The Sum of Your Fears

"Why, you may take the most gallant sailor, the most intrepid airman or the most audacious soldier, put them at the table together. What do you get? The sum of their fears." Winston Churchill

She is in the middle of a challenging situation. A mutual acquaintance said, "You are so brave. I couldn't do that. I'd be too scared." She replied that she lived with fear on a daily basis, "but I breathe a lot." I smiled when she said that, understanding that when we are under stress we tend to take very shallow breaths. We don't breathe deeply as we should.

Why do we think the intrepid individual is fearless? Why do we think she is made of better stuff than we are? Could it be that the person who does what I would like to do if I wasn't so afraid, is every bit as scared as I am, maybe even more so? Could it be the only difference between me and her is that she faces her fears? Is it possible that it's as simple as breathing?

Susan