17 Memorable Quotes about Gratitude and Thanksgiving

Gratitude means the quality of being thankful, and the readiness to show appreciation for or to return kindness. In our drive for success, many times we neglect what’s most important and who is most important. We focus more on the “what” and forget about the “how”.  As one forward thinking CEO told me recently, “The how matters.”

In business it is about the numbers, facts, figures, data, metrics, business intelligence, profits, and results. People and our relationships become an afterthought. I hope these quotes rekindle your gratitude for those close to you at work and home, and for your blessings you enjoy in life. We do not need a thanksgiving day. Every day is a great day to give thanks and to be grateful.

For what are you Grateful?

• “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you do not have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey
• “If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.” W. Clement Stone
• “Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.” Seneca
• “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.” John F. Kennedy
• “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” Cicero
• “I want to thank you for the profound joy I’ve had in the in the thought of you.” Rosie Alison
• Sometimes the smallest things, can mean the most to another. We forget that life will end one day. So please, tell other people you love and care for that they are special and important. I leave this message with you and ask you to spread the messages to everyone you know.” Unknown
• “If you made a list of all the things you could be thankful for, the list would undoubtedly be longer than your misfortunes.” Catherine Pulsifer
• “Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.” Estonian Proverb

Gratitude Quotes that Inspire

• “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” Charles Dickens
• “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. In addition, it turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. Also, 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
• “The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” Dalai Lama
• “Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast!” William Shakespeare
• “Appreciation can change a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” Margaret Cousins
• “Gratitude is the key to opening all doors.” Lailah Gifty Akita
• “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Aesop
• “Gratitude is a powerful process for shifting your energy and bringing more of what you want in life. Be grateful for what you already have, and you will attract more good things.” The Secret

Pulling it All Together

I must add one more quote related to a story I read years ago. This quote refers to a true story published in Reader’s Digest in 1991, by Sister Helen P. Mrosla. She was a teacher who made it difference. She says, “Sometimes the smallest things, can mean the most to another. We forget that life will end one day. So please, tell other people you love and care for that they are special and important. I leave this message with you and ask you to spread the messages to everyone you know.”

To read the whole story, go here: All Good Things. It is about the impact of appreciation and gratitude on unruly third graders, and how it positively influenced their entire lives, as they grew up and even went to war.

Gratitude is as important as attitude in determining your altitude. I wish you all good things throughout the year, and the gratitude to go with it.

Also, do you want to minimize management mistakes and achieve the best results? Read this: The 5 Dynamics of Servant Leadership eBook: Inspire Your Team to Achieve Limitless Positive Performance.

In addition, go here for our RealTime Learning & Training leadership and personal development website. Micro-learning and career advancement at your fingertips!

Finally, do you want to accelerate your leadership success? Go here for Rick’s Superstar Leadership eBook.