You don’t have to be funny to find humor. Just like you don’t have to be athletic to get exercise. Trust me on this, I know.

For most of us, work is a serious place. We go to work and we have a job to do. But does it have to be so serious, and might we do better work if we laughed more? I am certain that laughter creates community, levity, and connectivity. So if humor is so positive, how do we create more of it at work?

One way that we each can create a more humorous workplace is to laugh at ourselves. A second way is to look for and recognize the silliness in everyday life.

Last month I hired a writing coach, Mark, to help me with an upcoming keynote presentation. We worked solidly for two days, and halfway through the second day we took a much-needed break. Mark wanted to see the rapids and waterfalls at Great Falls Park again, so off we went. Being outdoors helps the writing process, so we were stimulating our brains and the writing juices.

We stopped to admire the falls, and Mark captured this moment:

When Mark showed the photo to me the next day, we could not stop laughing.

These moments happen every day, and while I certainly do my part to accidentally create absurdity, and sometimes pure stupidity, it was Mark’s ability to see the humor that created the laughter.

What funny moments do you have to share?