We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count. — Neal A. Maxwell

We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.

Author: Neal A. Maxwell

Insight: There's a real tension in how we're supposed to think about gratitude. We're told constantly to appreciate what we have—count your blessings, practice thankfulness, notice the good. And that matters. But gratitude that stays stuck in reflection can become a kind of spiritual complacency. You feel grateful for your health, your relationships, your opportunities, and then... what? You go back to scrolling, to taking things for granted, to the same patterns as before. The other half of this equation is harder: making your blessings count means actually using them. It means your good fortune isn't just something to feel warm about internally—it's supposed to do something in the world. The friend who listens well should use that gift to help someone carrying something heavy. The financial security you have should translate into generosity or risk-taking on behalf of something meaningful. The time and energy you've been given matter precisely because they're finite and could matter to someone else. This isn't guilt-tripping. It's recognizing that gratitude without action is incomplete. When you make your blessings count, you're not erasing them through use—you're actually fulfilling what they're for. You're turning appreciation into something that ripples outward, which tends to circle back and deepen the gratitude itself.

/Quotes

Gratitude That Actually Does Something

We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.

Neal A. Maxwell

There's a real tension in how we're supposed to think about gratitude. We're told constantly to appreciate what we have—count your blessings, practice thankfulness, notice the good. And that matters. But gratitude that stays stuck in reflection can become a kind of spiritual complacency. You feel grateful for your health, your relationships, your opportunities, and then... what? You go back to scrolling, to taking things for granted, to the same patterns as before.

The other half of this equation is harder: making your blessings count means actually using them. It means your good fortune isn't just something to feel warm about internally—it's supposed to do something in the world. The friend who listens well should use that gift to help someone carrying something heavy. The financial security you have should translate into generosity or risk-taking on behalf of something meaningful. The time and energy you've been given matter precisely because they're finite and could matter to someone else.

This isn't guilt-tripping. It's recognizing that gratitude without action is incomplete. When you make your blessings count, you're not erasing them through use—you're actually fulfilling what they're for. You're turning appreciation into something that ripples outward, which tends to circle back and deepen the gratitude itself.

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Neal A. Maxwell

Neal A. Maxwell (1926-2004) was an influential American leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1981 until his death. He was known for his eloquent spiritual writings and teachings, as well as his dedication to education and public service, having previously held positions as a university administrator and a prominent church educator. Maxwell's contributions to religious thought and his emphasis on personal discipleship have left a lasting impact on the LDS community.

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