woman praying beside treePhoto Credit: Ben White

Welcome to our collection of quotes and picture quotes on gratitude. We hope you find them fruitful to ponder and that you share them with others.

The words gratitude and grateful derive from the Medieval Latin words "gratitudo" and "gratus," which mean “thankfulness” and “pleasing.” Gratitude is the quality of being thankful -- it indicates a willingness and preparedness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. It is something given without obligation - it is not owed per se but voluntarily given anyway.

Many feel there are 3 stages of gratitude: 1. Recognition, 2. Acknowlegement, and finally 3. Appreciation.

Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.

--Zig Ziglar

No better words than thank you have yet been discovered to express the sincere gratitude of one's heart; when the two words are sincerely spoken.

--Alfred Armand Montapert

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

--Aesop

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

--Randy Pausch

Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.

--Seneca

We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.

--Alphonse Karr

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

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

--Aesop

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

--Johannes Gaertner

Because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.

--Wallace D. Wattles

If you don't appreciate what you have, you may as well not have it.

--Rosalene Glickman

You don't get blessed, and feel blessed. You have to first feel blessed, then the blessings come to you.

--Roman Price

My socks may not match, but my feet are always warm.

--Maureen McCullough

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

--The Secret

Stop thinking gratitude as a byproduct of your circumstances and start thinking of it as a world view.

--Bryan Robles

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.

--Melody Beattie

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

They say the glass is half full or half empty, well let me tell you I'm just glad there's a glass at all.

--Claire Auricomous

Remember that not to be happy is not to be grateful.

--Elizabeth Carter

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

--Renée Paule

Gratitude and love are always multiplied when you give freely. It is an infinite source of contentment and prosperous energy.

--Jim Fargiano

Ingratitude is the worst of sins.

--Ramesh Lohia

Saying thanks to the world, and acknowledging your own accomplishments, is a great way to feel good and stay positive.

--Rachel Robins

We have been misled...lied to...but anger is an extension of your implants, an emotional poison that will weigh you down. Let that go and be grateful. Grateful for your journey, your story, your body that fought like a warrior and won the war.

--Tara Hopko

Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.

--A.A. Milne

Find the good and praise it.

--Alex Haley

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

--Alfred North Whitehead

If you haven't all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don't have that you wouldn't want.

--Anonymous

Love wholeheartedly, be surprised, give thanks and praise -- then you will discover the fullness of your life.

--David Steindl-Rast

What brings fulfillment is gratefulness, the simple response of our heart to this life in all its fullness.

--David Steindl-Rast

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

--Debasish Mridha, MD

Because gratitude is the key to happiness, anything that undermines gratitude must undermine happiness. And nothing undermines gratitude as much as expectations. There is an inverse relationship between expectations and gratitude: The more expectations you have, the less gratitude you will have.

--Dennis Prager

I wake up every morning literally with a smile on my face, grateful for another day I never thought I'd see.

--Dick Cheney

Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.

--Doris Day

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

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.

--Gertrude Stein

May the gratitude in my heart kiss all the universe.

--Hafez

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

--Henri Frederic Amiel

The natural response to evaluation is to feel judged. We have to mature to a place where we respond to it with gratitude, and love feedback.

--Henry Cloud

Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.

--Jacques Maritain

The most beautiful moments in life are moments when you are expressing your joy, not when you are seeking it.

--Jaggi Vasudev

Gratitude is what you feel when you want what you already have.

--James Clear

Play the hand you're dealt.

--Jawaharlal Nehru

Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic.

--John Henry Jowett

Longer Version:

Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic. This is a most searching and true diagnosis. Gratitude can be a vaccine that can prevent the invasion of a disgruntled attitude. As antitoxins prevent the disastrous effects of certain poisons and diseases, thanksgiving destroys the poison of faultfinding and grumbling. When trouble has smitten us, a spirit of thanksgiving is a soothing antiseptic.


Swinish gluttony never looks to heaven amidst its gorgeous feast; but with besotted, base ingratitude, cravens and blasphemes his feeder.

--John Milton

An attitude of gratitude creates blessings.

--John Templeton

Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. We like to be around those who are grateful.

--Joseph B. Wirthlin

Longer Version:

Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. We like to be around those who are grateful. They tend to brighten all around them. They make others feel better about themselves. They tend to be more humble, more joyful, more likable.


Feeling gratitude isn't born in us -- it's something we are taught, and in turn, we teach our children.

--Joyce Brothers

The world gives you way more than you ever give it.

--Kamal Ravikant

Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.

--Karl Barth

Gratitude isn't a burdening emotion.

--Loretta Young

If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.

--Meister Eckhart

The appreciation of life does not require wealth or plenty. It requires only gratitude for the beauty of the world.

--Deng Ming-Dao

Remember who was there for you when you needed help.

--Mitta Xinindlu

The truly grateful are also grateful for being grateful.

--Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Even the worst that has ever happened to you could have been worse.

--Mokokoma Mokhonoana

The happiest people are not those who have the most, but those who are the most grateful for what they have.

--Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Some people are happy that they have each lost one instead of both legs, whereas some are unhappy because they have each lost a toenail.

--Mokokoma Mokhonoana

The mind is inclined to zoom in on your problem, or few problems, to an extend that you cannot see your many blessings.

--Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Gratitude is often caused not by gain but by loss.

--Mokokoma Mokhonoana

The ingratitude of the world can never deprive us of the conscious happiness of having acted with humanity ourselves.

--Oliver Goldsmith

At the age of 18, I made up my mind to never have another bad day in my life. I dove into a endless sea of gratitude from which I've never emerged.

--Patch Adams

All moments are beautiful, only you have to be receptive and surrendering. All moments are blessings, only you have to be capable of seeing. All moments are benedictions. If you accept with a deep gratitude, nothing ever goes wrong.

--Rajneesh

When one is in love with existence one feels such blessing, such bliss, that it is natural to bow down in deep gratitude.

--Rajneesh

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

You will never have enough until you are grateful for what you have.

--Richelle E. Goodrich

Every once in a while God allows you to stub your toe as a kind reminder to be grateful for the miraculous body attached to it.

--Richelle E. Goodrich

Be grateful for this amazing day.

--Richie Norton

There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed. If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude.

--Robert Breault

Gratitude drives happiness. Happiness boosts Productivity. Productivity reveals mastery. And mastery inspires the world.

--Robin Sharma

Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue what you want.

--Roy T. Bennett

We don't truly appreciate what we have until it's gone… We don't really appreciate something until we have experienced some events; we don't really appreciate our parents until we ourselves have become parents. Be grateful for what you have now, and nothing should be taken for granted.

--Roy T. Bennett

Forgiveness is a form of gratitude. When we forgive others, we show them the mercy that we have often received and been thankful for.

--Sarah Ban Breathnach

What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner.

--Colette

Gratitude to gratitude always gives birth.

--Sophocles

The more grateful we are, the more we practice this in our everyday lives, the more connected we become to the universe around us.

--Stephen Richards

Be consistent in your dedication to showing your gratitude to others. Gratitude is a fuel, a medicine, and spiritual and emotional nourishment.

--Steve Maraboli

If you want to find happiness, find gratitude.

--Steve Maraboli

He enjoys much who is thankful for little.

--Thomas Secker

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

--Unknown Author

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

--Unknown Author

Life is full of blessings we take for granted. Yet so often we dwell on what we don't have. Appreciate what you already have and be grateful.

--Napz Cherub Pellazo

Gratitude practice is really, really important to me. I think it's an incredible way to start your day.

--Rachel Hollis

Gratefulness is a double-edged sword. Because I think we've poured it into a feeling. And the batter of gratitude gets kind of stuck to the edges of the Williams Sonoma melamine mixing bowl. But gratefulness, the act of being grateful is actually... a verb. It's an activity.

--Abigail Spencer

When you have balance in your life, work becomes an entirely different experience. There is a passion that moves you to a whole new level of fulfillment and gratitude, and that's when you can do your best... for yourself and for others.

--Cara Delevingne

Let me recommend that periodically you and I offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and express gratitude. Ask for nothing; simply let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts.

--David A. Bednar
woman praying beside tree

Thank you for checking out our selection of quotes on gratitude and being grateful! Please consider sharing and also connect with us on social media. Wishing you a blessed and fortunate day!