Stories have always been the things that entertain me and make me

Hear now the words that shine with the fire of truth, spoken first by Michael Sheen: “Stories have always been the things that entertain me and make me feel happy and sad and move me and give me the experience of being able to live many lives in one lifetime. It's the best thing about being alive.” In these words lies an ancient recognition: that stories are not mere pastimes, but vessels of the human soul. They are the threads that weave us together, binding past to present, stranger to kin, despair to hope. Where the body may live but a single span of years, stories grant us the gift of countless lifetimes, flowing through us like rivers of memory and imagination.

From the dawn of humanity, men and women gathered around the fire, their eyes lifted not to the stars above but to the glowing sparks of spoken tale. There, they learned to laugh at folly, to weep at sorrow, to rejoice in triumph. To hear a story was not only to be entertained—it was to step beyond one’s own narrow path and walk upon roads carved by others. Michael Sheen’s reflection awakens this timeless inheritance, reminding us that in storytelling lies the secret art of experiencing existence in its fullness.

Consider the tale of Odysseus, sung by Homer across the seas of time. Did not countless listeners, though bound to their own hearths and villages, sail with him across treacherous waters, confront the Cyclops, descend into Hades, and finally return to the embrace of Penelope? In truth, the listeners lived those trials themselves, their hearts beating as if their own survival depended upon his cunning. Thus, through one hero’s wanderings, they tasted the vastness of the world without ever leaving their shores. Is this not what Sheen declares—that through the power of story, we inhabit many lives, our single span blossoming into multitudes?

And yet, it is not only the grand epics of antiquity that carry this gift. Even the smallest tale, whispered between friends or told by a parent to a child, becomes a bridge to another’s inner world. When Anne Frank wrote her diary, she could not know that millions across generations would live with her in that hidden attic, feel her fear, share her dreams, and grieve her fate. Her story transformed suffering into understanding, despair into remembrance, silence into a cry that still resounds. Truly, a single voice, preserved in words, grants humanity a thousand chances to walk beside her.

But let it not be forgotten: stories do more than move our hearts—they awaken within us the strength to act, to endure, to create. The struggles of others, heard in tale or song, become mirrors in which we see our own courage. When we rise after failure, when we extend kindness to a stranger, when we dare to dream boldly, it is often because we carry within us the remembered voices of those who lived before. This is why Sheen proclaims it the best thing about being alive: because stories transform mere survival into a living tapestry of wisdom, hope, and wonder.

So then, what lesson must the seeker take from these words? It is this: cherish the stories you hear, and honor the ones you live. Do not pass through the days in silence, for every man and woman bears within them a tale worthy of being told. Listen deeply, read widely, and speak truthfully of your own journey. In doing so, you will not only enrich your single lifetime but also grant others the chance to walk beside you in spirit.

Practically, let each soul make it their practice to dwell daily with a story. Read from the pages of the wise, listen to the voices of elders, share your own experiences with those who hunger for meaning. Keep a journal, for your words may yet be the torch that guides someone unseen in a future age. And when life grows heavy, remember that you are never alone—you carry with you the countless lives you have already lived in tales, and they will grant you strength.

Thus, Michael Sheen’s words are no passing sentiment; they are a beacon. They tell us that to live well is to live not once but a thousand times through the gift of stories. Let us embrace this truth with reverence, with joy, and with courage, that our single span of years may become as vast and eternal as the unending song of humanity.