“THANK you” may be the BEST prayer, the most powerful force that may change the way we look at the world, and consequently, our life. And yet for many, these two words may be among the hardest things to say after “I’m sorry,” and the most difficult credo to live by.
As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, allow me to share some of the quotes on gratitude that may help unlock the key to true and lasting happiness.
These 40 quotes were compiled by Jeff Haden, contributing editor to Inc., and the author of “The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win.”
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – G.K. Chesterton
“’Enough’ is a feast.” – Buddhist proverb
“If you count all your assets, you always show a profit.” – Robert Quillen
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault
“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
“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle
“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
“If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” – Gerald Good
“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
“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
“Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” – Fred De Witt Van Amburgh
“The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.” – Charles Schwab
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus
“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
“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” – William James
“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
“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
“Silent gratitude isn’t very much to anyone.” – Gertrude Stein
“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
“You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” – Willie Nelson
“It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.” – Naomi Williams
“One can never pay in gratitude; one can only pay ‘in kind’ somewhere else in life.” -Anne Morrow Lindbergh
“Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden
“No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.” – Alfred North Whitehead
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” – .A. Milne
“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
“We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.” – Neal A. Maxwell
“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
“The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.” – John E. Southard
“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
“Gratitude also opens your eyes to the limitless potential of the universe, while dissatisfaction closes your eyes to it.” – Stephen Richards
“Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.” – Robert Braathe
“They both seemed to understand that describing it was beyond their powers, the gratitude that spreads through your body when a burden gets lifted, and the sense of homecoming that follows, when you suddenly remember what it feels like to be yourself.” – Tom Perrotta
“Gratitude is more of a compliment to yourself than someone else.” – Raheel Farooq
“Keep your eyes open and try to catch people in your company doing something right, then praise them for it.” – Tom Hopkins
“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
“This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” – Maya Angelou
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Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at [email protected], or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
