Everywhere we look, people are chasing “big ideas.”
The next big app.
The next big discovery.
The next big life hack.
But here’s something I’ve been learning… sometimes it’s the small stories that people actually connect with the most.
Think about when you’re talking to a friend. If you try to explain a complicated idea in big, fancy words, they will give you just a ha ha react! isn’t that?
But if you give a simple example—“Remember when we both stayed up late studying and couldn’t focus the next day?”
Then it will be a real connection.
That’s what stories do. They make big, abstract ideas feel human.
Why We Remember Stories?
Research say our brains are wired to hold onto stories more than raw facts.
We don’t always remember the percentage, or the exact definition.
But we remember how a story made us feel.
Like that one teacher who told a funny story in class—you probably still remember the lesson years later.
A lot of people think you need to sound “smart” to be respected.
So they pack their writing with big words.
But smart doesn’t equal clear.
And clear doesn’t equal boring.
In fact, the clearest messages are usually the most influential.
I started noticing more and more that how much easier it is to share an idea when I frame it as a little story from my own life.
For example, instead of saying: “Trying new things improves your wellbeing.”
I could say: “Last month, I tried a new book, new genre for the first time.
I was bored, but afterwards I felt so alive. Research shows that trying new things can actually make us happier. That day, I felt the truth of it.”
Which one sticks with you?
Writing like this reminds me that I don’t have to wait until I have “big” things to say.
I can share the small moments.
Something I learned from a walk.
A tip that actually worked.
A lesson from failing at something the first time.
These stories might seem small, but they carry the exact message someone else needs to hear.
Big ideas may change the world, but small stories change people.
And if you can change one person with your words, isn’t that the start of something bigger?