121 Gratitude Quotes and Sayings About Appreciating Your Life

These gratitude quotes will help you voice your thanks and help you remember to be grateful, even when it might be difficult.

So often, we want to express our gratitude and appreciation for what others have done for us – but we just don’t have the words.

We have feelings and a need to be thankful, but words fail us.

Practicing gratitude helps us:

• feel more positive emotions
• improve our physical health and well-being
• deal with challenges
• build stronger relationships

Check out more inspirational quotes on our motivational quotes category page.

Inspirational Gratitude Quotes About Being Thankful

1. “Be thankful for everything that happens in your life; it’s all an experience.” – Roy T. Bennett

2. “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” – Maya Angelou

You will also enjoy our article on good deeds quotes.

3. “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” – John F. Kennedy

4. “He who does not reflect his life back to God in gratitude does not know himself.” – Albert Schweitzer

5. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”  – James Allen

You will also enjoy our article on thank God quotes.

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

7. “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” — Karl Barth

8. “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire

9. “The essence of all beautiful art is gratitude.” – Friedrich Nietzche

10. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” – Cicero

Why gratitude matters

11. “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” – Melody Beattie

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

13. “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

14. “We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not figures on a dial.  We should count time by heart-throbs.  He most lives who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.” – Phillip James Bailey

15. “Gratitude isn’t a burdening emotion.” –Loretta Young

16. “Feeling gratitude, and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” –William Arthur Ward

17. “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

18. “In everything, give thanks.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

19. “Silent gratitude isn’t much to anyone.” – Gertrude Stein

20. “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

These gratitude quotes will remind you to be thankful

21. “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” –GK Chesteron

22. “If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” -Gerald Good

23. “Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.” – Confucius

24. “A good life is when you smile often, dream big, laugh a lot and realize how blessed you are for what you have.”

25. “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

26. “Gratitude is a duty which ought to be paid, but which none have a right to expect.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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

28. “We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” – H.A. Ironside

29. “You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you” – Sarah Ban Breathnack

30. “Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” – Guillaume Apollinaire

Remember your blessing with these gratitude quotes

31. “Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.” – Marcus Aurelius

32. “When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity.” – Elie Wiesel

33. “Thank you‘ is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot.” – Alice Walker

34. “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” –Melody Beattie

35. “Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have—life itself.” – Walter Anderson

36. “It is a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation.” –Roberto Benigni

37. “What you give, you get. What you see in others, exists in you. Remember, life is an echo. It always gets back to you. So give goodness. ” – Unknown

38. “Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.” –Jacques Maritain

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

40. “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.” – Melody Beattie

41. “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” -Meister Eckhart

Quotes About Being Grateful

42. “Gratitude is absolutely the way to bring more into your life.”

43. “Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” -Doris Day

44. “Don’t waste your time on things that you think you want because there is always someone out there who needs it much more than you could ever possibly know.”

45. “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” – Oscar Wilde

46. “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

47. “Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” – Fred De Witt Van Amburgh

48. “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy.” – Marcel Proust

49. “Giving is an expression of gratitude for our blessings.” –Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

50. “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” –William James

Living a life of gratitude

51. “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

52. “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

53. “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

54. “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

55. “If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” -Gerald Good

56. “Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.” – Alphonse Karr

57. “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

58. “Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire

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

If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of attitude quotes that will set you up for success.

Gratitude quotes from wise people

60. “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

61. “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus

62. “…And why of all the attitudes you can acquire, it’s the attitude of gratitude that can be the most important and life-changing.”

63. “It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.” – Naomi Williams

64. “None of those material possessions do anything to make your life any better… I know a lot of people who have a lot of everything, and they’re absolutely the most miserable people in the world.  So it won’t do anything for you unless you’re a happy person and can have peace with yourself.” – Lenny Kravitz

65. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” – Cicero

66. “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” – Oscar Wilde

67. “We need to regularly stop and take stock; to sit down and determine within ourselves which things are worth valuing and which things are not; which risks are worth the cost and which are not.” – Epictetus

68. “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain

69. “A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” – Saint Basil

70. “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.” -Harold Kushner

Gratitude changes your perspective

71. “Gratitude is something of which none of us can give too much.  For on the smiles, the thanks we give, our little gestures of appreciation, our neighbors build their philosophy of life.” – A. J. Cronin

72. “If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.” – John Wooden

73. “It isn’t what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.” – Author Unknown

74. “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

75. “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

76. “So, let us all be thankful.”- Buddha

77. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” – James Allen

78. “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

79. “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” – John Wooden

More gratitude quotes

80. “Life just is. But life itself is a gift. It’s a compliment just being born: to feel, breathe, think, play, dance, sing, work, and make love, for this particular lifetime. Today, let’s give thanks for life. For life itself. For simply being born!” – Daphne Rose Kingma

81. “Each day I am thankful for: Nights that turned into mornings; Friends that turned into family; Dreams that turned into reality; and likes that turned into love.”

82. “Pursue what catches your heart, not what catches your eyes.” – Roy T. Bennett

83. “Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.” – Roy T. Bennett

84. “Appreciation can make a day, even a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.”

85. “Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.” – Hansa Proverb

86. “The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.” –John E. Southard

87. “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.” – Deitrich Bonhoeffer

88. “Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality.” – Alfred Painter

89. “Gratitude is the ability to experience life as a gift. It liberates us from the prison of self-preoccupation.” – John Ortberg

90. “Those who are not grateful soon begin to complain about everything.” – Thomas Merton

91. “Gratitude means to recognize the good in your life, be thankful for whatever you have. Some people may not even have one of those things you consider precious to you (love, family, friends, etc). Each day give thanks for the gift of life. You are blessed.” – Pablo

Gratitude Quotes For Practicing Thankfulness All Year Long

92. “Gratitude, like faith, is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it grows.” — Alan Cohen

93. “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” –Thornton Wilder

94. “Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette

95. “Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” – Denis Waitley

96. “It’s the recognition that other people’s problems, their pain and frustrations, are every bit as real as our own – often far worse. In recognizing this fact and trying to offer some assistance, we open our hearts and greatly enhance our sense of gratitude.” – Richard Carlson

97. “Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.” – Lionel Hampton

98. “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” – Cynthia Ozick

99. “Gratitude will shift you to a higher frequency, and you will attract much better things.” – Rhonda Byrne

Gratitude Quotes On the Importance of Being Grateful

100. “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

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

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

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

104. “The greatest source of happiness is the ability to be grateful at all times.” — Zig Ziglar

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

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

107. “I’ve found in my life that the easiest way to increase my joy is to religiously practice gratitude until I’m a gratitude machine!” — Rhonda Byrne

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

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

Gratitude quotes for work

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

111. “Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is the true prosperity.” — Eckhart Tolle

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

113. “In the long run, you will receive more from life doing the job you enjoy than you will ever earn in money from a job you loathe.” – Terry L. Mayfield

114. “Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden

115. “The highest reward for a man’s toil is not what he gets for it but what he becomes by it.” – John Ruskin

116. “Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.” – Robert Braathe

117. “Work is what you do so that some time you won’t have to do it anymore.” – Alfred Polgar

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

119. “Live a life full of humility, gratitude, intellectual curiosity, and never stop learning.” – GZA

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

121. “We learned about gratitude and humility – that so many people had a hand in our success.” – Michelle Obama

Did you see your favorite gratitude quotes here?

As these gratitude quotes remind us, there’s nothing to be lost in having a thankful attitude. 

Never forget to say ‘thanks,’ even when life seems unreasonable.

For it is when we have an attitude of gratitude that we are given more to bless others.

Let us know your favorite gratitude quote in the comment section below.

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