I'm Finally Happy Again!

Looking great at 50 and madly in love with her beau, Jennifer Garner is living her best life

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As her 50th birthday approached, Jennifer Garner shared some words of wisdom from her mother. "Happiness is your own responsibility," she wrote as part of her “50 somethings in 50 days” countdown to her April 17 milestone, along with a photo of herself smiling widely as she relaxed on a boat. “The life you're living while you wait for the grade, the college, the job, the man, is your actual life. Decide to enjoy it and work toward your own peace and contentment."

Her journey to this point wasn't easy. "Jen is happier than she's been in a very long time," says a source, noting that while the actress is known for her relentlessly optimistic image, Jen privately suffered years of "emotional ups and downs" following her 2015 separation from Ben Affleck after 10 years of marriage. But now, thanks in part to her nearly four-year, on-off romance with John Miller, "she has a new lease on life. Turning 50, the fact that her children are thriving, and having a healthy relationship... it's all she can ask for. She's comfortable in her own skin again and truly feels that she's in the best place in her life.”