Thanks Mary. As un my response to Jack above, the very primitive part of our brain responds to dangerous events in its own way. Whether we will fight or hide is something we cannot know until we are in the situation.

Being compassionate with ourselves is hard to do and ultimately the most beneficial path to pursue. By recognizing our fears in less dangerous situations and building up our ways of responding to the fear when it is there, builds those compassionate muscles for ourselves and how we can and will choose to respond.