. After an intimate wedding in the Seychelles, they threw a party for all their friends and family at Turin Castle in Scotland in June 2024.
Kelly said: 'Graham and I have often talked about the timing of how our relationship has happened. And how we are right for one another right now, but that wouldn't have been the case 20 years ago. Would we still be together if we'd got together after high school?'
Kelly admitted that Graham doesn't share her enthusiasm for manifesting but is fully supportive of her own attempts.
She added: 'I apply desire statements to all aspects of my life. I strongly believe you can create the life you want. It's empowering.'
How to write a DESIRE STATEMENT
Choose a date in the future that feels right for you - not too far away but far enough that some of the things you're dreaming about could realistically come to life. Anywhere between 6–12 months is a good place to start.
Imagine you've just bumped into someone and you're telling them what's happened in your life.
Really live it as you write, with the same energy and excitement as if it just happened.
Think about all areas of your life:
Work and business goals
Travel and places you want to see
Health and how you feel in your body
Relationships, home, experiences... the list is endless.
Use your senses to bring it to life. What does it smell like? Are there any sounds?
What words are being said? Is there music playing?
Be honest with yourself. This isn't about being fake-positive or pretending everything is perfect. It's about imagining what's possible while staying true to your values and experiences.
Be mindful of negative language - not because you should ignore challenges but because you don't want to anchor yourself in what's already happened.
You're not erasing the past; you're simply choosing not to relive it every day.
Keep your statement somewhere special, where you can read it back.
And then ask yourself: 'Are my daily actions aligning with this vision?'
Rather than sitting on the sofa expecting it all to magically happen, you have to show up and do the work - step by step.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How I achieve the perfect brows fast (with just this one product)
How I achieve the perfect brows fast (with just this one product)

The Independent

time20 minutes ago

  • The Independent

How I achieve the perfect brows fast (with just this one product)

Whether it's the brand's signature hoola bronzer (£27.05, or porefessional primer (£18.99, many of Benefit's products have become much-loved beauty staples, but perhaps none more so than its brow heroes. From pencils that carve, define and polish, to waxes that sculpt and hold an arch in place, odds are you've had a Benefit eyebrow tool (or three) in your make-up bag at some point. Founded in 1976 by sisters Jean and Jane Ford (both were successful models and make-up artists at the time), Benefit Cosmetics has always been at the forefront of a pioneering, but playful, approach to beauty. Take, for example, its hoola bronzer – this was the first shimmer-free matte bronzer on the market when it launched 20 years ago, while the brand's 10-year-old roller lash curling mascara (£24.50, was inspired by hair rollers, capturing and curling every lash, for a dramatic flutter. Some of the brand's bestsellers can even be traced right back to the Seventies – see the rose-tinted lip and cheek stain, which was originally created for dancers as a nipple tint. But it's the beauty brand's brow roster for which Benefit is most loved and lauded. From the tinted and clear gel to the precisely brow pencil, the brand is the gold standard for creating salon-quality brows at home. When I first got into make-up as a young teenager, my mum took me straight to the Benefit counter, and I've been in a committed relationship with the brand's beauty products ever since – chiefly the precisely brow pencil. Helping you create the illusion of fuller brows, the precise tip lets you draw individual hairs while the brush tool buffs the formula, for extra volume. How I tested I've been using the precisely pencil for years. From application, the formula and staying power to the finished look, here's why Benefit's precisely brow pencil will always be a cult classic. Why you can trust us Daisy Lester is a senior IndyBest writer, she frequently writes about the beauty products worth buying. She has previously reviewed new launches and cult favourites, from Bobbi Brown's Jones Road gel eyeliner to Refy's new skincare range. She has, crucially, assessed Benefit's hero products before, to bring our readers the ones she thinks are worth buying. Sitting at the top of that list is the Benefit precisely my brow pencil, and this is her full, honest review.

I was fat-shamed for being a curvy PT – insecure haters say I have zero muscles and I'm unfit, I love proving them wrong
I was fat-shamed for being a curvy PT – insecure haters say I have zero muscles and I'm unfit, I love proving them wrong

The Sun

time27 minutes ago

  • The Sun

I was fat-shamed for being a curvy PT – insecure haters say I have zero muscles and I'm unfit, I love proving them wrong

A PERSONAL trainer has hit back at hateful trolls who branded her "unfit with zero muscles" - and proved just how strong she is. Eilish Toal, 29, runs SHE Coaching - which stands for stronger, healthier and empowered - in Glasgow and has 42 clients on her books. 5 5 The midsize fitness fanatic can deadlift 100kg, does burpees for fun and has completed three gruelling Hyrox competitions. But she admits it's "easy to get imposter syndrome" when she reflects on her thriving role as a PT. She told Fabulous: "I was really worried about how other personal trainers were going to perceive me for such a long time. "But I think it's got to a point where I know the value that I'm bringing. I know what I'm doing for girls, so I think it's absolutely incredible. "There's a lot of girls who have never been bigger, which is fine, but obviously until you've lived in a bigger body, it is kind of impossible to know how it moves, if that makes sense." Eilish, from Glasgow, was always the "bigger kid" in class as a youngster and was in age 10 clothing by the time she was seven-years-old. Fast forward to her first communion in primary school and she had to wear an adult's size 10. She said: "Then I went to high school, played basketball, but I was still bigger. "I think I pushed friends away, if a guy ever said they liked me, I was absolutely not believing that, and I just constantly put myself down." She then found herself in a vicious binge eating cycle until she was 25 and decided to overhaul her lifestyle. The former radiographer started her health journey while she still worked for the NHS. She admits that she 'fell into pretty terrible habits' during lockdown and decided to throw herself into her love for the gym instead. 'I love working with people and I decided to become a personal trainer", she said. "I decided that at my heaviest weight. I thought I have always wanted to do this and I'm not going to let it [my weight] hold me back. 'So I lost some weight over the next year and then I finally finished the PT course in January 2023.' She's seen huge success in her job so far, using her own previous struggles and curvier figure to support her clients with more than just hip thrusts. But she admits there is still a stigma around bigger people in gyms. She said: "They don't feel like they're welcome. I think bigger people do get treated differently than folk in smaller bodies. "People really need to widen their thoughts and realise that there are people who just don't feel comfortable in the gym." Troll takedown And people on social media can be just as narrow-minded about fitness. Eilish was recently hit with a cruel message under one of her workout videos, which read: "Girl you have zero muscle, look v unfit, overweight. Personal trainers should be neither of these things, it's ridiculous." But she expertly clapped back at the "insecure" troll and educated them on the true meaning of being fit. 5 5 In a video addressing the hater, she said: "Gal, I do not know what you're so deeply unhappy about, but no one is that mean and nasty without having some sort of insecurity. "Overweight? Yes, I can agree with that, but no muscle and very unfit. I Absolutely cannot. "I implore you, please come and train with me for a day because I can assure you it's not f***ing easy. "I could take the easy way out, but I love training hard. I've completed two Hyrox competitions at the men's weights, Hyrox doubles, and I've completed a solo Hyrox. I can run and I can lift some fairly heavy s***. "Again, am I the strongest person in the world? No. I am certainly not the leanest, but I certainly am NOT unfit. "In a world of girls supporting girls, this is absolutely gutting to see and I cannot believe the hate that's coming from you. "I've worked hard at bettering myself for years and this is why I'm a good coach. "And this is why people gravitate towards me because I am NOT the usual personal trainer. I will completely agree with that. However, that does not make me a bad personal trainer. "I do have muscle, I do have strength, and I do have fitness and I show people that they can have that too." Eilish's video quickly racked up 69,000 views on her TikTok page (@eilish_shecoaching) with people applauding her "perfect response". Gym support And many nervous gymgoers have insisted she would be the dream personal trainer to work with. One said: "Honestly I wish there is more PTs that represented what the majority of females look like! You look incredible." "I would be more inclined to go to this woman for personal training, also serving body", wrote a second. A third agreed: "The way I would feel SO comfortable knowing I was working with someone who has felt things I've felt and struggled in ways I have." A fourth chimed in: "You'd be my number 1 pick if I could afford a PT. Your body looks like something I would aim to achieve, others are so unrealistic for me." A fifth pointed out: "Being fit is a testable measure, 'looking fit' is a bs beauty standard that is constantly changing. You're killing it girl and you're helping me try and get back into fitness." And a sixth echoed: "Being fit and looking fit can be two totally different things! You are absolutely smashing it." 5 The support has left modest Eilish overwhelmed - but has motivated her to help as many women as possible build healthier habits and their self-confidence. She said: "The pressure on people is massive, so if I can help, if I can show someone, one person, that they don't have to be that much under pressure, I'm more than happy to. "A lot of my clients are wanting to lose weight, but we're looking at sustainable and long-term ways of doing that, and still living your life. It's not a fad, it's general lifestyle changes. "It's all about knowing you deserve better, and changing that narrative. It's small steps, it's little bits at a time, but it makes such a difference. "And for me, it's celebrating their wins. Everyone's wins are different. So for someone it might be 'I've not binged this week' and that is absolutely incredible. "It's about how you feel, it's not just 'have you lost weight'." She continued: "Everyone's got different goals. Not everyone trains to look smaller or be smaller. "I love the fact that I'm not small and lean, and I can still look at myself, and find love. It's total self-acceptance. "Traditionally, personal training has always been to look a certain way, but it's not everyone's goal. "I want to be the change in the industry and I want to be able to help as many women as I possibly can, and men. Men suffer as well. "I'm actually just really excited to see what the rest of the year brings, because I hope this is the start of the big girl fights back, the Big Girl Takeover. That's what we're going for."

I tested flavoured ciders… fresh-flavoured £2.75 winner tasted just like a can of Lilt and would be great with cheese
I tested flavoured ciders… fresh-flavoured £2.75 winner tasted just like a can of Lilt and would be great with cheese

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

I tested flavoured ciders… fresh-flavoured £2.75 winner tasted just like a can of Lilt and would be great with cheese

WITH a whopping 324million pints sold last year, cider is now the most popular alcoholic drink after beer. And it's not just classic versions we are enjoying – because premium fruit-flavoured options account for 72 per cent of orders. As pub gardens gear up to supply us with refreshing summer pints, Alex James – Blur bassist, Big Feastival founder and now cider maker – gives his verdict on an array of the flavoured tipples. Rattler Pineapple Cider 500ml, 3.4%, £2.75, Tesco 6 IT'S perfectly possible to make cider from just apples and nothing else. Apple skins carry natural yeasts that will cause juice left in a barrel over the winter to ferment and magically transmogrify into cider by spring. This minor miracle has always been more than enough for me, but I can see the appeal of adding exotic flavourings to spice things up a bit. Unsurprisingly, this one tastes a bit like Lilt. It's full of fresh pineapple flavour and would be great, Hawaiian pizza-style, with cheese on toast. Also makes me think I'd love to try an alcoholic drink made purely from fermented pineapple juice. That really would be something. RATING: 5/5 Rekorderlig is launching a new cider cocktail range Alska Strawberry & Lime Cider 500ml, 3.4%, £1.99, Aldi 6 A SWEDISH cider with an eye-catching label bursting with colourful illustrations of fresh strawberries and limes. It's almost like they're tricking you into thinking you're buying a yoghurt of some kind, rather than a bottle of booze with added sugar and flavourings. It must be hard enough growing apples and strawberries in Sweden, let alone limes, but we'll skim over that. It tastes exactly like a 'red' flavour freeze pop. It's too overwhelmingly sugary to pair with a lot of foods or other drinks. But pouring it over ice would dampen the sweetness and make it a decent lunchtime aperitif. On a boiling hot day, upgrading from a crafty Mr Freeze to one of these in the garden wouldn't be a bad idea. Crumpton Oaks Strawberry Fruity Cider 568ml, 4%, £1.50, Tesco A MIGHTY, pint-sized can of cider. It's very pink and very sweet and it's among the stronger offerings in today's field at four per cent alcohol by volume. It tastes of strawberry flavour rather than actual strawberries, but is by far the cheapest of the bunch. If it's value you're after, you could easily add a shot of strawberry syrup to your favourite cider, but if it's strawberry flavour convenience that you want, then look no further. Syrupy sweet, so might be nice as a pudding wine alternative. Try it with ice cream or apple pie, or maybe even delivered lovingly to the wife while she's halfway through a long soak in a bubble bath. RATING: 3/5 Old Mout Kiwi & Lime Cider 500ml, 4%, £2.38, Asda 6 IF the idea was to train your children in how to drink alcohol, this would be the perfect way to get them started. It might be an alcoholic tipple, but it smells like a bag of Jelly Babies and tastes like an exotic species of Fanta. I have to say I rather liked it. I can see it going down really well at a barbecue as it's full of fizz, with enough zest and fruitiness to square up to the traditional burned sausage. That said, I've also got a feeling you could get something very similar for much cheaper by adding a shot of already-open booze, like vodka, to a glass of your favourite fruity fizzy pop. Pulpt Melba (White Peach & Scottish Raspberry) Cider 500ml, 3.4%, £2.65, Tesco 6 THIS cider reminds me of the rhubarb-and-custard chews I used to enjoy on my Saturday morning trips to the sweet shop as a child. It looks like a glass of plain old cider but then, when you try it, you get a good biff of raspberry flavour. Any peachiness was harder to detect. As with most of these cheap and cheerful drinks, I think older teens would love it, but whatever your age, it would work best served as cold as possible on a swelteringly hot sunny day. You're basically getting a two-for-one alcohol and sugar hit. It would also ride very nicely alongside a pork pie or a Scotch egg at a picnic. Woodgate Blood Orange Cider (4x440ml), 3.4%, £2.99, Lidl 6 THERE are so many things I like about cider. Apple orchards are enchanting places – the Biblical Garden of Eden, which was a paradise, was an orchard, after all. Even relatively recently, cider was used as currency to pay farm workers, so whoever made the best cider got the best workers. And it helped lead to a revolution in British glass manufacturing that ultimately shaped the drinking habits of the entire world. This blood-orange tinned tipple actually tastes nothing like cider at all. Instead, it looks, tastes and smells just like a famous orange fizzy drink. fast food smash.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store