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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of inspirational short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

6040+ Inspirational Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. From tales of the miraculous to stories of extraordinary people overcoming incredible odds, you’ll always find something uplifting in our collection of inspirational short stories.

Inspirational Short Stories – Page 294 of 403

Like the Hammer

Submitted to Contest #91

It does not matter who you are, if you are a person, you yearn for purpose. How do we sustain that sense of purpose? We must figure out who we are. I will use a hammer as an example. If it is not identified as such, and utilized, it may exist, but in name only. Sometimes, it is difficult to identify who we are. We often refer to how we look, where we work, and how much monetary wealth we have acquired. We keep these superficial aspects of ourselves in mind to make it easier to ignore the deeper ones. Understandably, ragged clothes, and eat...

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A Fire in Georgia

Submitted to Contest #91

“What do you do for work?” asked Georgia - the petite Latin teacher who would this time next year be my mother-in-law.She gets right to the chase like I do, I thought. I was dating her eldest - a doctor, after all. It felt like I was on an interview.I chuckled to myself, She totally thinks she is in control here. Then, mental images started showing me she was a Virgo. Oh, Lord, is all I could think. She’s got a lot of work to do. Becoming an ex-perfectionist is no easy feat. I’m still working in it…I took a deep breath and prayed to say the ...

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An Untold Version Of Love

Submitted to Contest #91

‘It’s Autumn!’Few wilted leaves on my face conveyed implicitly. But, all these years I am curiously waiting to enjoy a Spring season in my life. Unfortunately, I couldn't. I guess my life would turn more and more bitter. Maybe, from Ugly to Grotesque. Wondering isn't? Well, I brief. My name is Marvin. People call me as Ugly and they say my physical appearance perfectly matches with my name. There's a saying, Don't judge a book by its cover. But, people won't. Many detest my shadow colored appearance and always throw a sarcastic or scary...

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Anxious in the Brian

Submitted to Contest #91

TW: suicide ideation *** Do you ever get those episodes of not knowing what to do with your life, thinking that this is the last season of it?  Is Netflix canceling my life during the second season ‘cause no one cares to watch? Are the scriptwriters fired for adding too many mental illnesses to the plot?  Feeling like a scrambled egg when there’s nothing really wrong; being disorganized, without a structure nor the ability to focus on the things that you know you could be doing but just can’t get that dump truck out of the quicksan...

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One Day

Submitted to Contest #91

Three dollars and five cents ,was all that you had in your pocket but it was enough to make your day, the exact price of your favourite coffee from the local café just a few blocks from your apartment. You headed there, clenching onto the money, full of excitement. Walking on that winter morning with your foggy glasses and your face muzzled deep into your scarf to protect you from the cold, was the same as any other morning. Holding firmly onto your journal in your other hand, that seemed like it was the place where you wrote about every sec...

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What Happens in the Library, Stays in the Library

Submitted to Contest #91

Thousands of books can line a library’s shelves. Some old, some new, some picture books with the teeth marks of toddlers on the cardboard covers. Some tell stories of fantastic dragons and knights in shining armor. Some tell fact, some history. It just depends on where you look. Those who lack knowledge come to libraries to learn. Those who already have the knowledge write the literature to fill the seemingly endless aisles of shelves. Those who have found the topics they enjoy, or those who are simply just bored come to libraries to read a...

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Written in his catalog

Submitted to Contest #91

Ever since Mico was a young child, He was force to make a diy catalogs about his life. So basically everyday of his life was written in that catalog. His parents are famous people. His Dad is a famous actor while his mom is one of the most prettiest lady in the world. He was force to become perfect and his parents are the one who choose what decision he will make. He and his siblings doesn't like it but they're not allowed to give their opinion because they might put into a lot of trouble. After the school, they are not allowed to go han...

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NO SILENCE!

Submitted to Contest #91

"A man is only as good as the knowledge he holds and nothing more" Mr thomas, said to me, while rummaging through the shelves of book. Aha, I found it! He squealed excitedly. 'and what better way to gain knowledge,  than to find them in books, for within it's hard cover  lies the secrets and exploits of great men and women', he said, while handing the book to me. "This book is special, so be sure to return it at it's due time" he said "Yes sir" I responded.  Now in the comfort of my room, i stare in awe at the book, the scho...

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My Story Before Me

Submitted to Contest #91

I am very bored, I am done with my work, I am done watching TV, I have no idea where I am even bringing this thought to be completely honest. I might as well just go for a walk and see where I will end up. As I get out of my house I notice the beautiful blue sky, the amazing breeze, the-the... who am I kidding it was a Tuesday and there was nobody on sight, not even a goddamn pigeon, but, oh well, I moved on with my stroll. Well, I walked so far that my playlist ended and I was in front of a library- I had also stepped on shit, but that is n...

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Our strict Librarian and Touchstone Theory

Submitted to Contest #91

'Keep silence, no one will disturb the atmosphere of the library,' said one of the librarians of our government library. All the readers and students were so afraid of him. He all the time scolded those who used to whisper in the library. I started my study in that library. While studying, I got few friends who were so good hearted. One day, one of my friends had a problem. He wanted to solve it. But, our library was full of rules and regulations. To speak means to get lost from the place.He dared to speak with a low voice. Suddenly, a libra...

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An Hour with A Book to Polish My Thoughts

Submitted to Contest #91

An inept grin shows up all over when I recollect that day and think about the episode I had been gone through. How it comes when you entered in another spot to gather books for your companion and need to battle to pick one of his favorite author which you are unaware off. Exactly the same thing happened to me. I am Jixin and with my friend Farah, I was on the route to a crossword library.  My other friend got broken his leg while playing soccer at the ground. He was on bed rest for twenty-one days and so we had chosen to assist him wi...

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Till then...

Submitted to Contest #91

No one knew I came here. Sneaking out from house wasn't a problem, well as long as going out through the main door could be called 'sneaking out'. The home was supposed to be a place where you feel like you belonged. In the spiritual sense at least. And I was never home at my house. One thing I was waiting for was to break out of my house, live somewhere away from anyone who knew me, someplace where I could carve out my own niche.No, my parents were perfectly happy and in love with each other. The kind of love where you feel incomplete witho...

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That Book acts as a magic

Submitted to Contest #91

Mary, are you still in the library? Yes, Lara- I'm. But, what are you doing at this late hour? It's the time to close the library. Are you crazy? When will you go to home? Ok. I take my leave. I'm stumbled in this book- Dale Carnegie’s “How to stop worrying and start living”. I can't understand- how can move on in life? When I'm going to accept death, this book gives me all the spirits of life, as a new verse. Now I will able to change my lifestyle from wrong to right tract. I'm Mary, live in a ladies hostel. I'm an orphan. My parents...

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Rise Again

Submitted to Contest #91

After 3 years he went to the library. In these last three years, he had stopped the habit of studying as he was busy with some other things and he had got some bad friends with he did nothing but passes time all day but somehow when he was passing through the library of his city where he uses to study hours some years back, he thought that he should again visit that library. When he entered the library, it seems very awkward for him as he was feeling very unpleasant there because he has no interest in studying anymore. He moved to the librar...

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On His Return

Submitted to Contest #91

My name is Maya Ophelia Wartenz, I am 30 years old, I have one boyfriend, Martin Oswald , yes I was named after the talented Dr Maya Angelou and a character from the legendary Shakespeare’s play Hamlet and I love order, a schedule and a plan upon a plan and I am a Librarian.My alarm clock beep once I turn and sleep on my stomach and do five push-ups, It beeps twice I turn and do six sit-ups It beeps thrice and I get off bed and make my bed in the meanwhile I discard my clothes by the time I reach my washer to load my pajamas I turn...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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