Point to Ponder:
Do you find it difficult to be grateful?
I am a terrible receiver! While I have grown into being able to receive a generous compliment with a "Thank you" and accept help, when it comes to opening gifts and hand-written notes, I struggle. It sometimes takes me months to open and read cards, as I find it to be an extremely sentimental process. The time, thoughtfulness and love that is poured into a gift or card are overwhelming and humbling. When opening or reading, I most often have to find a quiet place, be alone and get into a receiving mindset. For example, when I moved from San Diego to Tulsa my dear friend and San Diego iGnite Leader, Rory Smith gave me a gift. Embarrassingly, I just opened Rory's beautiful note and dove into the book however, despite my receiving quirk, the timing is ideal, as Rory's encouraging and heartfelt card reminded me of the importance of writing and receiving hand-written notes, like our Grateful-Grams. As for the book Everyday Gratitude it is filled with inspiring and contemplative gratitude quotes and suggestions that are perfect for the dinner table, while driving with family or to consider and meditate on while alone.
Below are 20 meaningful and thought-provoking gratitude quotes. I included 20 in the hope that at least one would resonate with you and impact your Thanksgiving and life. Also, if you did not get a chance to write an iGnite Grateful-Gram, it's never too late to express gratitude.
Happy Thanksgiving to you! We are SO grateful for you and blessed by your friendships.
1. Gratitude places you in the energy field of plentitude. Glow with gratitude and see how awe and joy will make their home in you. Michael Bernard Beckwith
Thought How can I practice keeping the door open to awe and joy?
2. Let us slow down enough to truly notice all that is presenting itself to us as a blessing. Kristi Nelson
Thought: What gifts do I miss when I am moving too quickly?
3.. Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. Maya Angelou
Thought: Can I bow to the many ordinary and extraordinary blessings that have enriched my day?
4. Surprise is the seed of gratefulness. Become aware of surprises. Relish surprise as life's gift. Brother David Steindl-Rast
Thought: What has surprised me lately?
5. Give thanks for the unknown blessings already on their way. Native American Proverb
Thought: Does following my intuition bring benefits I could not have anticipated?
6. When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. Willie Nelson
Thought: What changes when I count my blessings?
7. Happiness is not what makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy. Brother David Steindl-Rast
Thought: When has being grateful made me happy?
8. Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other. Randy Pausch
Thought: To whom would it be meaningful to send a hand-written letter or card to?
9. Gratitude as a discipline involves a conscious choice. I can choose to be grateful when my emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt and resentment. It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint.
Thought: What is a current situation in which I might choose gratitude instead of a complaint?
10. Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the fountain for all abundance. Eckhart Tolle
Thought: Who are the beloved people and creatures that give my life a sense of abundance.
11. To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch heaven. Johannes A Gaertner
Thought: How is living gratitude different from speaking it?
12. Being unappreciative might mean we are simply not paying attention. David Whyte
Thought: What gifts are simply waiting for my attention.
13. Every time we feel satisfied with what we have, we can be counted as rich, however little we may actually possess. Alain De Botton
Thought: How I am rich?
14. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. Lao Tzu
Thought: What is standing in the way of my ability to be content with what I have?
15. Gratitude is an ascending reflection. Beverly Novak
Thought: When have I felt gratitude bubbling up in response to a beautiful gesture?
16. Grant me daily, the grace of gratitude, to be thankful for all my many gifts, and so be freed from artificial needs, that I might lead a joyful, simple life. Edward Hays
Thought: How can I employ gratitude to free myself from false needs?
17. Grateful living brings in place of greed: Sharing in place of oppression: Respect in place of violence and peace. Brother David Steindl-Rast
Thought: How have I experienced the transformative power of grateful living?
18. Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life...and the world. Sarah Ban Breathnach
Thought: How does gratitude open me to everyday epiphanies?
19. I wonder if gratefulness is the bridge from sorrow to joy, spanning the chasm of our anxious striving. Freed from the burden of unbridled desires, we can enjoy what we have, celebrate what we've attained and appreciate the familiar. For if we can't be happy now, we'll likely not be happy when. Philip Gulley
Thought: How can I cultivate contentment with what I have and what I am?
20. If we take the time, no matter how crazy and troubled we feel, we can find something to be thankful for. Terry Lynn Taylor
Thought: What three things can I be thankful for right now.
Action Item
Read through the 20 gratitude quotes and thoughts. Determine which one/ones resonate the most with you and begin imparting the wisdom into your life.