Gratitude Quotes From MasterClass Instructors

Gratitude is the experience of thankfulness. Some might develop their idea of what gratitude is from Bible verses, while others might rely on Buddhist proverbs. Perhaps your own understanding comes from studying the thoughts of philosophers or reading great literature about thankfulness in action. Everyone might come to define gratitude in words unique to them, but the concept remains the same: finding something in life to be grateful and thankful for no matter the circumstances.

Gratitude is how you stay humble when life is good and happy when times get tough. No matter what your current situation, you stand to benefit from being thankful for all the little things you appreciate about your life, loved ones, and circumstances. As you count your blessings, small bits of gratitude can add up to big things, too. When you treat thankfulness as a verb, your kind actions can inspire gratitude in others as well.

Thankfulness requires you to articulate your gratitude in one way or another. Here are a few tips from MasterClass instructors about how they express gratitude every day:

• Incorporate your spirituality. If you have spiritual or religious beliefs, use gratitude to connect with your idea of the sublime. As a devout Christian, Reba McEntire says, “The first thing I do in the morning is I throw my arms up in the air and I say, ‘Thank you, Lord.’” Your own personal beliefs might be different from Reba's, but there's always a way to look outward when experiencing thankfulness and gratitude. That remains the same whether you choose to thank your personal conception of God, the universe, fate, or something else for your own good fortune.
• Keep a journal. Having a written gratitude practice can help keep you grounded, according to Melinda French Gates. “I think gratitude is fundamental to not just our values but how we think about life every single day,” she says. “Every day, I write down at least three to five things that I'm grateful for, and it just enriches my day.” Designate a particular notebook to be your gratitude journal and keep it where you will see it often.
• Let gratitude change you. Philosopher Cornel West recalls how John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme inspired how he thinks about love and gratitude. “There's acknowledgment,” he says, “the gratitude of being alive… and it ends with song. It ends with praise. It ends with thankfulness of the fact you’ve undergone this transformation.” In other words, gratitude sets you on a course to live in such a way you always end up more grateful today than you were yesterday.

There are countless ways to express what gratitude means and why it’s important. Consider these inspirational quotes about gratitude from some of history’s most acclaimed authors, thinkers, and luminaries:

1. 1. Alice Walker: Author and Black feminism scholar Alice Walker insists, “‘Thank you’ is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.” This echoes another quote by the medieval Catholic mystic Meister Eckhart: “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘Thank you,’ that would suffice.”
2. 2. G.K. Chesterton: A prominent essayist, poet, and novelist of the late Victorian era, Gilbert K. Chesterton reflected on the little surprises and paradoxes that make life worth living. “When it comes to life,” he said, “the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” With a grateful heart, you open yourself up to much more joy than you would have ever had otherwise.
3. 3. Henry Ward Beecher: In the nineteenth century, Henry Ward Beecher was one of the United States’ premiere ethical thinkers and social reformers. He once said, “The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” This thankful quote indicates gratitude is a conscious choice to view the world through an openhearted and grateful paradigm.
4. 4. Karl Barth: One of the twentieth century’s most prominent theologians, Karl Barth aimed to boil down both philosophical and ethical concepts into their purest essence. “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude,” he quipped. In other words, the experience of happiness is one of thankfulness even when you might not realize it.
5. 5. Marcel Proust: Considering Marcel Proust’s landmark modernist novel In Search of Lost Time is more than four thousand pages in total, it should come as no surprise he had something to say on the subject of gratitude in the narrative. “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy,” he remarked. “They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
6. 6. Maya Angelou: The renowned memoirist and poet Maya Angelou believed gratitude was essential to a life well lived. “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer,” she recommended. “And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”

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