Fear Isn't Trying to Kill You - (With Laurel Simpson)

In April, Laurel Simpson's husband was rushed to the hospital — and for ten days she didn't know if he would live. In this tender, remarkable conversation, Laurel walks Glenn and Phyllis through what it actually looks like to process Fear in real time when it won't stop coming. Not the tidy version where you feel it once and it passes — the version where Fear arrives wave after wave after wave, and you have no choice but to sit with it. What she discovered in that hospital room will change how you think about the emotion you've been taught to fight your whole life.

In this episode:

• Why Fear feels like it's "coming against you" — and what it's actually trying to do
• The moment Fear "held hands with Anger" so Laurel could advocate for her husband
• How Lonely sat with her on the nights she was too exhausted to keep going
• The near–panic-attack morning Phyllis walked her through the Core Emotion Wheel, one emotion at a time
• Why "the more I resisted her, the louder she got"
• Co-regulation and why you were never meant to do hard things alone
• What our kids actually need from us when we're afraid

About Laurel Simpson: Laurel is a certified Connection Coach specializing in trauma and nervous-system work, and she's the warm voice behind the Connection Codes inbox — if you've ever emailed [email protected], Laurel is the one who saw it. She lives in Canada, and she shares this story from the other side of one of the hardest seasons of her life.

Resources mentioned:

• The Core Emotion Wheel (free download) → connectioncodes.co/get-the-cew
• Connect with a certified Connection Coach → connectioncodes.co/coaches#find-a-coach-menu
• Foundations Masterclass → connectioncodes.co/foundations

Work with Laurel: Laurel offers coaching for individuals and couples. Book a session with her directly → calendly.com/laurelsimpson

You can also reach her anytime through [email protected].