6 Funny Motivational Stories for Work

Last Updated on May 21, 2024

Funny short stories about life are great for the workplace. It is an easy way to get your team laughing and feeling better about themselves. Inspirational stories also help your team to relax when they’re experiencing a lot of pressure.

The best way to make work fun is by bringing funny short stories into the mix. Inspirational short stories help everyone get in a better mood, lower stress levels, and be more productive.

Here are some inspirational short stories that might help your and your friends break free from whatever slump you’re in.

The Best Inspirational Short Stories You Can Share With Your Workmates

Inspirational Story 1: The Dean Schooled Them

One night there were four college kids partying and enjoying their night. They didn’t mind that they have a test the next day so they stayed out late and didn’t bother to study.

The next morning, they came up with a plan on how to skip their test. What they did was cover themselves in grease and dirt and went straight to the dean’s office.

They explained that they attended a wedding the previous night but they had to push the car back to the campus on the way back because of a flat tire.

The dean listened to their story carefully and offered them to take a retest instead three days later. The boys accepted the offer, had a good laugh, and thanked the dean.

On the day of the retest, the dean placed all four of them in separate rooms. They were all okay with it since they already studied for the exam. When they saw the test, it only had 2 questions:

1. Name ________ (1 point)

2. Which tire burst? ________ (99 points)

a. Front Left

b. Front Right

c. Back Left

d. Back Right

Moral of the Story:

Always think before you act. Be responsible and own up to your actions.

Inspirational Story 2: This was Bound to Happen

There was once a wealthy businessman who ran a health insurance company. One day, while getting ready to leave for work, a sleeping stray dog suddenly came out under his car and bit his leg! The businessman was very angry and threw rocks at the dog — missing his target. The dog quickly ran away from the scene.

Still angry at what happened earlier, the businessman was in a foul mood at his office. During the meeting, he placed his anger on the managers present which made them also upset. After the meeting, the managers put their anger on the employees working under them. The chain continued to the lower level of employees until it finally reached the maintenance guy.

Having no one below him to vent out his anger, the man returned to his home in a bad mood. When his wife opened the door and asked him why he was late, he slapped his wife telling him not to ask him such foolish questions the next time.

Upset, the wife went to her son—who was watching TV—and slapped him. She complained about his disinterest in studies and told him to turn off the television.

The young man was upset with his mother so he decided to go out of the house to calm himself. While outside, he saw a stray dog passing by and looking at him. Out of frustration and anger, he picked up a rock and hit the dog.

Barking in pain, the dog, who was the same dog earlier, ran away.

Moral of the Story:

Our actions, as simple or complicated as they may seem, can affect others. Refrain from aggressive behaviors when things don’t go as planned. Instead, take a deep breath first and think about how to handle the situation better.

Inspirational Story 3: Baby Camel and Mother

A mother camel with her offspring

Once there was a mother and a baby camel lying around. Suddenly, the baby camel asked her mother why they have humps. The mother answered and told him that since they are desert animals, their humps are used to store water.

The second question that the baby camel asked was why are their legs long and their feet rounded. The mother camel replied that their legs and feet are meant for walking in the desert. Having these can make moving around the desert easier!

The baby asked another one about why are their eyelashes long. It bothers him sometimes, he said. His mom said that their long lashes are for protective cover. Since the desert sand and wind can affect their sight, their lashes will protect them from it.

After thinking for some time, the young one summarized what he learned and asked the mother camel what they are doing in a zoo then.

Moral of the Story:

Being in the right place at the right time is very essential. You can benefit from your skills, knowledge, and experiences — but only if you are in the right place.

Inspirational Story 4: Frogs for Dinner

There was a lady who was heating up a pot of water to cook pasta for her family. While she was busy preparing, a frog accidentally fell into the pot. Since there was still no flame, the frog didn’t try to escape and was comfortably lying inside the pot.

Soon, the lady turned on the flames to boil the water. Still, the frog stayed inside the pot since he can accordingly adjust his temperature.

When the water approached its boiling point and the frog couldn’t keep up with the heat, he attempted to jump out of the pot. However, he was unsuccessful and was too late to save himself.

Moral of the Story:

No matter how light or critical a situation may be, it is very important to have a proactive mindset. The frog had all the chance to escape the pot if only he looked at the bigger picture. But because he was too complacent, he wasted the time he had until it was too late to take action.

Inspirational Story 5: Wait…What?

An old agecarpenter nearing his retirement talked to his boss to tell him that he’d want to end his career to spend more time with his family. His boss was saddened by this since the old man was a good and reliable employee.

Thinking that since he was about to retire, his boss requested that the carpenter do one more favor for him: build just one more house.

Already losing his passion for carpentry, the old man reluctantly accepted his boss’ request and build the house half-heartedly. He used cheap materials and made a mediocre finishing; a complete opposite to his once dedicated nature.

When he finished the house, the boss came to look at it and handed the old man a key. The boss told the carpenter that this house is his gift to him as a sign of gratitude for his years of service.

Astonished by his boss’ generosity, the carpenter regretted his actions. If only he knew that this would belong to him, he would have put his usual effort into making the house.

Moral of the Story:

Just like the carpenter, we sometimes tend to underperform when disheartened. When an opportunity comes, your attitude and choices on how to do it will greatly affect your results. Remember to always put your best foot forward so you won’t regret it in the end.

Inspirational Story 6: A Pound is a Pound

A baker was always buying a pound of butter from a farmer each week. One day, after several weeks of buying a pound of butter, the baker decided to weigh the butter himself to check if it weighs correctly.

To his surprise, the butter he was receiving from the farmer was under a pound which enraged him. Feeling cheated, he filed a complaint against the farmer and took him to court.

The judge from the court asked how the farmer weighs his butter. The farmer replied that since he is poor, he doesn’t own an exact measuring tool. Instead, what he uses was a scale.

Asking again, the judge clarified if the farmer uses the scale to measure the butter.

The farmer agreed and said that he’s been buying one pound of bread from the baker long before he sold butter to him. Whenever he buys bread, he uses the scale to measure it and this is how he measures his butter.

If his butter is less than a pound, it would mean that the pound of bread was also less than promised.

Moral of the Story:

Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you. In the story, the baker tried to cheat the farmer and in return, the farmer cheated the baker as well. The more honest you act towards others, the easier it is for trust to occur between you and them. If you want others to treat you right, just remember that you get what you give.

BONUS: More Funny Stories From These Books

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Motivational Stories Summary: Tell Funny Stories At Work

Work can be a very serious and stressful environment. It’s hard to not take everything seriously once you’ve started working. So remember to take time out for yourself and share nice stories when you can.

We all need a break from time to time. And laughter through inspirational stories is one of the best things for your mental health.