Smile Even With Your Liver

Recently I've had a heartbreak that has caused a lot of sadness, confusion, and loneliness. If you know me, you know I am one of those people who realizes happiness is not an event, but the result of real, personal, conscious effort. So to say I'm working overtime to get over this heartbreak is an understatement--I want to be happy again! HAPPIER THAN I WAS BEFORE!

It's been said one can smile with the liver. At least in the book I am currently reading, "EAT, PRAY, LOVE" by Elizabeth Gilbert. While being taught to meditate, an old, happy medicine man teaches her "the most easy way to meditate." He tells her to sit and smile--smile with all her being, "smile even with your liver." So today, I sat and smiled with my liver.

I had originally planned to go to the nearby track and run a mile under the sun--(you know, Vitamin D gets me in a good mood)--but then it started raining as I was walking there. Then, I thought I would go sit at the middle school right next to the track, and read (since I took my book with me anyway for after the run.) I figured I'd just sit in a covered area. Then, I saw there were a bunch of kids there doing who knows what. So I had to walk home without my run, without my read.

When I got home, I realized that what I was looking for at the track--being in nature, relaxing by reading, and meditating--could all be done at my house. I have a beautifully green front yard, and two large trees. So instead of coming in my house, I sat under one of those treas and started reading. It was great to read this book I love so much, but all I could think was, "I need to smile with my liver." I put the book down, and started what at that moment I would call, "quote on quote 'meditation."'

Not thinking it would be real meditation, I still did it because I just wanted to FEEL a smile that powerfully. I smiled with my mouth, and really tried to feel it in my gut. Then I realized, "wait, I need to smile with ALL my face, not just the mouth." So I tried to smile with my forehead and my eyes, then my cheeks and even my chin. As I was all smiley, I started looking around me, observing.

There was a large mountain ahead that never seemed so captivating. Though it was far, it was close. But even closer to it were some lush, green trees. They were the trees on the block next to mine. Then, even closer, I noticed the soft, cushioned green grass in my front yard. The grass I was sitting on. Then, as I looked up, I saw above me a powerful, strong-willed tree, "planted" in its path in life. And I was leaning on it. I couldn't help but feel how beautiful this Earth is... and all I could think was, "I bet God feels a sense of accomplishment for sticking with it for so long."

I begin trying to find the lesson in all this that is around me. Knowing that I am at the epicenter of beauty and that I must be changed by it, I begin trying to find the parallel between myself and this Earth; between my pursuit of happiness and Gods beautiful Earth. Still not realizing what it means to be at the "epicenter," a good amount of knowledge does come, "It took God hundreds of years to create this, but, damn, look what resulted! Like the tree I lean on, I must remain planted in my path in life. Happiness. Love."

Still smiling, but now in a real way, I decided I wanted to continue observing. I had already looked in front of, behind, to the sides, below and even above me. So, after taking another glance at the grass near me, I realized the only place left to look at was... me. The epicenter. I started by looking at my legs. Somehow that was enough to observe all of me. And without even realizing it, a thought from outside of me came, "This beauty is in me too."

Smile even with your liver.