131 Gratitude Quotes to Make You Feel Grateful

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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.

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.

JFK gratitude quote "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them"
“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.

Robert Holden

Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.

Edwin Arlington Robinson

Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.

Randy Pausch

Gratitude is the appreciation of things that are not deserved, earned or demanded – those wonderful things that we take for granted.

Renée Paule

Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.

Fred De Witt Van Amburgh
Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote "Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy"
“Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

Aesop

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.

Sonja Lyubomirsky

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.

Johannes Gaertner

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

Anonymous
Friedrich Nietzsche quote "The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude"
“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.

Jaren Davis

Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.

Amy Collette

Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.

Henri Fredric Amiel

What can you do right now to turn your life around? Gratitude

The Secret

Gratitude: A lively sense of future benefit.

Unknown
Denis Waitley quote "Happiness cannot be traveled to owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude"
“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.

G.K. Chesterton

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.

Wallace D. Wattles

Stop thinking gratitude as a buy product of your circumstances and start thinking of it as a world view

Bryan Robles

…it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.

David Steindl-Rast

Gratitude is a duty which ought to be paid, but which none have a right to expect.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Cicero quote "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others"
“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.

Melodie Beattie

Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.

Jacques Maritain

You have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy.

Buddha

When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.

Kristin Armstrong
Doris Day quote "Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty"
“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.

Marcel Proust quote "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom"
“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.

Dennis Prager

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.

Maya Angelou

The trick is to be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low.

Richard Carlson

Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining – it bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn’t solve any problems.

Zig Ziglar

The root of joy is gratefulness.

David Steindl-Rast
Roy T Bennett quote "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"
“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.

Eckhart Tolle

The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.

Mary Davis

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.

Pavithra Mehta

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.

Willie Nelson

Be grateful, not only for others, but for yourself.

Unknown
Henry Ward Beecher quote "Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul"
“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” – Henry Ward Beecher

Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.

Karl Barth

A grateful mind is a great mind which eventually attracts to itself great things.

Plato

Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.

Lionel Hampton

Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing… a grateful heart!

George Herbert

Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Anonymous quote "If you haven’t all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don’t have that you wouldn’t want"
“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.

Albert Clarke

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.

Rhonda Byrne quote "Gratitude will shift you to a higher frequency, and you will attract much better things"
“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.

Ellie Wiesel

When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.

Tony Robbins

What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.

Brene Brown

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.

Brian Tracy

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.

Rabbi Harold Kushner
Albert Schweitzer quote "Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude"
“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.

Epictetus

The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.

William James

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.

James E. Faust

Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.

Ernest Hemingway

Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is the true prosperity.

Eckhart Tolle
Sri Chinmoy quote "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"
“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.

G.K. Chesterton

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.

Oprah Winfrey

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.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.

Ralph H. Blum

Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.

Eileen Caddy
Albert Schweitzer quote "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"
“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.

Rita Mae Brown

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.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.

Cynthia Ozick
John Wooden saying "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out"
“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.

Charles Dickens

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Melodie Beattie

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.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.

Alfred North Whitehead

Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.

G.B. Stern
Meister Eckhardt saying "If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough"
“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"
“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.

William Blake

I’m thankful for each and every day. We never know when time is up.

Chuck Berry

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

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.

Ralph Marston

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

Thornton Wilder
Gerald Good thankful quote "If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily"
“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.

Jim Lovell

The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.

Henry Ward Bleecher

There’s no happier person than a truly thankful, content person.

Joyce Meyer

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.

Albert Barnes

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.

Buddha
"The smallest thanks is always worth more than the effort it takes to give it"
“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.

Arabic Proverb

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.

A.J. Jacobs

Opening your eyes to more of the world around you can deeply enhance your gratitude practice.

Derrick Carpenter

If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.

W. Clement Stone

There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

Unknown

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that thankfulness is indeed a virtue.

William Bennett
William Arthur Ward quote "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it"
“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.

W.T. Purkiser

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.

Larissa Gomez

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.

Daniella Whyte

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.

Alphonse Karr

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.

Victoria Osteen
Thomas Secker thankfulness quote "He enjoys much who is thankful for little"
“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.

Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief

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"
“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.

Vineet Raj Kapoor

‘Enough’ is a feast.

Buddhist Proverb

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.

Christiane Northrup

What makes me happy is the appreciation of people around me.

Nadia Comaneci

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.

Michael Josephson
Dutch gratitude saying "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"
“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.

Mary Uwamahoro

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

Robert Brault

Change your expectation for appreciation and the world changes instantly.

Tony Robbins

By appreciation, we make excellence in others our own property.

Voltaire

The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.

Charles Schwab

The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.

William James
"The mind is like a flower. It does not bloom without the lights of appreciation, encouragement, and love"
“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.

Alan Cohen

Love those who appreciate you, and appreciate those who love you.

Connor Chalfant

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.

Danielle Tinning

Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes to simply be human.

Meredith Grey, Grey’s Anatomy
Chinese appreciation proverb "When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them"
“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.

Eckhart Tolle

You won’t be happy with more until you’re happy with what you’ve got.

Viki King

If you do not appreciate every day of your life, who said that the days and years will be an asset for the future?

Sunday Adelaja

Most people are unhappy because they’re focused on what they want rather than appreciating what they have.

Marty Rubin
Margaret Cousins quote "Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it all into words is all that is necessary"
“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.

Photo of author

Quincy Seale

Quincy is KIM's editor, and has collected and shared inspiring quotes and stories since 2005. Quincy holds an MBA from the University of Dundee and an MSc from the University of Edinburgh, and lives in San Antonio with his wife Natalie, son Alex, and his dog Oban.

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