“For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
~William Arthur Ward
Gratitude is much more than being thankful. Thankfulness is an expression of happiness. Being thankful is telling someone you appreciate what they have done. Being thankful is being glad it didn’t rain on picnic day. Being thankful is happiness from a gift.
Gratitude is thankfulness taken to the next level. It is a heart-felt and intellectual acknowledgement of all that is good in your life. It’s embracing uncertainty. To feel gratitude towards the bad things that have happened to us knowing that will lead you a new opportunity.
Here are quotes that will take you from simple thankfulness to heart-felt gratitude:
“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
“It is not good for all our wishes to be filled; through sickness we recognize the value of health; through evil, the value of good; through hunger, the value of food; through exertion, the value of rest.”
~Greek Proverb
“Learn to get in touch with silence within yourself, and know that everything in this life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.”
~ Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
~Albert Einstein
“You have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy.”
~The Buddha
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
~Marcel Proust
“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 Breathnach
“When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them.”
~Chinese Proverb
“If you can’t be content with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped.”
~Author Unknown
“Take full account of the excellencies which you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not.”
~Marcus Aurelius
“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
“Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.”
~Doris Day
“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
“No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has emerged from the kingdom of night.”
~Elie Wiesel
“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.”
~Charles Dickens
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say ‘thank you?’”
~William A. Ward
“Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend… when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present — love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure — the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth.”
~ Sarah Ban Breathbach
“Gratitude is the best attitude.”
~Author Unknown
Look for things to appreciate and you will find them. They will fill your life and bring you joy. What more can we ask for?
Here is a guided meditation by Deepka Chopra to help you remember what your grateful for:
Love this! Great quotes! Especially love the Elizabeth Kubler-Ross one. May I borrow that?
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:27 am
Of course you may!! I had it my facebook page the other day and it was a big favorite!
[Reply]
Oooooooooooo nice! Thanks for posting this! And I LOVE the quote about the bamboo sprouts!!!!!
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:26 am
I love that quote, too! Glad you enjoyed!!
[Reply]
uplifting quotes from famous and not so famous individuals always lighten my mood, make me think, and give my joy. thanks again for something to think about.
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:20 am
Thanks Tari! I love reading them for those same reasons!!
[Reply]
Thank you Betsy. Gratitude is so important. Often when we’re rushed and stressed we forget. I appreciate the reminder and the awesome quotes!
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:20 am
Thanks Angela! Glad you enjoyed the quotes. I know that I get rushed and stressed all week long! That’s why I like to read quotes and practice gratitude.
[Reply]
I always love your collection of quotes, Betsy! This one is wonderful! Thank you for sharing, and also clarifying the big difference between being thankful and gratitude. Gratitude is more of a struggle for me on some days, but I need the reminder that it is as (if not MORE) important than being thankful, since those difficult times are what truly help us grow.
Have a beautiful autumn weekend!
In Harmony,
Jen
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Thanks Jen,
It is beautiful here. Hope all is finally well in your hometown!! I finally found a great definition of thankfulness and gratitude. And that gratitude definitely helps us through difficult times, unlike thankfulness. Glad you enjoyed the quotes!
[Reply]
Love these quotes. THanks for sharing.
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Glad you enjoyed Lucy!! Thanks for coming back to Zen Mama! I’ll check out your website today, too!
[Reply]
Wonderful quotes Betsy! We can never have enough reminders about gratitude. Thank you.
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 24th, 2011 at 8:44 am
Thanks Cathy! I agree about gratitude reminders. I always need reminders on those bad days.
[Reply]
I love the greek proverb! I think that’s my favorite of these.
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 25th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
I love that, too! It reminds me of Kahlil Gibran quote, about without sorrow you would not know joy, that I love, too.
[Reply]
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
That is so poignant. All of them are, but that one struck me. Maybe because I like gardening.
XOXO
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 25th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
One of my favorites, too!!
[Reply]
Betsy,
I love Kubler-Ross. And I can’t get enough of gratitude…I can spend all day on my knees and it wouldn’t be enough. I’m privileged.
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 8:03 pm
I agree! I’m privileged, too. I love reading Elisabeth Kubler-Ross because so much of what she says is true!! We spent tonight eating, watching the sunset and filled with true gratitude which we decided was also what true happiness is. Another blog post!!
[Reply]
Pingback: An Attitude Of Gratitude – 19 Inspirational Quotes | The Zen Mama's … – Kingdom of God Worship Blogs
Pingback: Celebrate Thanksgiving Every Day! | The Zen Mama's Blog
Pingback: Celebrate Thanksgiving Every Day! | The Zen Mama's Blog
I just came across your site and LOVE IT!! So much to be Grateful for, thank you for keeping it fresh in my mind.
)
Look forward to learning from you and make Gratitude one of the main points of my days…The journey continues
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
September 28th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Thank you Doreen!! Isn’t gratitude amazing? When you can really add it into your life, your whole life changes. I’m so glad to have you has part of our positive community. I hope to see your name among the comments again soon.
[Reply]
Yup… really these are nice quotes
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
October 10th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Thank you Monica! Glad you enjoyed!
[Reply]
MAMA, thank for this…. gratitude
[Reply]
Betsy Reply:
April 23rd, 2013 at 4:29 am
My pleasure! So glad you enjoyed!!
[Reply]