138 Gratitude Quotes to Inspire Joy, Positivity, and a Thankful Heart

138 Gratitude Quotes to Inspire Joy, Positivity, and a Thankful Heart

Gratitude quotes have an amazing way of changing your perspective. A few lines can make you pause, smile, and notice the small joys you might otherwise miss.

Honestly, I didn’t expect much at first. Could reading gratitude quotes really shift my mood and mindset?

Turns out… it really can.

I was surprised at how much they made me feel more thankful—and how sometimes even noticing the tiniest things can brighten my whole day. Suddenly, small frustrations feel less overwhelming, and I notice more beauty around me.

It’s funny how surrounding yourself with little reminders of gratitude makes it easier to see what’s going well, even on stressful or chaotic days. Gratitude isn’t about ignoring your problems—it’s about softening them and still being able to notice the good around you. I’ve also found that it makes me more patient, kinder, and motivated to express gratitude to others.

These gratitude quotes have become a daily boost for me, and I hope they give you that same spark of joy, reflection, and a thankful heart.

Simple, Everyday Gratitude

Sometimes it’s the little things—a cup of coffee, a smile from a stranger, or a quiet sunset—that will remind you how much you have to be thankful for. These short and simple quotes are perfect daily reminders.

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1. “Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” – Roy T. Bennett

2. “Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.” – Roy T. Bennett

3. “When one has a grateful heart, life is so beautiful.” – Roy T. Bennett

4. “Gratitude paints little smiley faces on everything it touches.” – Richelle E. Goodrich

5. “Be grateful for the things you don’t have that you don’t want.” – Bob Dylan’s Dad

6. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

7. “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough.” – Melody Beattie

8. “No duty is more urgent than giving thanks.” – James Allen

9. “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward

10. “Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.” – Rumi

11. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

12. “The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.” – Norman Vincent Peale

13. “Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone.” – Gertrude Stein

14. “Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” – Henry Ward Beecher

15. “Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness.” – Henri Frederic Amiel

16. “If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” – Gerald Good

17. “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” – Oscar Wilde

18. “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” – G.K. Chesterton

19. “I see the glass half full and thank God for what I have.” – Ana Monnar

20. “The soul that gives thanks can find comfort in everything; the soul that complains can find comfort in nothing.” – Hannah Whitall Smith

21. “It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” – Germany Kent

22. “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

Gratitude and Abundance

Gratitude is often described as the key to abundance. When you appreciate what you already have, life has a way of giving you even more to celebrate. These quotes capture that truth beautifully.

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23. “Gratitude builds a bridge to abundance.” – Roy T. Bennett

24. “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle

25. “When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” – Anthony Robbins

26. “Whatever you appreciate and give thanks for will increase in your life.” – Sanaya Roman

27. “Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” – Doris Day

28. “Trade your expectation for appreciation and the world changes instantly.” – Tony Robbins

29. “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” – Wayne Dyer

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

31. “The universe provides endlessly when you are truly grateful.” – Deepak Chopra

32. “Gratitude is the open door to abundance.” – Anonymous

33. “Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude.” – Joseph Wood Krutch

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

35. “The root of joy is gratefulness…It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” – David Steindl-Rast

36. “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.” – Cicero

37. “Gratitude for abundance is part of being alive.” – Unknown

38. “What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.” – Brené Brown

39. “The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.” – William Blake

40. “The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.” – Charles Schwab

41. “Those who are not grateful soon begin to complain of everything.” – Thomas Merton

Gratitude in Relationships

The people you love are often your greatest blessing. Gratitude deepens relationships, strengthens bonds, and will remind you of the joy of connection.

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42. “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust

43. “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” – John F. Kennedy

44. “Always remember people who have helped you along the way, and don’t forget to lift someone up.” – Roy T. Bennett

45. “Everyone enjoys being acknowledged and appreciated. Sometimes even the simplest act of gratitude can change someone’s entire day.” – Roy T. Bennett

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

47. “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” – Aesop

48. “Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality.” – Alfred Painter

49. “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain

50. “One can never pay in gratitude; one can only pay in kind.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

51. “A thankful heart is a magnet for miracles.” – Anonymous

52. “Gratitude is the sweetest thing in a seeker’s life.” – Sri Chinmoy

53. “Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox

54. “Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” – Margaret Cousins

55. “Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.” – Native American Proverb

56. “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” – William James

57. “Gratitude in friendships is the glue that holds hearts together.” – Anonymous

58. “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” – Jean Baptiste Massieu

59. “Thankfulness creates gratitude which generates contentment that causes peace.” – Todd Stocker

60. “I think that real friendship always makes us feel such sweet gratitude, because the world almost always seems like a very hard desert, and the flowers that grow there seem to grow against such high odds.” – Stephen King

61. “Be consistent in your dedication to showing your gratitude to others. Gratitude is a fuel, a medicine, and spiritual and emotional nourishment.” – Steve Maraboli

62. “True friends don’t come with conditions.” – Aaron Lauritsen

63. “When you find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will stand in front of you when other’s cast stones, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who will hold your hand when your sick, who thinks your pretty without makeup, the one who turns to his friends and say, ‘that’s her’, the one that would bear your rejection because losing you means losing his will to live, who kisses you when you screw up, watches the stars and names one for you and will hold and rock that baby for hours so you can sleep…..you marry him all over again.” – Shannon Alder

Spiritual and Philosophical Gratitude

Great thinkers, poets, and spiritual leaders have long reflected on the power of gratitude. These quotes will remind you that gratitude is more than a feeling—it’s a way of seeing the world.

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

65. “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

66. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

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

68. “The highest tribute to the dead is not grief but gratitude.” – Thornton Wilder

69. “Gratitude is heaven itself.” – William Blake

70. “Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.” – Jacques Maritain

71. “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” – Karl Barth

72. “Feeling gratitude and expressing it is like wrapping yourself in light.” – Unknown

73. “Give thanks not just for what you have, but for what is yet to come.” – Unknown

74. “The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to see what is already here.” – Byron Katie

75. “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus

76. “Gratitude is the fairest blossom of the soul.” – Henry Ward Beecher

77. “Gratitude is the most beautiful way to fall in love with life.” – Unknown

78. “Saying thank you is a way of experiencing the world as a gift.” – Unknown

79. “Gratitude is a sacred act.” – Unknown

80. “In all things give thanks.” – Bible, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

81. “The essence of all beautiful art is gratitude.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

82. “Pity is not forgiveness, nor is gratitude absolution” – Pierce Brown

83. “Be grateful for whatever it is that opens you up.” – Allan G. Hunter

84. “In every class of society, gratitude is the rarest of all human virtues.” – Wilkie Collins

85. “Gratitude is an overflow of the pleasure filling your soul.” – Raheel Farooq

86. “Love of God is pure when joy and suffering inspire an equal degree of gratitude.” – Simone Weil

Gratitude in Tough Times

Gratitude doesn’t erase challenges, but it helps you find light even in darkness. These quotes will remind you to hold onto thankfulness, even when life is hard.

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87. “Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess.” – Steve Maraboli

88. “Sometimes life knocks you on your ass… get up, get up, get up!!! Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.” – Steve Maraboli

89. “The problem that we have with a victim mentality is that we forget to see the blessings of the day.” – Steve Maraboli

90. “The struggles we endure today will be the ‘good old days’ we laugh about tomorrow.” – Aaron Lauritsen

91. “Some of the best things that have ever happened to us wouldn’t have happened to us, if it weren’t for some of the worst things that have ever happened to us.” – Mokokoma Mokhonoana

92. “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” – William Ellery Channing

93. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” – Oprah Winfrey

94. “Gratitude is not only a response to blessings, but a practice that creates them.” – Unknown

95. “Even in the darkest times, gratitude is a light.” – Anonymous

96. “Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.” – C.S. Lewis

97. “A grateful mindset shifts how we see struggle.” – Unknown

98. “Every storm runs out of rain.” – Maya Angelou

99. “When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control how you respond. That’s where your power is.” – Unknown

100. “Happiness is not about getting what you want all the time. It’s about loving what you have.” – Unknown

101. “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” – Haruki Murakami

102. “Be thankful for every new challenge, because it will build your strength and character.” – Anonymous

103. “Gratitude is a way of resilience.” – Unknown

104. “Out of difficulties grow miracles.” – Jean de La Bruyère

105. “Feeling grateful doesn’t mean you ignore your troubles; it means you notice the good that still exists.” – Unknown

106. “I may not be where I want to be but I’m thankful for not being where I used to be.” – Habeeb Akande

107. “Being grateful does not mean that everything is necessarily good. It just means that you can accept it as a gift.” – Roy T. Bennett

108. “There is strange comfort in knowing that no matter what happens today, the Sun will rise again tomorrow.” – Aaron Lauritsen

Mindfulness and Presence

Being present is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. These quotes highlight the connection between mindfulness and thankfulness.

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109. “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

110. “The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

111. “Forget yesterday – it has already forgotten you. Don’t sweat tomorrow – you haven’t even met. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift – today.” – Steve Maraboli

112. “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love—then make that day count!” – Steve Maraboli

113. “What an astonishment to breathe on this breathing planet. What a blessing to be Earth loving Earth.” – John Green

114. “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.” – Zig Ziglar

115. “Mindfulness is gratitude in action.” – Anonymous

116. “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.” – Epicurus

117. “Enjoy this moment. This moment is your life.” – Omar Khayyam

118. “Each morning we are born again. What we do today matters most.” – Buddha

119. “Gratitude turns ordinary moments into blessings.” – Unknown

120. “Mindfulness and gratitude go hand in hand; both awaken us to the beauty of now.” – Anonymous

121. “Happiness, not in another place but this place… not for another hour, but this hour.” – Walt Whitman

122. “Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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

124. “Free yourself from the complexities and drama of your life. Simplify. Look within. Within ourselves we all have the gifts and talents we need to fulfill the purpose we’ve been blessed with.” – Steve Maraboli

125. “Those who achieve the extraordinary are usually the most ordinary because they have nothing to prove to anybody. Be Humble.” – Aaron Lauritsen

126. “Find magic in the little things, and the big things you always expected will start to show up.” – Isa Zapata

127. “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” – Alphonse Karr

128. “It’s up to us to choose contentment and thankfulness now—and to stop imagining that we have to have everything perfect before we’ll be happy.” – Joanna Gaines

Lighthearted & Playful Gratitude

Gratitude doesn’t always have to be serious—it can also be fun, light, and joyful. These quotes will bring a smile to your face while reminding you to be thankful.

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129. “Gratitude for the seemingly insignificant—a seed—this plants the giant miracle.” – Ann Voskamp

130. “Got no checkbooks, got no banks. Still I’d like to express my thanks—I’ve got the sun in the mornin’ and the moon at night.” – Irving Berlin

131. “Gratitude is an overflow of the pleasure filling your soul.” – Raheel Farooq

132. “Breath is the finest gift of nature. Be grateful for this wonderful gift.” – Amit Ray

133. “Gratitude is like chocolate—it tastes good and makes life sweeter.” – Anonymous

134. “If you want to find happiness, find gratitude first.” – Anonymous

135. “Gratitude paints everything with joy-colored glasses.” – Anonymous

136. “An attitude of gratitude brings great things.” – Yogi Bhajan

137. “Gratitude is the wine for the soul. Go on. Get drunk.” – Rumi

138. “Thanksgiving is a word of action.” – W.J. Cameron

Gratitude is more than a feeling—it’s a practice. It reminds us to slow down, notice the beauty in our lives, and connect more deeply with the people and moments that matter. Whether you bookmark these quotes to revisit daily or share them with someone you love, let them serve as gentle reminders that there is always something to be thankful for.

If you’re looking for more inspiration after these quotes, check out 161 Have a Good Day Quotes and Beautiful Morning Starters to brighten your mornings and boost positivity.