50 Thankful Quotes (and 6 Exercises) to Inspire Gratitude and Kindness

---

Excerpt: 50 thankful quotes (and exercises) that were carefully compiled and organized to give you a complete understanding of gratitude and kindness.

---

Introduction: Change Everything; Without Changing Anything

Of all of the attitudes we can acquire, it’s the attitude of gratitude that can be the most important and life-changing. Gratitude nurtures the soul and unlocks the fullness of life; it acts as a remedy for anxiety and depression; it allows us to connect deeply to the present moment; it gives us access to an abundance of wealth that may be sitting just an arms length away—and the best part is… gratitude is completely free. 

When taken seriously and when it’s made a priority, gratitude has the power to change everything without changing anything. Our list of 50 thankful quotes is designed to remind you why (gratitude is so important), show you how (to make gratitude a part of your life), and move you to action so you can yield the amazing benefits of gratitude for yourself (and your loved ones). Each quote that made it on our list was carefully selected and organized to follow a logical flow and was meant to leave a lasting impression. Here’s how the list is broken up (click to jump):

1)  Quotes on Why Being Thankful is so Important (13 Quotes)
2)  Quotes on How To Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude (15 Quotes)
3)  Quotes to Remind You What to be Thankful For (7 Quotes)
4)  Quotes on Taking Action and Giving Thanks Now (15 Quotes)
5)  Application Exercises — To know and not to do is the same as not to know!  Do something after reading. (6 Exercises)

The key to getting the most out of this list is to make sure you stop and think deeply about any quote or saying that makes you nod your head or react in some way. Subtle cues like that indicate that the quote or saying resonated with you and all you have to do is figure out why and think about how you can apply it’s insight to your life in a meaningful way. If you ignore these cues then you’ll be missing out on some powerful opportunities.

We hope that by the time you finish reading you have a new found appreciation for everything you have in your life and are ready to start taking action! Don’t forget to check out the application exercises at the end. Thanks and enjoy!

---

Quotes on Why Being Thankful Is So Important:

---

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

Melody Beattie

“It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.”

Naomi Williams

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

Cicero

“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.”

Marianne Williamson

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

Mark Twain

“You cut yourself off from the supply of awesomeness when you are not in a state of gratitude.”

Jen Sincero, You Are a Badass

“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 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

“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

“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

“You cannot exercise much power without gratitude because it is gratitude that keeps you connected with power. The creative power within us makes us into the image of that to which we give our attention. The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best, therefore it will receive the best.”

Wallace Wattles, The Science of Getting Rich

“Our moment-to-moment happiness is largely determined by our outlook.  In fact, whether we are feeling happy or unhappy at any given moment often has very little to do with our absolute conditions but, rather it is a function of how we perceive our situation, how satisfied we are with what we have.”

Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness

“So much of what makes us wealthy is free.  The secret to wealth is gratitude.  It’s not just what we achieve or accomplish.  It’s what we appreciate.  It’s not just the adventure of a cruise.  It’s what we take the time to enjoy.  You can find an adventure and joy in those you love, in the dancing eyes of your children, or the joyous faces fo those you love.  There are jackpots everywhere if you wake up to the beauty of your life today.  So don’t vow to someday get beyond scarcity; start beyond it.  Realize how lucky you are and all the wealth you possess in love, joy, opportunities, health, friends, and family.  Don’t get rich. Start rich.”

Tony Robbins, Money: Master the Game

---

Quotes on How To Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude:

---

“We often ask, ‘What’s wrong?’ Doing so, we invite painful seeds of sorrow to come up and manifest.  We feel suffering, anger, and depression, and produce more such seeds.  We would be much happier if we tried to stay in touch with the healthy, joyful seeds inside of us and around us.  We should learn to ask, ‘What’s not wrong?’ and be in touch with that.  There are so many elements in the world and within our bodies, feelings, perceptions, and consciousness that are wholesome, refreshing, and healing.  If we block ourselves, if we stay in the prison of our sorrow, we will not be in touch with these healing elements.”

Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step

“We have problems perceiving nonevents.  We are blind to what does not exist.  We realize if there is a war, but we do not appreciate the absence of war during peacetime.  If we are healthy, we rarely think about being sick.  Or, if we get off the plane in Cancún, we do not stop to notice that we did not crash.  If we thought more frequently about absence, we might well be happier.”

Rolf Dobelli, The Art of Thinking Clearly

“You remember and dwell on all the things you’ve lost and ignore all the things you haven’t.  Because your scars are like stars.  Yet the night stays perfectly black.”

Iain Thomas, I Wrote This For You

“Inner peace begins when we stop saying of things, ‘I have lost it’ and instead say, ‘It has been returned to where it came from.’  Why should it be any concern of yours who gives your things back to the world that gave them to you?  The important thing is to take great care with what you have while the world lets you have it.”

Epictetus, The Art of Living

“You wake up with a list of all the people you’d rather be.  But you’re already on everyone else’s list.”

Iain Thomas, I Wrote This For You

“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

“Look at what you’ve got and make the best of it. It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”

Proverb

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

John Wooden

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

Alphonse Karr

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

Unknown

“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

“How is it possible that a being with such sensitive jewels as the eyes, such enchanted musical instruments as the ears, and such a fabulous arabesque of nerves as the brain can experience itself as anything less than a god?  And, when you consider that this incalculably subtle organism is inseparable from the still more marvelous patterns of its environment – from the minutest electrical designs to the whole company of the galaxies – how is it conceivable that this incarnation of all eternity can be bored with being?”

Alan Watts, The Book

“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

“Happiness comes from appreciating what’s in front of you, not wishing you were doing something else. You find out what life is about by paying closer attention to it, not wishing you were living a fantasy.  We don’t need to be better than anyone else: we just need to love where we are and what we’re doing and who we are. That’s what matters.”

Leo Babauta, Zen Habits

“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

---

Quotes to Remind You What to be Thankful For:

---

“Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end of having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

Oprah Winfrey

“How easily we can forget how precious life is!  So long as we can remember, we’ve just been here, being alive.  Unlike other things for which we have a good comparison– black to white, day to night, good to bad– we are so immersed in life that we can see it only in the context of itself.  We don’t see life as compared to anything, to not-being, for example, to never having been born.  Life just is. But life itself is a gift.  It’s a compliment just being born: to feel, breathe, think, play, dance, sing, work, make love, for this particular lifetime.  Today, let’s give thanks for life.  For life itself. For simply being born!”

Daphne Rose Kingma

“Remember you will die. Maybe even today. Don’t forget that. Don’t forget to be thankful for your health. For the ability to walk. For the time you get to spend with the person you love. For your siblings. For whatever it is that you have today. It’s not yours, it can be stolen away at any moment. So while you have it on loan, cherish it.”

Nick Crocker, Medium

“We human beings don’t realize how great God is.  He has given us an extraordinary brain and a sensitive loving heart.  He has blessed us with two lips to talk and express our feelings, two eyes which see a world of colors and beauty, two feet which walk on the road of life, two hands to work for us, a nose which smells the beauty of fragrance, and two ears to hear the words of love.  As I found with my ear, no one knows how much power they have in their each and every organ until they lose one.”

Malala Yousafzai, I Am Malala

“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

“Suppose two astronauts go to the moon.  When they arrive, they have an accident and find out that they have only enough oxygen for two days.  There is no hope of someone coming from Earth in time to rescue them.  They have only two days to live.  If you asked them at that moment, ‘What is your deepest wish?’ they would answer, ‘To be back home walking on the beautiful planet Earth.’  That would be enough for them; they would not want anything else.  They would not want to be the head of a large corporation, a big celebrity or president of the United States.  They would not want anything except to be back on Earth—to be walking on Earth, enjoying every step, listening to the sounds of nature and holding the hand of their beloved while contemplating the moon.”

Thich Nhat Hanh, No Death, No Fear

“I like to walk alone on country paths,
rice plants and wild grasses on both sides,
putting each foot down on the earth
in mindfulness, knowing
that I walk on the wondrous earth.
In such moments, existence is a miraculous
and mysterious reality.

People usually consider walking on water
or in thin air a miracle.
But I think the real miracle
is not to walk either on water or in thin air,
but to walk on earth.
Every day we are engaged in a miracle
which we don’t even recognize:
a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves,
the black, curious eyes of a child–
our own two eyes.
All is a miracle.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

---

Quotes on Taking Action and Giving Thanks Now:

---

“Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone.”

Gertrude Stein

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

William Arthur Ward

“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

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

John Wooden

“Gratitude isn’t just a feeling, it’s an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a lasting impression that can bring more gratitude into the world—for children and adults.”

Janice Kaplan, Greater Good in Action

“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

“When you suffer, you can look deeply at your situation and find the many blessings that are already surrounding you. It is wonderful to sit with a pen and paper and write down all the conditions for happiness that are already there, already available to you right in this moment.”

Thich Nhat Hanh, Savor

---

Related: How To Eat Mindfully — An Excerpt from Savor by Thich Nhat Hanh

---

“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

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.”

Oscar Wilde

“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”

James Allen

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

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”

Lao Tzu

“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

“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.”

Tecumseh

“Life is an echo. What you send out, comes back. What you sow, you reap. 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

---

Bonus:

---

“Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.”

Unknown

---

Application Exercises:

---

1) Word Swap Challenge: This idea was introduced to me from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. It’s a very simple word swap that can drastically change the way you feel about a task.

Instead of saying you ‘have’ to do something, say you ‘get’ to do it. This changes the task from being an obligation to being a privilege. For example, instead of saying you ‘have’ to go to work… say you ‘get’ to go to work—because I can guarantee that there are many people who would love to have your job.

Instead of saying you ‘have’ to go to the gym… say you ‘get’ to go to the gym—because some people don’t have access to any workout equipment and would love to go to your gym.

Instead of saying you ‘have’ to pick the kids up from school, say you ‘get’ to pick the kids up from school—because having kids is one of the greatest gifts on earth and spending time with them should be your top—and most rewarding—priority. And the examples go on.

Change that one word and you will see immediate results.

2) Smart Phone Challenge: Create a daily reminder on your smartphone or change your screensaver to display one of the following messages: “Start with gratitude.” or “You don’t have to, you get to.” or “If I could only have what I was thankful for yesterday, what would I have today?” or a similar type message that you make sure you see on a regular basis. The goal with this challenge is to try and put you back into a, “gratitude state of mind” every time you see it. And if you start to lose it, bookmark this page and come on back for a refresher!

3) Poster Challenge:  Create your own, ‘Be Thankful’ poster or collage that you can read every day. Fill it with quotes, sayings, and pictures that resonate with you and make sure you put the poster in a place where you can see it regularly. Creativity and daily modifications encouraged. When we surround ourselves with powerful visual cues to inspire behaviors we want to practice, we set ourselves up for success. Pictures of your creations in the comment section below would be awesome…!

4) Write It Down Challenge:  Every day for the next 30 days (starting today!) write down three NEW things you are thankful for.  By doing this, you can literally re-wire your brain to start scanning the world not for the negative, but for the positive first. You can see my 30 day Gratitude Challenge (and everything I learned in the process) here. So much of what we have we take for granted because we grow accustomed to it and forget about it’s importance. By expressing our gratitude for the people and things in our life that we’re thankful for by either writing it down or verbally communicating it, we make our gratitude real; tangible; felt. And as long as we’re expressing our gratitude with a genuine and full heart, it’s impossible for us to feel depressed in the same moment.

5) The One by One Challenge: Try writing gratitude letters or sending gratitude texts to the various people in your life—one by one. Sending one of these a day to someone who you think deserves it—for any reason, big or small—can significantly increase your feelings of gratitude because it likely will multiply forward from you to that person and from them forward. This doesn’t necessarily only have to be for people who do something kind to you… It can be for someone who you think could just use some love in their life. Gratitude is contagious and bringing to life your gratitude starts a beautiful chain of reactions. More on writing gratitude letters here.

6) The Random Acts of Kindness Challenge: The final idea is to commit random acts of kindness. Kindness and gratitude are deeply connected.  Expressing gratitude requires kindness from within and kindness that is given to others triggers gratitude from within them. That’s why kindness is the ultimate vehicle for good. Beautifully summed up by Blogger, Satori from infinitesatori.org, “The smallest acts of kindness has the power to change someone’s life. Whether it’s from holding a door for someone, or paying for their coffee, or giving them a genuine smile, or giving random strangers high fives while you’re running, it could dramatically change their entire day in an instant and light up their world. Show other people that you’re human, that we’re not robots. We’re human beings born out of love, with a lot more to give. Even when people are being difficult, that’s when you should be the most kind to them. Kill them with kindness.”

…And so let’s do it! Let’s learn to speak less about our obligations and more about our privileges. Let’s bring to life our blessings and get all of the abstract ideas from out of our head. And finally, let’s let kindness guide us in everything that we do. Because when kindness comes first—gratitude, love, and warmth will follow. It’s the ultimate tool for rebuilding the broken, hurt, and hate in the world and we all need to chip in. They’re not taking a day off… Why should we?

---

Read Next:

---