40 Quotes About Being Thankful (And How to Let Gratitude Change Your Life)
Gratitude isn’t just a feeling—it’s a revolution of perspective.
When life feels heavy, confusing, or just plain hard, a grateful heart doesn’t ignore the pain…it invites peace into it. At Good Existence, we believe thankfulness isn't about perfection—it's about presence. Whether you're thriving or just surviving, these quotes about being thankful can shift your mindset, steady your spirit, and even open your eyes to beauty you may have missed.
Because sometimes, just a few words can change everything.
Why Gratitude Is More Than Just Saying "Thanks"
Let’s be real. With so much going on in our daily lives—deadlines, relationships, health, family stuff—it’s easy to move at a pace that forgets how to pause, breathe, and notice what's still good. Gratitude doesn’t demand that everything be perfect; it simply acknowledges that some things still are.
And the benefits? Science backs it: Practicing gratitude can reduce stress, improve sleep, lift our mood, and strengthen relationships.
So if life isn’t feeling sunny right now—or even if it is—let these 40 quotes remind you of something deeper. And stick around after the quotes; we've added a few real-life, doable ideas for cultivating gratitude (without needing to journal for hours).
40 Quotes About Being Thankful
Here are 40 hand-picked quotes that remind us we always have something to be thankful for—even in the smallest, quietest ways.
Famous Wisdom
- “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Aesop
- “No duty is more urgent than giving thanks.” – James Allen
- “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” – W.T. Purkiser
- “Silent gratitude isn’t very much to anyone.” – Gertrude Stein
For the Hard Days
- “When it rains, look for rainbows. When it’s dark, look for stars.” – Unknown
- “Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette
- “Even in the midst of challenges, there’s something to be grateful for.” – Unknown
- “The struggle ends when gratitude begins.” – Neale Donald Walsch
- “Saying thank you for the hard stuff rewrites your story.” – Unknown
On Everyday Moments
- “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault
- “Gratitude bestows reverence… changing forever how we experience life and the world.” – John Milton
- “Take time to smell the roses—and then thank life for the thorns too.” – Unknown
- “It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” – David Steindl-Rast
- “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire
Thought Provoking
- “Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” – Alphonse Karr
- “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” – Cicero
- “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy—they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust
- “Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot.” – Hausa Proverb
From the Heart
- “I don't have everything I want, but I have everything I need. That’s a blessing.” – Unknown
- “What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today?” – Unknown
- “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.” – Melody Beattie
- “To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble.” – Thomas Fuller
- “The more you thank life, the more life gives back to thank.” – Unknown
Simple Truths
- “Start each day with a grateful heart.” – Unknown
- “Thankfulness is the beginning of happiness.” – Anonymous
- “Count your rainbows, not your thunderstorms.” – Alyssa Knight
- “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
- “Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.” – Alice Morse Earle
Short and Sweet
- “Gratitude is grace in motion.” – Unknown
- “Thanks is sacred.” – Unknown
- “Thankful, always. Even now.” – Unknown
- “Less bitter, more grateful.” – Unknown
- “Look around. You’re living a prayer you once whispered.” – Unknown
For Growth and Healing
- “Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” – Henry Ward Beecher
- “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus
- “Sometimes we need to be broken open to let the gratitude pour out.” – Unknown
- “Gratitude helps us see what is there instead of what isn’t.” – Annette Bridges
- “Turn your wounds into wisdom. Then be grateful for the breakage.” – Oprah Winfrey
How to Make Gratitude Real—Even on Tough Days
Reading quotes is inspiring, but how do you actually live a thankful life—especially when you’re overwhelmed or hurting?
Here are a few gentle, realistic practices that don’t require a huge time commitment but can spark a massive shift:
🌱 1. Name 3 Things Right Now
Stop what you're doing. Right now. Name three things you are thankful for—anything from your cup of coffee to the roof over your head.
Don’t judge yourself. The point isn’t to sound deep. It’s to be honest.
✨ 2. Celebrate the Ordinary
Gratitude isn’t only for holidays or big moments. It lives in the mundane:
- Clean sheets
- Queues that give you time to breathe
- Texts that say, “thinking of you”
Notice them. Name them. Let them be enough.
💬 3. Tell Someone
Gratitude grows when it’s shared. Text a friend:
“Hey, I’m grateful for you.”
Send a voice note. Leave a sticky note. Say it out loud.
It lifts you, and it could be the lifeline they need, too.
🕊 4. Let Gratitude Coexist with Grief
You don’t have to be grateful instead of being sad. You can be thankful while you’re healing. That’s how emotional resilience is born—not by denying pain, but by pairing it with light.
Final Thoughts: Thankfulness Is a Way of Seeing
Gratitude is less about having what we want and more about noticing what we have.
So use these quotes as reminders. Let them sit with you. Come back on bad days. Return on good ones. And remember—being thankful isn’t about ignoring reality. It’s about choosing to see a deeper one.
Thank you for being here. You are seen. You are valued. And there's so, so much still worth noticing.
Which quote spoke to you the most?
Drop your thoughts in the comments or share this with a friend who might need a little light today. 💛
Stay grounded,
—The Good Existence Team
