"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation"
About this Quote
The subtext is classic achievement culture: your inner narrative is either compounding or costing you. "Give thanks for everything that happens to you" sounds expansive, even humane, but it's also a clever immunization against setback. If everything is metabolized as fuel, then disappointment loses its veto power. You don't just endure adversity; you recruit it. That alchemy is central to Tracy's brand of motivational thinking, which grew alongside late-20th-century corporate individualism and the idea that you can out-optimize circumstances.
The quote's real engine is its forward tilt. "Every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation" turns gratitude into momentum and turns life into a ladder. There's no room here for stasis, ambiguity, or grief that doesn't "pay off". It's an appealing script for readers who feel stuck: it offers psychological relief (this isn't wasted) while reaffirming a meritocratic horizon (something "bigger and better" awaits if you keep stepping).
What makes it work is its double bind: you either practice gratitude or you risk being the person who blocks their own progress. It's motivational, but it's also a subtle moral demand.
Quote Details
| Topic | Gratitude |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Tracy, Brian. (2026, January 17). Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/develop-an-attitude-of-gratitude-and-give-thanks-30310/
Chicago Style
Tracy, Brian. "Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/develop-an-attitude-of-gratitude-and-give-thanks-30310/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/develop-an-attitude-of-gratitude-and-give-thanks-30310/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.






