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Which gratitude quotes inspire you?

GRATITUDE


Danube, Melk Austria, October 2015


My thoughts...

Gratitude is an open-arms warm embrace that says, “I appreciate you so much.”

Gratitude is a child jumping up and down when a grandparent visits.

Gratitude is an attitude.

Gratitude is a river of life.

When we express thanks, we feel good and energetic. Grateful people tend to be more optimistic and empathetic.

Gratitude is a relationship builder according to psychological scientist, Robert Emmons of U.C. Davis. Emmons notes two dimensions of gratitude

1. Gratitude is an affirmation of the good things in life such as benefits and gifts. 

2. Gratitude is a perspective on the role others have in adding to our life. For spiritual people, “others” include God.

As my wife and I walked along the Danube in Melk, Austria, I felt a sense of gratitude-- thankful for life and family.

Gratitude Quotes











“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” 
 
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” 
 
A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“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, Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” 
 
Meister Eckhart

  
“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” 
 
James Herriot, All Creatures Great and Small


"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." G.K. Chesterton

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." Charles Dickens

"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

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

“In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.” 
 
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” 
 
Winston S. Churchill

I hope you find some inspiring words. 

Gratitude is an attitude that can be cultivated by practice.

Keeping a gratitude journal can promote well-being.

If you have a favorite gratitude quote, please share it.

Read about Gratitude in Living Well


RELATED POSTS

See more on gratitude research in the posts below


  



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