In our busy and stressful modern world, it can be easy to forget to slow down and acknowledge the bounties that many of us already possess, such as shelter, food, and love. In our efforts to achieve and progress, we may, at times, succumb to pessimism, and lose sight of these simpler and more essential gifts.
Practicing grateful thinking helps us turn our attention away from negativity and towards what is working in our lives, and how far we have come on our journey. This approach can lighten and brighten our outlook, releasing the pressure of constant worry and effort. While setting goals is natural, gratitude balances this urge with the inherent message that we have and are enough. Gratitude allows us to rest and feel contentment and joy in the present.
We can develop our capacity for appreciation by starting a gratitude journal or simply taking a few minutes each day to reflect on all the good in our life. We may feel grateful for a sunny afternoon, steady employment, a loved one’s help, or a game of fetch with our dog. Focusing on these gifts can have a powerful and even transformative effect on our lives. Here are 11 quotes on the importance of giving thanks.
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.Cicero
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.Melody Beattie, author
Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.Maya Angelou
Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.Eckhart Tolle
Nine-tenths of wisdom is appreciation. Go find somebody's hand and squeeze it, while there's time.Dale Dauten, business coach
Your bounty is beyond my speaking. But though my mouth be dumb, my heart shall thank you.Nicholas Rowe, writer
Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.Karl Barth, theologian
O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!William Shakespeare
When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.Willie Nelson
I know for sure that appreciating whatever shows up for you in life changes your personal vibration. You radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you're aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots.Oprah Winfrey
I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.Henry David Thoreau
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