"The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now. And the more grateful you are, the more you get."

— Oprah

"So often the most meaningful moments in our lives are those that we share with our families. Treasured memories are created by celebrating, sharing and embracing the moments of life with the people we love."

— Sandra Magsamen

"On a daily basis, find something you are appreciative of or find something you are grateful for. Start a journal. You might even want to call it your appreciation journal or gratitude journal and go to it [and write] five minutes a day."

— Michael Losier, author of Law of Attraction

"[Gratitude] allows us to reshape the meaning of any situation, so we can choose the perspective from which we view a joy, a sorrow, a disappointment—even success."

— Dr. Robin Smith

"If we don't appreciate ourselves, it's very difficult to accept the appreciation of any one else or really to attract a whole lot of success into our lives."

— Mike Robbins, author and motivational speaker

"And whenever you can't think of something to be grateful for, remember your breath. With each breath you take, you can say, 'I am still here.' Make each day a holiday of thankfulness—and give yourself the gift of gratitude."

— Oprah

"When our hearts are broken, we don't think we have much to be thankful for. We don't have to be smiling when we say 'Thank you.'"

— Sarah Ban Breathnach, spiritual teacher

"Because gratitude expresses courage, it spreads calm. Calm of this kind is quite compatible with deep emotions. Join the truly compassionate ones who are calm and strong. From the stillness of your heart's core reach out. Calmly hold someone's hand today and spread calm."

— David Steindl-Rast, OSB

"I'm at that place where it's like, 'I can't get any more goodness in my life.' … I feel blessed every second. I go to bed feeling blessed, and I wake up feeling blessed."

— Ellen DeGeneres

"I say this all the time: 'I want to one day show up where people live and work to give them the same standing ovation that [the audience] just gave me."

— Oprah

"The idea is for people to give thanks for the kids in their lives who are healthy and to give to the children who are not."

— Marlo Thomas, actress

"Tennis was an opportunity for me to affect people for two hours, you know? But what I care about now is the chance of affecting somebody for a lifetime."

— Andre Agassi, former tennis star

"I'm grateful for the bigheartedness of my parents that lives in me, but I don't want to be a doormat. I'd make excuses for outrageous behavior from other people, and I did it flawlessly."

— Dr. Robin Smith

"It's a time to stop, honor and reflect on the abundance, prosperity, people and lives we are blessed with."

— Sandra Magsamen

"I'm grateful that I feel deeply, because it allows me to experience great pain and great joy. I'm alive!"

— Wynonna Judd, singer

"I want the world to know that you're supposed to be grateful in all things."

— Joseph Simmons, a.k.a. Reverend Run

"I pray for peaceful pauses within ourselves to acknowledge our gratitude for life and all its complexities."

— Oprah

"The more grateful you are, the more you get to be grateful about. It's that simple."

— Louise Hay, founder of Hay House

"[People who are grateful] really are more optimistic, more apt to help others, more joyful and genuinely healthier."

— Deborah Norville, journalist

"I realized once again how much [my mom] gave me, and all I want to do is give my children the same: the strength to love someone profoundly, and in the end let them be who they are."

— Christine Baranski, actress

"I'm thankful for my past because it's brought me to this point and, most of all, thankful to tennis because it gave me a great life."

— Martina Navratilova, former tennis star

"Spend time every day focusing on gratitude for your success."

— Martha Beck

"[Eunice Kennedy Shriver] was constantly trying to talk about what was going on in the rest of the world to open our minds and let us know that we were lucky and that we should be grateful."

— Maria Shriver

"I'm really thankful for my health, and I wanted to find a way to give back."

— Hilary Swank, actress

"Take inventory and give thanks for all the things you do have."

— Dr. Ned Hallowell

"Trust instinct to move you forward, know what you want to achieve and then stick to it, and retain a sense of gratitude that can't be faked."

— Oprah

"I'm thankful that I'm alive; thankful that my daughter has respect for me and understands that I'm in the fight for my life. My sons do as well."

— Tatum O'Neal, actress

"Positive thoughts give you awesome energy and a boost. Sometimes, we concentrate on what's wrong and miss what's working in our lives."

— Dr. Janet E. Taylor

"I'm grateful that for so many millions of people the door was at least opened to the idea that we are each responsible for the quality of our lives."

— Oprah

"I think back on how inspirational Billie Jean King has been to me. I really wouldn't be here today if it weren't for her."

— Dara Torres, Olympic swimmer

Published 02/01/2010