Last Updated on August 30, 2024 by Eventful Words
Turning 40 is a milestone worth celebrating and commemorating. To help mark this special occasion, we’ve gathered some of the best inspirational 40th birthday quotes to share with your friends and family. From wise words of encouragement to uplifting messages of hope, these quotes will help you show your appreciation and gratitude for the special people in your life. Whether you’re searching for the perfect sentiment to express your love or simply want to show your appreciation, these inspirational 40th birthday quotes are sure to make any birthday celebration even more memorable.
Reasons to Celebrate a Loved One’s 40th Birthday
Celebrating a loved one’s 40th birthday is a special occasion. After four decades of life, your friend, family member, or partner has reached a milestone. This is a time of reflection and celebration, so here are some reasons why you should mark this momentous occasion:
It’s a milestone birthday:
Turning 40 is an important milestone in life, and it’s worth celebrating. Whether it’s a friend or a family member, 40th birthday wishes should be special.
It’s a time to look back:
Turning 40 is a great time to look back on your life so far and appreciate the journey and recognize that you’ve accomplished so much. Celebrating the occasion can be a great way to reflect on the past, appreciate the experiences you’ve had, and recognize how much you’ve grown and changed.
It’s a time to look ahead:
Turning 40 is also a time to look ahead to another 40 years. Celebrating the occasion can be a great way to make plans to live life fully and look forward to the future with optimism and excitement.
It’s a time to show gratitude:
Turning 40 is also a good time to express gratitude for the people in your life who have supported you, encouraged you, and helped you become the person you are today. Showing gratitude and good wishes to these people will make them feel appreciated and loved.
It’s a time to celebrate the person you are:
Turning 40 is also a great time to take a moment to celebrate who you are and all that you’ve accomplished. Marking the occasion can be a great way to recognize your strength, resilience, and courage, and to give yourself a pat on the back for all the hard work you’ve put in.
Inspirational 40th Birthday Quotes
As your loved one celebrates an amazing 40th birthday, they may be feeling a bit reflective and nostalgic about the passing of your thirties. Or maybe they’re feeling excited and inspired by the possibilities of the future. Either way, your forties is a milestone worth celebrating, and some inspiring 40th birthday quotes can help set the tone for a happy birthday.
1. “Count each birthday with a grateful mind.” — Alexander Pope
2. “Life really does begin at forty. Up until then, you are just doing research”– Carl Jung
3. “Life begins at forty”– Walter B. Pitkin
4. “You’ve heard of the three ages of man – youth, age, and you are looking wonderful”– Francis Spellman
5. “One of the advantages of being over forty is that one begins to learn the difference between knowing and realising”– Gustav Holst
6. “If life really begins on your 40th birthday, it’s because that’s when women finally get it… the guts to take back their lives”– Laura Randolph
7. “The first forty years of life give us the text: the next thirty supply the commentary on it”– Arthur Schopenhauer
8. “And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” — Abraham Lincoln
9. “Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young.” — Theodore Roosevelt
10. “Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears. — John Lennon
11. “Age is a matter of feeling, not of years”– George William Curtis
12. “You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” — C.S. Lewis
13. “Cherish all your happy moments; they make a fine cushion for old age.” — Booth Tarkington
14. “May you live all the days of your life.” — Johnathan Swift
15. “One of the many things nobody ever tells you about middle age is that it’s such a nice change from being young.” — Dorothy Canfield Fisher
16. “Every year, on your birthday, you get a chance to start anew.” — Sammy Hagar
17. “At twenty years of age, the will reigns; at thirty, the wit; and at forty, the judgment.” — Benjamin Franklin
18. “Your age isn’t you. Use today to feel your best, celebrate and be your very happiest.” — M. Rivers
19. “Every birthday is a gift. Every day is a gift.” — Aretha Franklin
20. “When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.” — Cherokee proverb
21. “You don’t get older, you get better.” — Shirley Bassey
22. “Aging can be fun if you lay back and enjoy it.” — Clint Eastwood
23. “Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years.” — Ausonius
24. “Another year comes to a close, and another begins. May the coming year be one that will be filled with laughter of friends, love of family, and the life that you dream of.” — Catherine Pulsifer
25. “May you receive many gifts, and may your day be joyous, and best of all may you be surrounded by family and friends. May all you wish for come true.” — Theodore W. Higginsworth
26. “We turn not older with years, but newer every day.” – Emily Dickinson
27. “A birth-date is a reminder to celebrate the life as well as to update the life.” — Amit Kalantri
28. “The way I see it, you should live every day like it’s your birthday.” — Paris Hilton
29. “No wise man ever wished to be younger.” — Jonathan Swift
30. “Each ten years of a man’s life has its own fortunes, its own hopes, its own desires.” — Goethe
31. “Most of us can remember a time when a birthday – especially if it was one’s own – brightened the world as if a second sun has risen.” — Robert Staughton Lynd
32. “Birthdays are inevitable, beautiful and very particular moments in our lives! Moments that bring precious memories back, celebrate the present times and give hope for the future.” — Babe Arish
33. “Birthdays come but once a year, celebrate and be of good cheer.” — Robert Rivers
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Thoughtful 40th Birthday Quotes
As life keeps moving us forward, it can be easy to forget about the milestones we reach along the way. Turning forty is one such milestone — a time to reflect on the life you have lived and look forward to the life you will continue to create. To honor this special day, here are some thoughtful 40th birthday quotes to help you express your feelings and wish your loved one a happy 40th birthday.
34. “Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wings of time.” – Jean Paul Richter
35. “You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.” — John Mason
36. “We are always the same age inside.” – Gertrude Stein
37. “We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves.” — Bernard Baruch
38. “Youth is the gift of nature, but age is the work of art.” — Garson
39. “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey
40. “May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.” – Irish blessing
41. “Men are like wine: some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.” — Pope John XXII”
42. “Live not one’s life as though one had a thousand years, but live each day as the last.” – Marcus Aurelius
43. “A birthday is not a day to fear. It is a day to celebrate and look forward to the coming year.” — Byron Pulsifer
44. “Youth has no age.” — Pablo Picasso
45. “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
46. “If life really begins on your 40th birthday, it’s because that’s when women finally get it… the guts to take back their lives”– Laura Randolph
47. “You were born and with you endless possibilities, very few ever to be realized. It’s okay. Life was never about what you could do, but what you would do.” — Richelle E. Goodrich
48. “To know how to grow old is the masterwork of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living.” — Henri Frederic Amiel
49. “Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again.” — Menachem Mendel Schneerson
50. “Each new year of life added to your past, changing the way you viewed every new day, influencing how you reacted to everything from the simplest daily routines to complex events touching you, your family, and the world you lived in.” — Paul Snyder
51. “A child whose birthday is coming up is so excited, they count down the days. But as we get older we seem to lose the excitement. We need to rethink and be happy we have reached another birthday.” — Theodore W. Higginsworth
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Happy 40th Birthday Wishes and Birthday Sayings
When it comes to 40th birthday sayings, wishes, and messages, you want to make sure you choose something that is meaningful and heartfelt. The perfect 40th birthday message should be a celebration of the individual and a recognition of the incredible milestone of four decades of life. If you’re searching for the perfect way to wish someone a happy 40th birthday, here are some ideas to get you started.
52. “40 is the new 30… And the new 20… And the new 10…”
53. “You’re 40! You don’t look a day over fabulous. Happy 40th birthday!”
54. “Another birthday means your life journey is incomplete. May your day be filled with love and happiness.”
55. “Happy birthday to someone who’s not just becoming older, but becoming wiser.”
56. “As you turn 40, may you find the courage to make all your dreams come true.”
57. “On this special day, may life present you with all the joy and success you deserve. Happy 40th!”
58. “The best is yet to come, but don’t forget to have fun along the way. Happy 40th birthday!”
59. “It’s time to take charge and make the most of your life. Happy 40th birthday!”
60. “Happy 40th birthday! May you have an amazing day and an even better year.”
61. “Wishing the most incredible person I know an amazing happy 40th birthday! Remember to live life to the fullest!”
62. “Wishing you an amazing 40th birthday! You deserve all the best things life has to offer, and I hope your special day brings you all of them.”
63. “So many amazing things have happened in your life in the last 40 years. Here’s to 40 more! Happy 40th birthday!”
64. “Happy 40th birthday! Here’s to embracing life’s adventures, both big and small.”
65. “Let’s celebrate your 40th birthday! May age bring you wisdom, and may life bring you joy.”
66. “You’re 40! You’ve done so much and still have so much to look forward to. Here’s to the next 40 years of success and happiness.”
67. “Wishing you a wonderful year of adventure and joy and best wishes for many happy years ahead. Congratulations on your 40th birthday and all your accomplishments.”
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Funny 40th Birthday Wishes
A funny 40th birthday wish is a great way to show your loved one that you appreciate them and are happy for them on their special day. Here are some ideas for funny 40th birthday messages you can use to make their birthday special.
68. “The first 40 years of childhood are always the hardest.”
69. “They say 40 is the new 30. However, it should be noted that they often lie.”
70. “Best wishes on your 40th birthday. Just be grateful you’re not forty in dog years.”
71. “Welcome to 40, an age when you’re still young at heart, but other body parts are starting to falter.”
72. “Welcome to the 40s! Now you’re just a kid with wrinkles.”
73. “Happy 40th birthday! You may not be able to remember what you did last night, but you’ve got plenty of amazing memories from the last four decades.”
74. “Happy 40th birthday! You’re halfway to 80 and only 25 more years until you get to retire!”
75. “Happy 40th birthday! You’ve earned every wrinkle, so flaunt them proudly!”
76. “Happy 40th birthday! You’ve seen it all, done it all, and you’re still standing.”
77. “40 is when your body gives your brain a list of things it’s not going to do anymore.”
78. “Happy 40th birthday! Age is just a number, and yours is pretty, pretty big.”
79. “40 years old is just 10 years old times 4.”
80. “Happy 40th birthday! You’ve seen it all and done it all. Time to start all over again!”
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Funny 40th Birthday Quotes
Whether it’s a silly joke, a heartfelt saying, or even a pun, these quotes will help you find the perfect words to put a smile on your loved one’s face. So take a look at these funny 40th birthday quotes and sayings and find the one that suits the birthday person best
81. “Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional” – Chili Davis
82. “As you get older, three things happen: The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two.” — Norman Wisdom
83. “Today is the oldest you have been, and the youngest you will ever be. Make the most of it!” – Nicky Gumbel
84. “Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.” – Tom Wilson
85. “The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.” — Lucille Ball
86. “Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.” — Satchel Paige
87. “Middle age is when you still believe you’ll feel better in the morning.” — Bob Hope
88. “Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the hell happened.” — Cora Harvey Armstrong
89. “You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be a hundred.” — Woody Allen
90. “Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life.” – Kitty Collins
91. “Middle age is when your classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald they don’t recognize you.” — Bennett Cerf
92. “I think all this talk about age is foolish. Every time I’m one year older, everyone else is too.” — Gloria Swanson
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93. “Just remember, once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed.” — Charles Schulz
94. “You are only young once, but you can be immature for a lifetime.” – Germaine Greer
95. “Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.” — Larry Lorenzoni
96. “There is still no cure for the common birthday.” — John Glenn
97. “Last year my birthday cake looked like a prairie fire.” – Rodney Dangerfield
98. “When a man has a birthday, he takes a day off. When a woman has a birthday, she takes at least three years off.” – Joan Rivers
99. “Like many women my age, I am 28 years old.” — Mary Schmich
100. “Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you are aboard, there is nothing you can do about it.” — Golda Meir
101. “The older you get the better you get, unless you are a banana.” – Betty White
102. “Life seems to fade our memory, so on this birthday I will forget yours if you forget mine!” – Kate Summers
103. “At least you’re not as old as you will be next year.” – Unknown
104. “Few women admit their age. Few men act theirs.” — John Glenn
105. “Why party like it is 1999 when you can party like it is your birthday?” — Prince
106. “I was brought up to respect my elders, so now I don’t have to respect anybody.” — George Burns
107. “Age is a high price to pay for maturity.” — Tom Stoppard
108. “Growing old is like being increasingly penalized for a crime you have not committed.” – Anthony Powel
109. “Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.” — Edward Morykwas
110. “You know you’re getting old when you get that one candle on the cake. It’s like, ‘See if you can blow this out.’” — Jerry Seinfeld
111. “You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.” — Bob Hope
112. “When the candles on your cake burn down before they are all lit you know you are getting up there.” – Catherine Pulsifer
113. “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” – Elbert Hubbard
Cheers to the Best Happy 40th Birthday!
Celebrating life’s milestones can be a great way to mark the passage of time and add an extra layer of joy to our special days. With these inspirational 40th birthday quotes, birthday messages, and birthday sayings you can commemorate this important milestone and help make it even more special. Whether you choose to use one of these quotes to write a heartfelt message or simply use them as inspiration, they will help make a 40th birthday one to remember. May your loved one’s birthday be filled with nothing but the best!
