If every story needs a little extra to be interesting, eventually nobody knows which parts actually happened.

Small embellishments feel harmless because each one is small. The trouble is that they compound. Once you have added a little to enough stories, the line between what happened and what plays well goes soft, and the people listening start to hold everything you say a little loosely. You lose the record too, not just their trust.

Tell one story this week exactly as it happened, including the flat parts. Notice the pull to add the detail that would land better, and leave it out. A plain account from someone known to be accurate carries further than a good one from someone who decorates.