In this week’s issue of PEOPLE, the 51-year-old actress and longtime Neutrogena brand ambassadoradmits that even though she has her “moments” where she reflects on her younger years, “Honestly, mostly, I am grateful just to be alive.”

“And I’m grateful for the wisdom that I’ve gleaned out of these years and really grateful to be able to watch other women go through this process of life so gracefully,” Garner adds.

She also says she tries “to follow in their footsteps and tell other young women, ‘Take care of yourself, but don’t be scared. Aging is a gift.’ “