40 Quotes About Gratitude

No matter what life throws at you—good, bad, big, little—it’s important to express gratitude. To give thanks for yesterday, today and tomorrow, and all that you’ve experienced, because each up and every down you face is a landmark on your journey that makes you who you are.

Appreciate all that you have in your life, and don’t fret about the things that you don’t. Count your blessings instead of your troubles. And most importantly, remember to always be grateful. Seeing life as a gift can change everything.

So, what are you thankful for? Let these 40 quotes about gratitude inspire your thoughts and bring you joy this Thanksgiving.

1. “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” — Gilbert K. Chesterson

2. “The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” — Henry Ward Beecher

3. “Gratitude doesn’t change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors.” — Richelle E. Goodrich

4. “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” — Zig Ziglar

5. “Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” — Doris Day

6. “Learn to be thankful for what you already have, while you pursue all that you want.” — Jim Rohn

7. “It’s not possible to experience constant euphoria, but if you’re grateful, you can find happiness in everything.” — Pharrell Williams

8. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” — John F. Kennedy

9. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey

10. “Never take anything for granted.” — Benjamin Disraeli

11. “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

12. “‘Thank you’ is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.” — Alice Walker

13. “The trick is to be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low.” — Richard Carlson

14. “Appreciation can make a day—even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” — Margaret Cousins

15. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” — James Allen

16. “Gratitude unlocks all that’s blocking us from really feeling truthful, really feeling authentic and vulnerable and happy.” — Gabrielle Bernstein

17. “Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” — Henri Frederic Amiel

18. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault

19. “Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity… it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” — Melody Beattie

20. “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” — William Arthur Ward

21. “If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.” — W. Clement Stone

22. “The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.” — Charles Schwab

23. “When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.” — Kristin Armstrong

24. “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” — Gilbert K. Chesterton

25. “No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.” — Alfred North Whitehead

26. “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” — Willie Nelson

27. “The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” — Dalai Lama

28. “The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.” — William Blake

29. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

30. “There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” — Ralph H. Blum

31. “Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” — Henry Ward Beecher

32. “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” — Charles Dickens

33. “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.” — Maya Angelou

34. “There is something that happens when you are grateful: You continue to keep receiving blessings. So I will always be grateful.” — Chrissy Metz

35. “None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” — Fred De Witt Van Amburgh

36. “Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” — Alphonse Karr

37. “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” — Eckhart Tolle

38. “Gratitude opens the door to the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude.” — Deepak Chopra

39. “So the point is to acknowledge what’s difficult in life, but don’t let it hijack your attention. Don’t let it suck you out. And instead, as much as you can, focus on what there is to be thankful for. Which among other benefits will make you stronger.” — Rick Hanson

40. “The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become.” — Robert Holden

This article was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated for freshness.
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