"He who forgets the language of gratitude can never…

“He who forgets the language of gratitude can never be on speaking terms with happiness” (or, “if you’ve forgotten the language of gratitude, you’ll never be on speaking terms with happiness”) is a popular saying about the importance of gratitude. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1972; in 1977, it was credited to C. Neil Strait (1934-2003), a Christian author. The saying possibly appeared in Strait’s book, The Speaker’s Book of Inspiration; A Treasury of Contemporary Religious & Inspirational Thought (1972).

Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City
C. NEIL STRAIT (1934-2003) served as district superintendent of the Michigan District, Church of the Nazarene for 23 years. Prior to assuming the superintendency in 1980, he pastored churches in Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan. He is the author of numerous articles in Christian periodicals and several books, including Perspectives of the Cross, Pastor Be Encouraged!, and Stewardship Is More Than Time, Talent, and Things.

OCLC WorldCat record
The speaker’s book of inspiration; a treasury of contemporary religious & inspirational thought.
Author: C Neil Strait
Publisher: Atlanta, Ga., Droke House/Hallux [1972]
Edition/Format: Book : English : [1st ed.]

Google Books
1800 Quotes, Quips, and Squibs
By E. C. McKenzie
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House
1972
Pg. 49:
He who forgets the language of gratitude can never be on speaking terms with happiness.

Google Books
Quote Unquote
By Lloyd Cory
Wheaton, IL: Victor Books
1977
Pg. 140:
He who forgets the language of gratitude can never be on speaking terms with happiness. (C. Neil Strait)

McDonald Road Seventh-day Adventist Church
Sermon delivered November 29, 1997
by Pastor Donald J Gettys
McDonald Seventh-day Adventist Church
McDonald, Tennessee
You Can Trust Him All the Time
(...)
Psalm 107:1 (NIV), “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Our God is a very good giver. I want to be a good receiver. A thankful receiver. If we forget the language of gratitude we can never be on speaking terms with happiness.

Google Books
Well Connected
By Dianna Booher
Nashville, TN: Word Publishing (Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
2000
Pg. ?:
He who forgets the language of gratitude can never be on speaking terms with happiness. —C. NEIL STRAIT

The Huffington Post
Ocean Robbins (Author, Speaker, http://www.foodrevolution.org)
The Neuroscience of Why Gratitude Makes Us Healthier
Posted: 11/04/2011 8:28 am EDT Updated: 01/04/2012 5:12 am EST
(...)
There’s an old saying that if you’ve forgotten the language of gratitude, you’ll never be on speaking terms with happiness. It turns out this isn’t just a fluffy idea. Several studies have shown depression to be inversely correlated to gratitude.

Google Books
The Grateful Life:
The Secret to Happiness, and the Science of Contentment
By Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons
Berkeley, CA: Viva Editions
2014
Pg. 230:
There’s an old saying that if you’ve forgotten the language of gratitude, you’ll never be on speaking terms with happiness.

Edmonton (Alberta) Journal
Does gratitude impact our health and happiness?
Posted by: Anna Bowness-Park
October 12, 2014. 10:50 am
There’s an old saying that if you’ve forgotten the language of gratitude, you’ll never be on speaking terms with happiness. Brother David Steindl-Rast, a monk and inter-faith scholar, would likely agree with this old proverb. In a 2013 TedTalk on gratitude in Edinburgh, Scotland, he suggested that happiness is an outcome of gratitude in our lives. He points out that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but rather gratitude that makes us happy.