A Lesson I learned in French class (that wasn’t about French)
In 2020, I was taking my French B2 classes in Bangalore. We had this, Ma’am — very strict and thorough. Most of the students were not very fond of her, but me. I was a big fan for the same reasons.
One day, we had this small activity where we sat in a circle. One person would ask a question to the next, they’d answer, and then ask the next person a new question. It continues. Simple.
I used to have a long beard at that time, so the guy before me asked, “Anurag, quand était la dernière fois que tu as coupé ta barbe? (When was the last time that you cut your beard?)”
And I replied, “Jamais. (Never)”
Our Ma’am gently interrupted and asked, “Have you really never cut it?”
That’s when I realised — I was trying to sound cool. I thought he asked when I last shaved, and I never shave. But instead of taking a moment to understand the question & explain, I just threw out a one-word answer to impress.
In this activity, she wanted us to take the opportunity to speak more, to elaborate. So, she gently corrected me and said something that stuck with me:
Don’t try to impress. Try to express.
I must say — I got nervous & a bit embarrassed, but it’s one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received — not just while learning a language, but for communicating in general.
It reminded me that communication isn’t a performance. It’s not about sounding smart, cool, or polished. It’s about being real. Being present. Being clear.
That moment stayed with me. Because honestly, I’ve always had this subconscious habit of performing, of trying to impress people.
But storytelling at its core, and life really, is about expression. Not performance.
That one line — “express, not impress” — has stayed with me. It reminded me that communication isn’t a performance. It’s not about sounding smart, cool, or polished. It’s about being real. Being present. Being clear.
And especially when it comes to storytelling — whether in a classroom, a meeting, or just life — it’s not about how impressive I sound. It’s about how honestly I show up.
It’s not an easy habit to break. But I am learning, slowly, to pause. To be honest. To express, not impress.
So, what is Storytelling, really?
These days, when we hear the word storytelling, we don’t just think of bedtime stories or that one uncle who can’t stop talking about their teenage life.
Today, storytelling is everywhere — on LinkedIn posts, in pitch decks, in brand campaigns, even in job interviews.
And that’s because it works. Storytelling isn’t just a soft skill — it’s a powerful skill.
Before we had spreadsheets, we had stories. Before we had PowerPoint, we had cave paintings. And let’s be honest — sometimes cave paintings were more engaging than some of the decks we sit through today.
At its core, storytelling is the art of making people care. It’s how we turn facts into feelings. Data into drama. Information into impact.
“Storytelling is not just about what happened, but why it mattered.“
A story isn’t just a sequence of events. It’s a journey. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end — but more importantly, it has emotion, conflict, and resolution. It’s not just what happened, but why it mattered.
In a professional setting, storytelling is how you:
- Pitch an idea that sticks
- Inspire a team to focus on a vision
- Make a presentation that doesn’t put people to sleep
- Or just make it through Monday morning stand-ups (meetings) without losing your cool
And you know, everyone is a storyteller. Whether you’re in marketing, management, design, sales, or software, if you’re trying to get someone to understand, remember, or act on something, you’re telling a story.
That simple classroom moment I shared earlier? It wasn’t dramatic. But it became a story — because I chose to express. And maybe, just maybe, you have stories like that too — waiting to be told.
And that’s the heart of storytelling. It’s not about sounding perfect. It’s about being real.
So no, you don’t need to be Shakespeare. You just need to be human. And maybe a little brave one.
“A successful talk is a little miracle — people see the world differently afterwards.”
Thank you for reading!
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