What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it - would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.

Marston frames gratitude as both a social norm and a practical discipline. By comparing life’s “blessings” to a gift from a person, he suggests that appreciation is a form of attentiveness: noticing what has already been given, valuing it, and responding with thanks rather than entitlement. The implication is not that life literally “rewards” gratitude in a transactional way, but that gratitude changes perception and behavior—making one more receptive, resilient, and likely to act in ways that create further good outcomes. The quote belongs to a modern self-help ethic that treats inner attitude as a lever for external improvement.