I only knew it this morning.

My girlfriend, holding Pom in her arms, was in tears the whole night… without me knowing a thing.

The thing is:

We were on video call until 3 AM.

Which means… everything happened after I fell asleep.

​

Later, I found out.

There was a huge storm last night... heavy winds, flashes of lightning, nonstop thunder.

And I barely noticed it.

Maybe I did, but it was so loud and chaotic that it felt more like a dream.

But my girlfriend... she’s afraid of lightning. Even at 19.

And look—it’s okay to be afraid of something. Totally normal. Some of my friends are still scared of ghosts or darkness.

Actually, I used to be scared too. Thunder. Lightning. Darkness.

I’d cover my ears with my hands when thunder hit...

...And if it was a big one, I’d shove my fingers in my ears, just to shut the sound out.

​

That's why I would never laugh at her.

Because I get it. I know how she feels. I know that kind of fear.

And here’s the thing:

Don’t hide the fact that you were once afraid. Or that you messed up. Or that you struggled.

When you share that story—your fear, your mistake, your challenge—people connect with you. They don’t see “the expert talking down.” They see a human who’s walked the same path.

It’s the difference between saying:

“I know what you’re feeling right now… because I was there too. Here’s my story.”

Versus:

“You’ll be fine, don’t worry. ”

Stories like that are what build trust.

And trust is what makes people buy.

— Paul