Do you have the perfect birthday card picked out but can’t think of the right sentiment to put inside? It happens to all of us. Sometimes we can have a hard time verbalizing our feeling. We know what we want to say, but we can’t find the right words to capture it. As a result, anything we write feels inadequate, as if the emotions we feel are too big to translate into words. 

 Thankfully, we have a long history of writers, thinkers, comedians, and poets to turn to for inspiration — people that based their careers on their ability to translate the subtleties of human experience. They’ve done the work, and now your birthday cards can benefit. Below you’ll find ten of our favorite birthday quotes and wishes. When your font of inspiration is running dry, these perfect little nutshells may help you clarify your thoughts.

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NEW BEGINNINGS

“Your birthday is the beginning of your own personal new year. Your first birthday was a beginning, and each new birthday is a chance to begin again, to start over, to take a new grip on life.” 

— Wilfred Peterson 

 Peterson’s quote is a beautiful meditation on personal renewal. Birthdays are the perfect occasion to take stock — examine what’s working in your life and what needs improvement. We always talk about New Year’s resolutions. Adding this quote to a birthday card reminds people that anytime is good to work on themselves.

SCHRODINGER’S MOMENT

“Today is the oldest you have been and the youngest you will ever be. Make the most of it!” 

— Nicky Gumbel 

 Gumbel reminds us that all we have is the present, and at that moment, we’re the oldest we’ve ever been and the youngest we’ll ever be again, simultaneously. Each subsequent moment is the same situation, which any meaningful change must come from within.  

 This quote admonishes the reader to live each day fully, from one birthday to the next. We never know when “the oldest you have been” will become the oldest we will ever be, so grab life with both hands and live it fully.

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YOU’RE JUST A PASSENGER — ENJOY THE RIDE

Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you are aboard, there is nothing you can do about it.” 

— Golda Meir 

 On their birthday, people often worry about getting older. They’re nervous of the coming aches and pains, the breakdown of our physical bodies, and the inevitable heartache of loss. This quote reminds us that there’s nothing we can do to change whatever’s heading our way, so there’s no reason to be afraid of aging. Lightning will strike our lives sometimes, and thunder might rattle our nerves, but we’ll likely come out stronger on the other side.

YOUR AGE IS RELATIVE

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.” 

— Lucille Ball  

 Lucille Ball was the queen of comedy in her day, and this quote reminds us that we’re only as young as we feel — and tell other people. We should eat slowly to enjoy our food, and by extension, life in general. We should live honestly to be the best versions of ourselves. But we should never let honesty get in the way of halting the advance of time with the stories we tell. We’re only as old as we allow ourselves to be, so don’t let your advancing years get in the way of enjoying them.

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ANOTHER CANDLE ON THE CAKE

Today you have added another candle of knowledge and wisdom to your life. May it give you the power to enlighten the whole world. On your birthday, I wish you joy and happiness.” 

— Debasish Mridha 

 Every candle on our cake represents a year’s worth of accumulated experiences. This quote reminds birthday card recipients that with each year, we’re wiser, better adjusted, and more confident in our skins. With each candle on our cake, we’re better prepared to be a light to the rest of the world — to shine our truth so that others might shine there’s. When it comes to birthday quotes and wishes, this one is pretty fantastic.

CHERISH THE PAST

Cherish all your happy moments; they make a fine cushion for old age.” 

— Booth Tarkington 

 We love this quote because it reminds us that a life well-lived is its own reward. When we cherish our previous victories and warm ourselves in the glow of old memories, the past comes alive in the present. All the little moments that led up to now have made us who we are, so in a very real sense, we owe the past for our future. It’s a wonderful way to look at birthdays.

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YOU’RE NOT A BANANA

The older you get the better you get unless you are a banana.” 

— Betty White 

 What can we say about Betty White? She’s enjoyed a long and fruitful career that’s lasted well into her golden years. She’s an original Golden Girl, and she knows a thing or two about aging. In her own inimical way, she’s pointing out that, unlike bananas, which turn brown and whither into a gelatinous mess, people only improve with age — even as they whither themselves.

IT’S YOUR DAY. DO WHAT YOU WANT!

When someone asks if you’d like cake or pie, why not say you want cake and pie?” 

— Lisa Loeb 

 This is one of our favorite birthday quotes and wishes because honestly, why do we limit ourselves unnecessarily? Particularly on our birthdays, we should have what we want! Have birthday cake and pie. Throw in a cookie or two and some ice cream! You want churros? Got get some churros. It’s your day. Treat yourself!

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LISTEN TO HONEST ABE

And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” 

— Abraham Lincoln 

 This is another favorite. Old honest Abe reminds us that whether we get 30 years, 50, 75, or 100 years on this planet, what’s important is how we live them. Fifty years full of wonderful memories are better than 100 years wasted on anger and petty squabbles. If you’re looking for birthday quotes and wishes that sum up the importance of living life to its fullest, this is a good one.

THE QUEEN OF SOUL — AND BIRTHDAYS

Every birthday is a gift. Every day is a gift.” 

— Aretha Franklin 

 We’re closing with this short but sweet nugget of wisdom because it encapsulates our philosophy on life and business. Life is what you make of it, and every day you wake up is an opportunity to make a change for the better. 

 And speaking of making things better, Simply Noted makes handwritten greeting cards better. We use automated handwriting machines with real ballpoint pens to generate authentic pen-written cards in any volume. We offer several powerful business integrations and a custom API so that you can automate handwritten cards just as easily as any other piece of marketing collateral. Check out our website for more information.