An Attitude of Gratitude

"Sunrise on the Hill"

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday I've decided that this week's installment of Inspiration Thursday should be about gratitude.  I can personally attest that increasing my level of gratitude--trying to appreciate all the small wonders and gifts of my life-- has made me find even more in life to be grateful for.  It is an attitude that builds on itself, increasing itself.  Even on a bad day there is always something to be grateful for...even if its hard to see it at the time.  It might be at those times that it is most critical to find that gratitude, too.   Once I realize all I have to be grateful for it makes my bad day better.  It makes a great day better, too.  

My yoga teacher, Elizabeth Klarich, always used to say, "An attitude of gratitude brings you joy."  And I think she hit the nail on the head.  Gratitude improves everything.  Here are a few other quotes--from a wide range of speakers-- that caught my attention.  May you find lots to be grateful for this Thanksgiving Day and every day!

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”  -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -- John F. Kennedy 

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." -- Epictetus

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
-- Oprah Winfrey

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. 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
  
“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”  -- Maya Angelou 

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”  -- Marcus Tullius Cicer