Day 16 - The Hidden Secret of Being “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” ― Thích Nhất Hạnh In today’s meditation, we explore how the practice of gratitude reveals the hidden qualities of our awareness: wonder, joy, and beauty. As grace connects us to the hidden truths of Nature, we are really discovering the essence of our expansive liberated self. Gratitude awakens these dormant gifts of our unlimited self and makes them powerful forces of positive change in our lives. As our self expands through gratitude, our concerns, anxieties, and insecurities become small and insignificant, while our experience of joy, freedom, beauty, and compassion continues to grow. Daily Journal 1. Write about something in your environment right now that you are grateful for, but have never fully recognized before. It could be something as simple as the satisfying click of the keys on your keyboard or the effortless way your chair swivels. 2. Remember a time when you were alone in nature, in which you felt unbounded and free. Elaborate on what that experience felt like. 3. Set aside two minutes right now to simply be – no words, no interactions, no activity. Feel your inner self expand, and afterwards write about what this experience was like. 4. Use this space to reflect further on your experience today.