Quiet Moments of Joyful Gratitude

"Let me arise and open the gate,

to breathe the wild warm air of the heath,

And to let in Love, and to let out Hate,

And anger at living and scorn of Fate,

To let in Life, and to let out Death."

-  Violet Fane

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."

-  James M. Barrie

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

-  Marcel Proust

"May you listen to your longing to be free.

May the frames of your belonging be large enough for the dreams of your soul.

May you arise each day with a voice of blessing whispering in your heart ...something good is going to happen to you.

May you find harmony between your soul and your life.

May the mansion of your soul never become a haunted place.

May you know the eternal longing that lies at the heart of time.

May there be kindness in your gaze when you look within.

May you never place walls between the light and yourself.

May you be set free from the prisons of guilt, fear, disappointment and despair.

May you allow the wild beauty of the invisible world to gather you,

mind you, and embrace you in belonging.

-  John O'Donahoe

"Gratitude is something of which none of us can give too much.  For on the smiles, the thanks we give, our little gestures of appreciation, our neighbors build their philosophy of life."

-  A. J. Cronin

"It is a glorious privilege to live, to know, to act, to listen, to behold, to love.  To look up at the blue summer sky; to see the sun sink slowly beyond the line of the horizon; to watch the worlds come twinkling into view, first one by one, and the myriads that no man can count, and lo! the universe is white with them; and you and I are here." 

-  Marco Morrow

"There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy."

-  Ralph H. Blum

"What a joy it is to feel the soft, springy earth under my feet once more, to follow grassy roads that lead to ferny brooks where I can bathe my fingers in a cataract of rippling notes, or to clamber over a stone wall into green fields that tumble and roll and climb in riotous gladness!"

-  Helen Keller

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place

where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning

more fragrant than ever again.

- Elizabeth Lawrence

"Practicing mindfulness of gratitude consistently leads to a direct experience of being connected to life and the realization that there is a larger context in which your personal story is unfolding. Being relieved of the endless wants and worries of your life's drama, even temporarily, is liberating. Cultivating thankfulness for being part of life blossoms into a feeling of being blessed, not in the sense of winning the lottery, but in a more refined appreciation for the interdependent nature of life. It also elicits feelings of generosity, which create further joy. Gratitude can soften a heart that has become too guarded, and it builds the capacity for forgiveness, which creates the clarity of mind that is ideal for spiritual development."
- Philipp Moffitt, Selfless Gratitude  

 "How true it is that,

if we are cheerful and contented,

all nature smiles,

the air seems more balmy,

the sky clearer,

the earth has a brighter green...

the flowers are more fragrant...

 and the sun, moon, and stars

all appear more beautiful,

and seem to rejoice with us."

- Orison Swett Marden

"Every heart that has beat strongly and cheerfully

has left a hopeful impulse behind it in the world,

and bettered the tradition of mankind."

- Robert Louis Stevenson

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the

parent of all the others."

- Cicero

"Life is huge!

Rejoice about the sun, moon, flowers, and sky.

Rejoice about the food you have to eat.

Rejoice about the body that houses your spirit.

Rejoice about the fact that you can be a positive force in the world around you.

Rejoice about the love that is around you.

If you want to be happy, commit to making your life one of rejoicing."

-  Author Unknown

"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

"If the day and the night are such that you greet

them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers

and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more

starry, more immortal - that is your success. All

nature is your congratulation, and you have cause

momentarily to bless yourself."

- Henry David Thoreau

The world is a looking glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it will look sourly upon; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly, kind companion."
 - William Thackeray