25 Quotes to Help Inspire Your Own Words of Appreciation and Gratitude

A Thoughtful Message Is Easy When You Have the Right Words

A woman writing a personal note to show appreciation

Tetra Images / Jamie Grill / Getty Images

Sometimes it's easy to take friends and family for granted, which is why showing appreciation is so important. As philosopher Voltaire said, "Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." When you take the time to express thanks and gratitude, you help build and strengthen bonds of trust and love. It doesn't matter whether you send a card or make a phone call. Appreciation, however you express it, builds bridges and fosters healthy relationships.

Of course, appreciation should always be sincere. For example, when you praise a family member for their cooking, mention what you specifically liked about the dish, and thank them for preparing it so well. If a friend has thrown you a surprise birthday party, offer your sincere thanks. Remember to say what you enjoyed most about the celebration.

Everyone loves a thoughtful thank-you card, but finding the right words to show your appreciation is not always easy. The following is a list of quotes on the subject of appreciation and gratitude from well-known artists, writers, world leaders, and others to help you create your own special sentiments. You could also include the entire attributed quote if it makes sense.

Maya Angelou: "When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed."

Guillaume Apollinaire: "Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."

Thomas Aquinas: "There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship."

Marcus Aurelius: "Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them."

Leo Buscaglia aka Dr. Love: "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

Henry Clay: "Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the gratefully and appreciating heart."

Ralph Waldo Emerson: "A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."

Helen Keller: "Words are never warm and tender enough to express one's appreciation of a great kindness."

Dalai Lama aka Tenzin Gyatso: "The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness."

Washington Irving: "Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart."

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

Steve Maraboli: "Forget yesterday — it has already forgotten you. Don't sweat tomorrow — you haven't even met. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift — today."

Willie Nelson: "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."

Marcel Proust: "Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

Albert Schweitzer: "At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."

Mark Twain aka Samuel Langhorne Clemens:

"To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with."

"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."

Voltaire: "Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well."

William Arthur Ward: "Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I may not forget you."

Booker T. Washington: "Any man's life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day."

Mae West aka Mary Jane West: "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!"

Walt Whitman: "I have learned that to be with those I like is enough."

Oscar Wilde: "The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention."

Thornton Wilder: "We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

Oprah Winfrey: "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."

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Khurana, Simran. "25 Quotes to Help Inspire Your Own Words of Appreciation and Gratitude." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/appreciation-quotes-help-forge-friendship-2830115. Khurana, Simran. (2023, April 5). 25 Quotes to Help Inspire Your Own Words of Appreciation and Gratitude. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/appreciation-quotes-help-forge-friendship-2830115 Khurana, Simran. "25 Quotes to Help Inspire Your Own Words of Appreciation and Gratitude." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/appreciation-quotes-help-forge-friendship-2830115 (accessed March 28, 2024).