Reader's Digest Australia Dec/Jan 2025

W e’ve all had those moments when life slams the brakes. Maybe it was a gut-punch of unexpected loss of a dear loved one, a professional setback that felt personal, heartbreak from a partner that left you, or the heavy realization that you made a genuine mistake. We hit a wall, and suddenly, the vibrant journey of life feels like waiting in a grey, endless sta- tion. When crisis hits, the temptation is to pull the covers up and wait for the light to return. But the truth is, the most cou- rageous thing you can do isn’t wait- The Art of the Restart: How to Focus on What You Have by sheron white HEART ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: GOOD STUDIO, VIA ADOBE STOCK reader ’ s digest 6   december 2025/january 2026 ing—it’s choosing to re-start. Every cell in your body is programmed for resil- ience, and that fire, the one meant to light up the world, just needs a little fuel and a slight change in direction. The first, and most important, act of self-renewal is dropping the invisible backpack of guilt. Whether your cur- rent challenge was caused by bad luck or a genuine mis- step, we often burden our- selves with an invisible backpack o f gu i l t filled with “should haves” and “what ifs.” That backpack gets heavier with every passing year. The person who made that mistake, who said that regrettable thing, or who didn’t see the path forward clearly, was just a version of you who was doing the best they could with the information and emo- tional resources they had at the time. Forgive them. By the same token, don’t waste energy brooding over those who may have hurt you. Often, their actions were a reflection of their own struggles, not your worth. You can’t control what others do, but you can control what you carry forward. Learn the lesson, then let the injury go. You deserve to reclaim that energy. Once you’ve cleared the slate, it’s time to focus on your abundance, not what you lack. It’s easy to look around and feel like you’re missing the key ingredients for happiness. “Compari- son is the thief of joy”. We compare our chapter three to someone else’s chapter twenty-five. But a fundamental truth of joy is that it comes fromwhat you focus on right now. Instead of measuring your life by what’s miss- ing—the job you didn’t get, the relationship that ended, the health you want back—start applying an “abundance filter.” Do you have a comfortable chair? Is there a kind friend who checked in? Did your coffee taste great this morning? This isn’t forced positivity; it’s a mental discipline. When you consciously count your blessings, you shift your brain chemis- try from survival mode (what am I lack- ing?) to possibility mode (what can I build with what I have?). Your life is not defined by its gaps; it’s defined by the magnificent structure you’ve already built. After reframing your focus, the next step is reaching out and connecting. When we’re hurting, isolation can feel safe. But the way back to feeling fully alive is almost always through kinship. ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: FAMILY BUSINESS, VIA ADOBE STOCK readersdigest.com.au    7 Heart