Quote Of The Day By 'The Light In The Heart' Author Roy T. Bennett: 'Being Grateful Does Not Mean That Everything Is Necessarily...'

Roy T. Bennett is a name that pops up on the internet often, especially if there's a quote about gratitude and kindness involved. In fact, a lot of people may have already quoted the author without knowing a single thing about him, because Bennett has written exactly one book, "The Light in the Heart," which first came out as an eBook on February 26, 2016, and it contains enough bite-sized sayings to fill a social media feed for years. The only personal detail Bennett offers in the short bio is the year of his birth, 1963. He handled the print editions on his own, and his name is listed as publisher on a 252-page paperback released in February 2020 and a hardcover in 2021. 

The side effect of keeping that low a profile is that people might mix him up with other famous Bennetts, with the inspirational author's Goodreads bio going out of its way to separate him from two politicians with similar names, Robert T. Bennett and Roy Leslie Bennett, both of whom have passed away. What Bennett does share openly is his faith, with his profile on X signing off with: "All glory be to God." On these pages, the author has spent years giving away poignant sentences to anyone who wants to hear them, and that's why Roy T. Bennett is today's quote of the day.

Roy T. Bennett wrote, "Being grateful does not mean that everything is necessarily good. It just means that you can accept it as a gift." This line is from "The Light in the Heart," and like most other aphorisms in that book, it works on its own. Readers have described the book as mostly a gathering of standalone quotes, so each saying is a complete thought. Most advice about gratitude brings your attention back to everything that's going well, presenting it as a matter of mindfulness. This posits that the experience is the gift itself.

Motivational talk about gratitude has a problem with sincerity. Tell someone who just lost their job to count their blessings and they'll laugh in your face. That's the good outcome; they could just hear that their problem doesn't count and get testy. Even if they agree with you — and that's a big if — you can't fake, or force, gratitude. Sure, you can tell yourself all day long that you're very lucky, that things could be worse, that everything happens for a reason, but it won't matter if you don't feel that way deep down. Bennett's line of reasoning is different because he deals with that objection before we can even raise it. Being grateful, the inspirational author writes, doesn't necessarily require you to call a bad thing good. 

The word "gift" is also quite brilliant, because Bennett argues that life will deal you a hand you didn't pick — a mix of both good and bad — so it's up to you to interpret that as a curse or a gift. When life hands you something you would never choose, you have the choice to accept it and treat it as an experience that can help you grow. That kind of gratitude can't be faked, and it keeps a nuanced view of your joys and miseries. Sometimes, a canceled plan is a letdown, but it could also be a surprise free evening. Being laid off is devastating, but it may also be the first time in years you get to ask what you actually want to do. Your choice is not in ignoring or denying the misfortune, but in how you choose to interpret it.

• "Be thankful for everything that happens in your life; it's all an experience."
• "Though life is not without trials, it remains a gift — lived in sincerity, sustained by hope, and gently carried by grace."
• "Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return."
• "Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely."
• "Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart."