Last Updated on December 19, 2022
Expressing gratitude doesn’t come naturally to most people, and understandably so.
It’s only human nature to want more. We’re hard-wired to seek out more wealth, knowledge, power, respect, and a lot more of what we already have. In our quest for higher accomplishments, we often miss the chance to express gratitude for what providence has already entrusted in our hands.
Unknown to most people, being thankful for what you already have is an ingenious way to invite abundance into your life. And if you cared enough to look around, you’d realize there’s a lot to be thankful for.
The object of gratitude doesn’t have to be a material possession. It doesn’t even need to be good health, the attainment of power, or any other outstanding achievement. You could simply be thankful for being alive. Remember that millions would have longed to see this particular day but they couldn’t make it. Your being alive doesn’t make you more righteous than those to whom the same privilege was denied. It all has to do with God’s matchless grace.
Even if you’re not a religious person, there are still plenty of things to be grateful for. You can express thanks for having a loving family or partner. You could also be thankful for having a fulfilling job, thoughtful friends, generous neighbors, etc.
But while there’s no limit to the things you can be thankful for, the problem is usually cultivating the habit of expressing gratitude. That’s where gratitude quotes come in.
Quotes about gratitude can serve as a constant reminder that regardless of how unkind life may have treated you, you can still find something worth being thankful for. If recited long enough, these quotes might improve your relationship with yourself, other people, and even your higher power.
Gratitude Quotes
Listed below are 45 powerful quotes to help you master and nurture the art of gratitude.
1. “Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.” – Randy Pausch
2. “True gratitude comes from knowing that you belong in the infinite dance of life.” – Deepak Chopra
3. “A moment of gratitude makes a difference in your attitude.” – Bruce Wilkinson
4. “Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.” – Zig Ziglar
5. “A miracle happened: another day of life.” – Paul Coelho
6. “Gratitude is more than an attitude, it is a lifestyle.” – Jenni Mullinix
7. “’Enough’ is a feast.” – Buddhist Proverb
8. “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – G.K. Chesterton
9. “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
10. “If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” – Gerald Good
11. “The root of joy is gratefulness.” – David Steindl-Rast
12. “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle
13. “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 is people to appreciate and enjoy it.” – Michael Josephson
14. “Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” – Fred De Witt Van Amburgh
15. “The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.” – Charles Schwab
16. “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” – Jean Massieu
17. “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
18. “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
19. “Forget yesterday–it has already forgotten you. Don’t sweat tomorrow–you haven’t even met. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift–today.” – Steve Maraboli
20. “Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden
21. “It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.” – Naomi Williams
22. “The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.” – John E. Southard
23. “I truly believe we can either see the connections, celebrate them, and express gratitude for our blessings, or we can see life as a string of coincidences that have no meaning or connection. For me, I’m going to believe in miracles, celebrate life, rejoice in the views of eternity, and hope my choices will create a positive ripple effect in the lives of others. This is my choice.” – Mike Ericksen
24. “Gratitude also opens your eyes to the limitless potential of the universe, while dissatisfaction closes your eyes to it.” – Stephen Richards
25. “Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.” – Robert Braathe
26. “This a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” – Maya Angelou
27. “In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day–or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru
28. “The more you thank life, the more life gives you to be thankful for.” – Unknown
29. “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
30. “When eating a fruit, think of the person who planted the tree.” – Vietnamese Proverb
31. “Gratitude is a habit of the heart.” – Alexis de Tocqueville
32. “When times get tough, the key is not to stay strong… the key is to stay grateful.” – Unknown
33. “Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.” – A.A. Milne
34. “The spirit of gratitude brings true joy and great happiness.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
35. “If the only prayer you ever say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice. – Meister Eckhart
36. “To live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.” – Thomas S. Monson
37. “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilden
38. “Gratitude is nutrition for a living relationship.” – Steve Maraboli
39. “Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude.” – Joseph Wood Krutch
40. “The secret to having it all is believing you already do.” – Unknown
41. “If you want to find happiness, find gratitude.” – Steve Maraboli
42. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
43. “The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see.” – Dr. Robert Holden
44. “We can choose to be grateful, no matter what.” –Dieter F. Uchtdorf
45. “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…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melodie Beattie