1.  Breathe.  When I was folding towels and doing various laundry/cleaning tasks, I found myself paying attention to my breath, much like when I am doing yoga.  I would inhale through my nose and exhale through my mouth, and I was amazed how folding towels could be so relaxing.

2.  Sing.  I find myself happier and calmer when I am singing around the house.  I often turn on Pandora or play my iPod when I am doing dishes or cooking dinner.  I love singing–and I probably enjoy it more because I am doing #1 (breathing) while I am singing.

3.  *Exercise.  I have been sedentary through periods of my life and active through others.  I find that I am calmer, more relaxed, and better equipped to deal with the stresses which do come up when I am expressing energy (and producing endorphins) through exercise.  The exercises I enjoy are yoga, swimming, running, and biking.  (I also have done some Zumba classes lately, which are tons of fun and a great work out through Latin dancing–but a little hard on my knees!)

4.  Laugh.  When my kiddos have made a huge mess, or if I’m feeling particularly stressed, if I can laugh about what is going on–or even sit down to watch a funny movie–or go out and laugh with my husband or a good friend–I find I am more relaxed and able to find joy in my day-to-day experiences.

5.  Count Your Blessings.  When I take a moment to look back on all my current blessings and ponder the multitude of tender mercies which are constantly present in my life, I feel relaxed.  As I focus on the positive aspects of my life, I am more apt to remember my current mantra:  “Everything always works out.” (Sorry for the dangling preposition, but that really is my mantra right now.)  And, if you look back on your life, I bet you will find the same is true.

Well, hopefully one of these suggestions will help you through your week.  I look forward to your feedback!  Happy Monday!!!!

*Disclaimer:  This blog post is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or constitute anything of the kind.  Please consult your physician or personal trainer before embarking on an exercise program.  mpowergen.com and mpowergen.com/blog hold no responsibility for any issues that happen to you from following the advice of this blog post.

I sat in a friend’s living room last evening, and over a delicious bowl of bread pudding, we watched our children around her dog.  The dog would brush his tail against the children, and then he would lie down on the rug while they would reach out to pet him.  When he rose each time, the children on either side of him would look toward each other and giggle.  Their laughter was contagious.  My friend and I laughed just watching their simple joy.

One of my children has a particularly high amount of energy, which can lead to some issues when the child doesn’t feel loved and accepted.  Lately, this child has found a friend among one of his or her siblings.  Having this friend has made a huge difference in the life of this child, and the sibling who reached out to the child has also benefited from their relationship.

Another child has shown particular attention to apology and forgiveness.  This child still shows emotion, and sometimes will act with force or anger, but–once the moment passes–the child shows great remorse, along with an almost immediate “I’m sorry” accompanied by a sign of affection like a hug or gentle kiss on the cheek.

As I watch their examples of love, laughter, friendship, and forgiveness, I am in awe.  I want to be like them, and I wonder what I can do to find more joy in my journey through life.

What lessons do you learn from your children?  What helps you become more like them?

Yesterday it was a mini road trip to help my sister with her baby as she went a little farther from home than usual. We laughed and talked and listened to music from my iPod, we even enjoyed Burger King 89 cent soft serve ice cream cones (YUM!!). It was wonderful! The day ended by talking about funny jokes we had come up with that day, over carrot juice smoothies and spontaneous hugs.

Later last night one of my sisters camped out in my bedroom and we stayed up late talking about…well anything really. We can find something to say that will keep us up later than we planned and even make it worth it when we are tired all the next day.

Today one of my sisters came over to cut quilt squares for a quilt we are going to attempt to make. What might be important for you to know is that neither my sister nor I am proficient in quilt making…at least not yet. My mom however, knows a thing or two about quilting so she might save us from a fate worse than cheese wax.

These examples are really only something of a sentence in reference to a thousand page novel, metaphorically speaking, when it comes to the time that we spend together and the moments we spend in laughter and love.

When something cool happens to me I want to tell my sister, when something horrible happens to me I want to tell my sister. When I want to give a complement to a dear girlfriend, I call her my sister. When I need someone to watch a James McAvoy or even a John Cusack movie with, I talk to my sisters. We text, we facebook, we call, we visit and all the while we draw closer to each other. I am so thankful for my sisters and the people in my life who I have adopted as sisters. When we share times together we share love for each other.

My hope in writing this to you today is to inspire you to do something with your sis. Whether they are near or far, blood or almost blood, they are yours and each day and moment we share with each other can be a gift. Use it wisely.

I think that the most important thing I learned, after knowing that my Heavenly Father loved me and I should obey the commandments, was that, as a family, we take care of each other. Whenever one of us was in a jam or needed help, we all pitched in until whatever was completed. My mom would stay up late typing my papers. I remember one time, especially. We were up working on a plantation for a history project. We glued felt to milk cartons for the buildings. We put green on the ground for grass and set it all up on a board so that I can turn it in the next morning. Mom stuck right with me.

I learned to take care of other people. We always had a houseful of people. My mom and sometimes my dad would cook fabulous breakfasts and huge dinners to feed all of the people they invited to join us. Our friends were always welcome. During High School, we attended a class at church before school. Then, we would bring a group of friends home and my mother would have grits (I am from the South), eggs (made the way you liked them), bacon or ham, fried sweet potatoes or French fries and her specialty, biscuits. We would have juice and milk and chocolate milk to drink. I didn’t appreciate the work she went to then (breakfast was not a meal I ate) but my siblings and our friends enjoyed it.

I learned to be kind, helpful and to keep confidences. My father had his own construction company and was a leader in the church. There were meetings at our house and we learned to never say anything about who came or went from our home. I learned early in life that it is important to keep to myself the things people said to me. I was an adult before I figured out what an important lesson this was.

I learned that love was the key to open the heart of a person. I learned to really care about the people I knew. Sometimes, it was hard to open my heart, because to open your heart, you might get hurt. But, I learned that a heart full of love mends when it is broken and beats to help another person again.

I learned to stay in love with my husband. My mother took care of my father, every little need. Now, my father takes care of my mother, every little need. Over the years, I have learned more from my own marriage about caring and nurturing that most important relationship.

I learned that parents make mistakes. As a parent, I have made mistakes and I recognize them and try to correct them.

I learned to laugh. My mother would get “tickled” at the littlest thing. I remember many times that family prayer was delayed until my mother could quit giggling. And as you know, giggling is contagious, so she was not the only one who had to settle down. But, it was that giggling that helped me learn to laugh at myself and at the negative or ridiculous situations of life.

I learned that at the end of the day, family matters. We love each other, we enjoy being together and we take care of each other. We arrange our schedule to attend the activities of our siblings. At this holiday season, may we love each other, nurture each other and empower one another to reach for the stars.

What about you? How will you empower your family today?