Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. If make a purchase through these links, we receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Please see our disclosure for more info.
If you’re sitting at a computer reading these words, you probably have a lot to be grateful for. But if you need a boost, read some gratitude quotes to remind yourself that you have a lot to be thankful for.
Learning to be thankful and regularly expressing gratitude is an important part of personal happiness. Being thankful gives us an appreciation for what we have.
Another way is to keep a daily gratitude journal – everyday, write down 5 things you’re thankful for. Some days, you’ll have a lot to be thankful for, and 5 entries won’t feel like nearly enough.
Coming up with 5 items and expressing daily gratitude for the positive things in your life will make you a happier person.
Here are some of the top gratitude quotes we could find to remind us just how much we have to be thankful for.
Gratitude Quotes
Gratitude means “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” Countless writers, poets, philosophers, and even politicians, have weighed in on the importance of showing gratitude.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect sentiment for a thank-you card, or a reminder to show gratitude for the things you have come to take for granted, you’ll find the perfect gratitude quote here.
“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
“The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become.”
“Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.”
“Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.”
“Gratitude is the appreciation of things that are not deserved, earned or demanded – those wonderful things that we take for granted.”
“Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.”
“Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.”
“Gratitude is an antidote to negative emotions, a neutralizer of envy, hostility, worry, and irritation. It is savoring; it is not taking things for granted; it is present-oriented.”
“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.”
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”
“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
“To live a life fulfilled reflect on the things you have with gratitude.”
“Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.”
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.”
“What can you do right now to turn your life around? Gratitude”
“Gratitude: A lively sense of future benefit.”
“Happiness cannot be traveled to owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” – Denis Waitley
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
“It is necessary, then, to cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
“Stop thinking gratitude as a buy product of your circumstances and start thinking of it as a world view”
“…it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.”
“Gratitude is a duty which ought to be paid, but which none have a right to expect.”
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” – Marcus Tulius Cicero
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
“Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.”
“You have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy.”
“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
“Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” – Doris Day
Grateful Quotes
James E. Faust said that “a grateful heart is the beginning of greatness,” and I certainly believe that that is true.
Showing how grateful we are for the guidance, support, and love of others is essential in cultivating healthy relationships and maintaining a positive outlook on the world.
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust
“Of all the characteristics needed for both a happy and morally decent life, none surpasses gratitude. Grateful people are happier, and grateful people are more morally decent.”
“The trick is to be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low.”
“The root of joy is gratefulness.”
“Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals. If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more.” – Roy T. Bennett
“I’m grateful always for this moment, the now, no matter what form it takes.”
“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.”
“What you truly acknowledge truly is yours. Invite your heart to be grateful and your ‘thank you’s’ will be heard even when you don’t use words.”
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”
“Be grateful, not only for others, but for yourself.”
“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” – Henry Ward Beecher
“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”
“A grateful mind is a great mind which eventually attracts to itself great things.”
“Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.”
“Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing… a grateful heart!”
“Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.”
“If you haven’t all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don’t have that you wouldn’t want.” – Anonymous
“In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy.”
Attitude of Gratitude
Developing an attitude of gratitude means more than saying a brief thank-you when someone does something nice for you. According to Psychology Today, “Gratitude is about feeling and expressing appreciation: for all we’ve received, all that we have (however little it may be), and for all that has not befallen us.”
It can change our perspective, diffuse feelings of self-pity and self-centeredness, impatience, intolerance, negative judgment, indignation, anger, or resentment. Gratitude can also increase feelings of well-being, and prompt mindfulness.
But we should also be grateful for the learning experiences and opportunities to grow that trials and difficult times have offered us.
Though it can be hard to find positivity in a negative situation, adopting an attitude of gratitude and being thankful for all things makes all the difference to your outlook, health, and relationships with others.
“Gratitude will shift you to a higher frequency, and you will attract much better things.” – Rhonda Byrne
“When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity.”
“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”
“What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.”
“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
“If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.”
“Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.” – Albert Schweitzer
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”
“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.”
“As with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful mode of living. The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us.”
“Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.”
“Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is the true prosperity.”
“Gratitude is the sweetest thing in a seekers life – in all human life. If there is gratitude in your heart, then there will be tremendous sweetness in your eyes.” – Sri Chinmoy
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”
“One man may hit the mark, another blunder; but heed not these distinctions. Only from the alliance of the one, working with and through the other, are great things born.”
“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.”
“Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.”
“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” – Albert Schweitzer
“I still miss those I loved who are no longer with me but I find I am grateful for having loved them. The gratitude has finally conquered the loss.”
“I’ve had a remarkable life. I seem to be in such good places at the right time. You know, if you were to ask me to sum my life up in one word, gratitude.”
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”
“Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden
“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.”
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
“No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.”
“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” – Meister Eckhardt
Thankfulness Quotes
Many of us only really think about being thankful at Thanksgiving. But it shouldn’t have to be a holiday for us to realize that we have so many reasons to be thankful every day.
Saying “thank you” takes just a moment, but it can help someone feel appreciated, loved, and recognized for what they do.
Say thanks with a random act of kindness – send a card containing all of the reasons you are grateful for someone’s friendship, pay a compliment, or buy a cup of coffee. Showing gratitude makes us feel good, too.
“If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” – Frank A. Clark
“The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.”
“I’m thankful for each and every day. We never know when time is up.”
“Thank you is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.”
“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.”
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”
“If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” – Gerald Good
“Be thankful for problems. If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job.”
“The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.”
“There’s no happier person than a truly thankful, content person.”
“We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning.”
“The smallest thanks is always worth more than the effort it takes to give it.” – Unknown
“If you can’t reward then you should thank.”
“I’ve started to look at life differently. When you’re thanking God for every little you – every meal, every time you wake up, every time you take a sip of water – you can’t help but be more thankful for life itself, for the unlikely and miraculous fact that you exist at all.”
“Opening your eyes to more of the world around you can deeply enhance your gratitude practice.”
“If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.”
“There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.”
“Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that thankfulness is indeed a virtue.”
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. “
“Being thankful is not always experienced as a natural state of existence, we must work at it, akin to a type of strength training for the heart.”
“Being thankful not only shows good manners, but a simple expression of thankfulness can go a long way in relationships and communication with others. It not only enhances our own lives, but makes other people feel appreciated.”
“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.”
“Let me encourage you to get up every day and focus on what you do have in life. Be thankful for the blessings of the little things, even when you don’t get what you expect.”
“He enjoys much who is thankful for little.” – Thomas Secker
“Live your life so that the fear of death can never enter your heart. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light. Give thanks for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. And if perchance you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured the fault is in yourself.”
Appreciation Quotes
Appreciation is defined as “recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something.”
So many of us appreciate the things we are fortunate enough to have, the people we meet, and the things we are able to do – but we don’t always show our gratitude for them.
These quotes are all about appreciating the positive things in life and the good people who surround us! Share your favorite and show your appreciation today.
“In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.” – Bertrand Russell
“Appreciate the plant that grows in your balcony only for you.”
“‘Enough’ is a feast.”
“Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life.”
“What makes me happy is the appreciation of people around me.”
“The world has enough beautiful mountains and meadows, spectacular skies and serene lakes. It has enough lush forests, flowered fields, and sandy beaches. It has plenty of stars and the promise of a new sunrise and sunset every day. What the world needs more of are people to appreciate and enjoy it.”
“They are not poor that have little, but they that desire much. The richest man, whatever his lot, is the one who’s content with his lot.” – Dutch Proverb
“When you have something use it with appreciation before you lose it and always remember those who don’t have it.”
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
“Change your expectation for appreciation and the world changes instantly.”
“The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.”
“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.”
“The mind is like a flower. It does not bloom without the lights of appreciation, encouragement, and love.” – Debasish Mridha
“Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts.”
“Love those who appreciate you, and appreciate those who love you.”
“Instead of being impatient because you have to wait for something, be grateful for the extra time you have now to notice and appreciate your surroundings.”
“Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes to simply be human.”
“When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them.” – Chinese Proverb
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
“You won’t be happy with more until you’re happy with what you’ve got.”
“If you do not appreciate every day of your life, who said that the days and years will be an asset for the future?”
“Most people are unhappy because they’re focused on what they want rather than appreciating what they have.”
“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it all into words is all that is necessary.” – Margaret Cousins
Hopefully these gratitude quotes have inspired you to look for ways to be grateful in your own life. Being thankful and appreciative is the first step to feeling blessed and being blessed.
If you have your own gratitude quotes to share that weren’t included in our list, please feel free to share them with us below. We’d be extremely grateful!
Updated on December 2, 2020.
