RDNZ_10-11_Oct_Nov Issue

3 1 2 evolved into a very precision-cut, fine paintbrush. It’s so incredibly soft and instead of styling it, I feel like I should be using it to gently dust fine China or apply delicate watercolours! Funnily enough, in my heart, I still feel like I’m in my mid-thirties. My brain, however, occasionally begs to differ. It’s not quite as sharp as it used to be. Sometimes it feels like a big, foggy, fluffy cloud. I’ll try to recall a name or a word, and it simply won’t come. I know the answer is in there, but my fluffy brain refuses to retrieve it, hiding it away at the very back of the shelf. People always say, “I have no regrets.” But as I look back, I do have a few. I’ve lost too many dear friends and close family members in recent years to pretend everything was perfect. But those regrets have taught me things. I wanted to sit down and share them with you. You might not agree with all of them, but I know that if I could have whispered this advice to my twenty-five-year-old self, I would be healthier and wealthier today. Would it have made me happier? I think it just might have. If I could travel back in time, here is exactly what I would tell that young person standing in her brand-new brown suit. Remember That Getting Old is a Gift Wake up and be grateful for every sin- gle day you have on this earth, because it literally could be your last. Focus on the wonders that surround you the second you open your eyes: the comfort of your soft pillow, the wet slap of your dog’s tongue on your face as he licks you to say morning, the blue Australian skies, and the sweet, intoxicating smell of jasmine as you step outside for a walk. Never take a single breath for granted. Stand Fiercely by Your Rock: Family and Lifelong Friends Your family and your oldest friends are your ultimate anchor. Spend quality time with your family; make it an absolute priority, not an afterthought when work is done. And keep in touch with your childhood and teenage friends, even if life takes you to the opposite side of the world. It takes less than a minute to send a text or pick up the phone. Even if you are always the one who has to make first contact, reconnect anyway. Having lifelong friends who knew you “before” is a rare, beautiful gift. Move Your Body Every Single Day Treat your body like a temple, because a healthy body is the foundation of a healthy mind. Take reader ’ s digest 12 OctOber/NOvember 2026