Quotes On Gratitude For When You Need Inspiration To Find The Good

Identifying aspects of our lives for which we’re grateful can benefit us in several ways. Research suggests that gratitude can contribute to improved mental and physical health, potentially reducing symptoms of depression, contributing to better heart health, and improving sleep. Consistently practicing expressing gratitude, however, can be easier said than done at times. Even if you know that building a routine of appreciating the little things in life is good for your mental and physical health, it can be challenging to find the silver lining if, particularly when you are going through a tough time facing obstacles or experiencing setbacks. Reading quotes on gratitude from inspirational people figures may help you remember the importance of being thankful and focus more on the good things in your life. In this article, we’ll discuss several insightful quotes on gratitude and provide context that may give you the motivation to develop or hone your own gratitude practice.

Gratitude quotes

The following quotes on gratitude highlight different aspects of this transformative emotion feeling and reinforce the notion that gratitude can have a's positive impact on your attitude and overall well-being.  

Gratitude as a means of coming together

“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

John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the United States, included this sentence in his Presidential Proclamation 3560in Presidential Proclamation 3560, which he wrote. Many people may not be aware that the national American holiday of Thanksgiving is not automatically held every year on the fourth Thursday of November, the way Christmas Day is always December 25th and Independence Day is always July 4th. 

Per congressional legislation, the President of the United States needs to formally declare Thanksgiving a holiday, and President Kennedy’s Proclamation 3560 did just that, declaring Thursday, November 28th, 1963, to be Thanksgiving Day.

President Kennedy was writing his proclamation during a time of intense upheaval in the United States. The botched and polarizing Bay of Pigs invasion had just occurred, the Ku Klux Klan had just bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, murdering four Black children, and America was in the beginning stages of declaring war on Vietnam. 

President Kennedy’s words perhaps acquired a new significance shortly after they were written; he released his proclamation on November 4th, 1963, and 18 days later, he was assassinated. 

“For my part, I am almost contented just now, and very thankful. Gratitude is a divine emotion: it fills the heart, but not to bursting; it warms it, but not to fever.”. – Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte Brontë Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet who is perhaps most well known for writing the famous novel Jane Eyre. The quote above is from one of her lesser-known works, though: Shirley, A Tale, which is a story of economic upheaval, loss, and complicated family relationships. Brontë’s characters’ choosing to focus on gratitude as opposed to the unfortunate circumstances of their lives can serve as inspiration to always try to find the good in whatever situation you find yourself in.

Gratitude as a means of being in the present

“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is the only moment.”. – Thich Nhat Hanh

“Know that life can only be found in the present moment.”. – Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Han was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist, author, and poet. Widely considered the “father of mindfulness”,” some of his prolific work has influenced the understanding of the Buddhist concepts of mindfulness and gratitude within Western cultures. 

Many of his techniques and teachings are incorporated into mindfulness-based stress reduction, a method intended to help people from all walks of life reduce their stress levels and live more in the present moment. Practicing gratitude through mindfulness can help us instead of ruminating over the past or worrying excessively about the future. 

Nhat Han’s emphasis sentiment that the present moment is the only moment in life that truly matters reminds us of how fleeting life can be and how important it is to be grateful for every moment we have. 

Gratitude as a means of staying true to yourself

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”. – Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson is a s singer and songwriter who is most famous for his country music and particularly for shaping his own brand considered one of the most prolific contributors to “outlaw country.”. His musical career got off to a rocky start, as mainstream Nashville country record producers did not initially accept his sound, and he experienced some significant setbacks in his personal life, including going through a divorce and losing his Tennessee ranch in a fire. 

Nelson decided it was time to focus on what was most important to him and to be grateful for what he had, not what he had lost. He moved back to his home state of Texas, started playing the music he truly enjoyed, and quickly eventually became hugely successful. He is now widely considered to be one of the most recognizable country music artists of all time.

Gratitude as a means of realizing our interconnectedness

“I do not, in my own capacity, believe that a baby gets his best physical food by sucking his thumb; nor that a man gets his best moral food by sucking his soul and denying its dependence on God or other good things. I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”. – G. K. Chesterton

G. K. Chesterton was an English philosopher, writer, and literary critic. He was very religious, identifying as an orthodox Christian and eventually converting to Roman Catholicism. However, you do not need to practice any particular religion to find solace in Chesterton’s words. In this quote, Chesterton makes the case for gratitude as a form of nourishment for the soul, highlighting  

He states that the fact remembering how we are connected we often are reliant on each other and how outside forces when we are successful. Acknowledging the people and “other good things” in our lives can help us continue to foster collaborative, mutually beneficial relationships. no one person can succeed without help will make success that much sweeter because you will be better able to appreciate everything that contributed to the good aspects of your life. 

“When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.”. – Vietnamese proverb

The message here is simple— – pleasant aspects of life are typically not the responsibility of just one person but of many who have labored to produce benefits for everyone. 

Gratitude as a means of adopting an empowered perspective

“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.”. – Maya Angelou

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”. – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was a poet and civil rights activist well known for her intentional, resonant words surrounding gratitude and self-love. Angelou’s quotes are illustrative of how simply thanks can be expressed—and how profoundly gratitude can influence our lives. The first quote listed above may seem especially poignant when one considers that it is from a tweet she wrote posted almost exactly a year before she passed away from old age. It can serve as a helpful reminder that every day is truly a gift to be appreciated. 

“True forgiveness is when you can say, ‘Thank you for that experience.’”. – Oprah Winfrey

“Gratitude can transform any situation. It alters your vibration, moving you from negative energy to positive. It’s the quickest, easiest, most powerful way to affect change in your life –— this I know for sure.”. – Oprah Winfrey

“That’s the gift of gratitude: in order to feel it, your ego has to take a backseat.”. – Oprah Winfrey

“I’ve learned from experience that if you pull the lever of gratitude every day, you’ll be amazed at the results.”. – Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is  a television producer, author, and former talk show host whose monthly magazine has been chock full of odes towho has frequently extolled the benefits of expressing gratitude. Winfrey has frequently talked aboutdiscussed how gratitude has helped her remove negativity from her life and reframe unfortunate life experiences as opportunities to enhance her wisdom and move forward as a better person than before.

Winfrey’s quotes help make the point that gratitude can shift our mindset in significant ways. At times, negative thought patterns can make it hard for us to move forward and grow. By acknowledging the positive elements in our lives, we may be more attuned to both existing good fortune and potential future opportunities.  

Finding support for attempting to live practicing more grateful life gratitude with online therapy

Developing a mentality of gratefulness and appreciation may can be difficult at times. If you are looking for ways to incorporate gratitude into your life and remind yourself to have an attitude of thankfulness, it may be helpful for you to speak to a therapist. Online therapy can be a convenient and effective way to develop an attitude of appreciation. 

Research has demonstrated that online therapy may be as effective at building positive thought patterns as in-person therapy. One study found that online delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—which can help shift participants’ mindsets toward positivity (through, for example, a focus on gratitude)—had outcomes comparable to CBT delivered in an in-person setting. 

If scheduling a traditional in-person therapy appointment seems overwhelmingis difficult with allgiven your other responsibilities, you may want to consider trying online therapy. With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, Online therapy can be accessed on your schedule and from the comfort and convenience of your own home. yYou can set virtual videoconference appointments or phone calls;practice gratitude with a therapist remotely, through video call, voice call, or in-app messaging. Outside of sessions in other moments, you and your dedicated online counselor can send gratitude quotes to each other via text messagecan write down quotes and thoughts about gratitude in journal entries, which you can also choose to share with your therapist.

Research has demonstrated that online therapy may be as effective at building positive thought patterns as in-person therapy. One study found that online delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – which focuses on shifting away from negative thinking and more towards developing healthy mentalities, such as a focus on gratitude – had outcomes comparable to CBT delivered in a more traditional in-person setting. Online therapy may be a helpful way to develop an attitude of gratitude.