Fear has a funny way of convincing us we're the only ones feeling it.

Whether it's worrying about our kids, our marriage, our work, or just wondering if we're getting any of it right... I think we all carry fears we don't always say out loud.

The other night, after we got the kids to bed, Andrew and I were sitting around talking like we usually do, and at some point we looked at each other and said, "We should just record this."

So that's exactly what we did.

It turned into one of those conversations where neither of us had a neat answer. We were just trying to understand our own fears a little better.

One thing we kept coming back to was how often fear seems to follow the things we love most. Our kids. Our relationships. The people we'd do anything for.

For me, I've realized I tend to shove fearful thoughts down and pretend they're not there. I don't want to live from fear, and I definitely don't want it making decisions for me. But maybe there's a difference between acknowledging fear and letting it control you. I'm still figuring that out.

At one point we started talking about sunsets (I know... stay with us 😂).

Part of what makes a sunset so beautiful is that it doesn't last forever. Knowing it's temporary makes you stop what you're doing and actually appreciate it. It made me wonder if some of our fears can do the same thing—not because fear is good, but because it reminds us just how much we love what's right in front of us.

We also got into questions we genuinely don't know the answers to. Should our kids know all of our fears? Is it better to protect them from those thoughts, or is there value in letting them see us process hard things with hope? Honestly... we're still figuring that one out too. And we probably always will be.

That's why I love these podcast episodes so much. They're one of my favorite parts of what we get to do. I know we say this all the time, but they force Andrew and me to sit down for an hour with no interruptions and just... talk.

It's similar to our weekly date nights, but even those get interrupted. We're looking at the menu, people-watching, talking about who's picking up the kids, or getting distracted by whatever's happening around us. The podcast is different. We sit across from each other, look each other in the eyes, and get to unpack the random thoughts and questions we've been carrying around.

One thing this conversation reminded me of is that Andrew and I don't even fear the same things. We process life completely differently, and I think that's one of the reasons these conversations are so helpful for us. They remind us to understand where the other person is coming from instead of assuming we see the world the same way.

Fear isn't something any of us escape. It just shows up in different places for different people. Maybe for you it's your kids. Maybe it's your marriage, your finances, your health, or something no one else even knows you're carrying. Wherever it shows up, I hope this episode reminds you that you're not the only one.

If you listen, I'd genuinely love to hear what resonated with you. What fears have you had to work through? Do yours look like ours, or are they completely different? That's one of my favorite parts about this community—getting to hear perspectives and experiences that are so different from our own.

Thanks for letting us process life alongside you. We really do read your comments, and more often than not, they become the start of another conversation between Andrew and me!

— Shawn Johnson and Andrew East

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