Birthdays are a time to celebrate and look forward to the year to come. But let’s face it—COVID or not, we could all use a little extra birthday encouragement from time to time!
Instead of jotting down your typical “Oh hey happy birthday” sentiment without too much thought, you can make someone’s birthday special by taking the time to write something a little more.
More thoughtful. More encouraging. More inspirational!
Don’t panic if you aren’t a fount of positivity or an Instagram-worthy motivational quote guru. Just grab some “inspiration for your inspiration” from the lists below:
The word “inspirational” can sound a bit lofty and vague, but it’s actually easier than you might think to write an inspirational birthday card. Here are a few simple tips to get you started.
If the concept of “inspirational” feels too hard to nail down, try thinking of it as “encouraging” instead. We may not know how to be quote-unquote inspirational, but we all know how to give a pep talk to the people we love.
The bottom line is that it doesn’t have to be anything huge. A simple note of encouragement and “Hey, I see you over there being awesome” is enough to really make an impact on someone’s birthday—especially if it’s been a tough year.
Aim for encouraging, and you’ll naturally help inspire confidence in the birthday boy or girl.
To keep your note from sounding like it could have been printed on a 99-cent grocery store birthday card, try to be as specific as possible. The more specific you can be about the birthday boy or girl, the more meaningful your birthday card message will be.
Get the creative juices flowing by asking yourself questions like these:
Feel free to write out a list of positive traits and then see which ones spark your creativity the most.
Few of us experience a huge accomplishment or achievement every single year of our lives. Something as big as buying a new home, getting a major promotion at work, or being accepted into our dream job/school/program is more of a once-a-decade kind of thing. And that’s okay!
It can be really inspirational to point out the less-glamorous things you’ve noticed about the birthday boy or girl. For example, maybe he or she has:
Highlighting these smaller accomplishments is often more meaningful and motivational than focusing on the more obvious stuff. It shows that you really care and are paying attention.
The best forms of encouragement will focus on what the person has purposefully done well in their life. Try to frame your inspirational birthday message in such a way as to highlight effort and intentional action.
For example, you could write a fairly nice birthday wish like this:
“Hey! Wow! You had such a great year—congrats on your promotion at work and happy birthday!”
Or you could rephrase this same idea into something much more specific and more effort focused. Take a look at how much more inspiring this version is:
“You worked so hard this entire year, and I’m honestly so impressed that you had the courage to ask for—and receive!!—that amazing promotion at work. You should be proud of yourself. I know I’m proud of you. Happy birthday!”
This last tip probably applies most to the well-meaning-but-maybe-overbearing parents and older siblings among us. But it’s important to say before we move on!
There can be a fine line between being motivational and coming across as a nag. Try to avoid giving advice or instructions with your inspirational birthday message, unless you know with 100% confidence that the birthday boy or girl will appreciate your words.
There’s a time and a place for giving unsolicited advice and “life suggestions,” and a birthday card usually isn’t it.
Tip: A good rule of thumb is to highlight what the person has already done well, rather than project what you hope the person will do in the coming year.
Alright—using the tips above, you’re ready to write your own rousing birthday wish or message. But if you still want a little more guidance or creative inspiration, feel free to use some of the sample inspirational birthday phrases below!
You shine a light of happiness on everyone around you, just like the candles on your birthday cake. Happy birthday, buddy!
It may be YOUR birthday, but your laughter is a gift for ME! I love you, and happy birthday! I am constantly amazed by the fact that I get to be your parent.
This year you grew 3 inches, lost a tooth, made new friends, and worked really hard in school. You deserve all the birthday cake and more! Happy birthday! Looking forward to a new year of your life.
You know how much you love Batman? Well, you’re even cooler than Batman to me! I am really inspired by how much you care about your friends and go out of your way to help them. Happy birthday to my hero!
It’s your birthday, but I get the gift—how is that fair?! Thank you for the gift of being you! I appreciate how much you dedicate yourself to your interests and are willing to work hard for the goals you’ve set. Can’t wait to see what you’ll accomplish this year. Happy birthday!
It may sound cheesy…but I hope you know how much you inspire me! I see how much effort you put into school, sports, and being there for your little brother. I’m proud to be your parent and hope you know how much we love you. Happy birthday!
Hey champ—happy birthday! Your dad and I have noticed how hard you’re working to excel in your music classes, so here’s a little extra something to inspire you. We’re so excited for what the next year will bring for you, and we’re confident you can accomplish whatever you decide to pursue.
Another year passed by already? I’m proud of everything you’ve accomplished this year and am so excited to watch your family grow in the year to come. I know you’ve had a lot on your plate, but you’ve done a seriously fantastic job. Happy birthday!
Hey! This year has been incredible for you, and I know it’s because you’ve put in so much dedication to getting stuff done. I’m really proud of you and have been using your example to get some of my own creative projects rolling (…finally!). Happy birthday and thanks for being you.
Happy birthday! Just wanted to take this opportunity to mention how inspirational you are to me. I am constantly impressed by your patience, kindness, and willingness to help others around you. I’m proud to be your friend and appreciate your positive example every single day. Love you!
I know this year has been challenging for you, and I do hope that better things are coming your way. But I also hope you know that you are doing an INCREDIBLE job! The way you’ve handled this difficult circumstance is nothing short of amazing. I hope you can take a day off on your birthday to celebrate you (and recharge your batteries).
Happy birthday! This may not feel like a time for celebrating, but I hope you can recognize and appreciate how resilient you’ve been this year. Your hard work has been an inspiration to me. Know that I’m always here if you need a listening ear.
Your birthday isn’t quite as joyful as usual…but I hope you realize how terrific you are and how amazingly well you’ve tackled this difficult situation. It sounds a bit silly, but I mean it: you’re an inspiration to me and my family! Please let me know how we can help. Happy birthday.
Happy birthday! You’ve got a big life change ahead of you with your international move coming up, but I’m confident that you’ll handle it all with your usual humor and grace. If I can help you in any way, please let me know.
Happy birthday! It must feel weird to be celebrating your last birthday before the kids head off to college. I hope you can soak up the last of this special time and still treat yourself to a little something for your special day.
It’s hard to take a moment to celebrate when life’s moving so fast, but I hope you do! You deserve it! I’m wishing you all the best as you move into married life this year. Whatever comes your way, I know you’ll be able to meet it head on together. Happy birthday, friend!
Congratulations on graduating! I hope you take a minute to reflect on how much work you put into your classes and how you’ve grown as a person in the last 5 years. I’m so proud of you and know that whatever comes next, you’re more than ready to take the reins. Happy birthday!
Happy birthday and YAAAAAAY! All of your hard work, self-doubt, and no-sleep nights have paid off—just like we all knew they would. You’ve always been an inspiration to me, and now you’ve got the fancy job title to go along with it. In all seriousness, though, you deserve this new job and certainly have the resilience and positivity to handle it. I’m proud of you, sister. Happy bday!
Happy birthday and congratulations on your new business venture. I bet you’ve faced your fair share of obstacles and doubts along the way, but I hope you can see how inspirational you are to the rest of us. I’m confident you’ve got what it takes to make this go big. Proud of you and happy birthday!
If you want to add a little extra something to your own thoughtful birthday message, why not throw in a brief inspirational quote? A memorable quote can be a great way to start or end your birthday card, giving the recipient something to ponder and a healthy dose of “yes, I can!” to start their new year of life.
We especially love these inspirational quotes for a birthday card:
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
– Lao Tzu
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson
“Many of life’s failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
– Thomas Edison
“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
– Babe Ruth
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”
– Albert Einstein
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”
– Chinese Proverb
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
– Aristotle
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
– Vincent Van Gogh
“Impossible is just an opinion.”
– Paulo Coelho
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