Heroines have fear too

Jean Anouilh was a French dramatist who lived from 1910 to 1987.

Jean Anouilh

In 1952 he wrote a play called "L'Alouette" (The Lark) that is about Joan of Arc.
This play was presented on Broadway in 1955 starring Julie Harris and Boris Karloff with music by Leonard Bernstein.

Julie Harris

Boris Karloff

Leonard Bernstein

In this play Jean Anouilh makes Joan of Arc say to King Charles VII:

"I have been afraid always.
When you see something insurmountable ahead of you, say to yourself:
"All right!
I am afraid.
Now that I've been properly afraid, let's go forward".
And you will come through because you were first afraid.
That is the whole secret.
The moment you vent your fear and face up to the danger, God comes to your aid.
Only you have to take the first step."

Joan of Arc

It is not common in the life of a regular person to feel fear.
Because life has been given a structure and the events made to only repeat.
The things happening in life are well known and therefore have no challenge in them.
Nothing to be afraid of.

But there are persons who look for challenges in life.
Who understand that by staying in a structure where events only repeat, no evolving will take place.
Not much is learned.
A lot what is inside is left dormant: like talents and skills.
But also a deeper understanding of oneself and life will not come closer.

The people who look for challenges in life and actually take them on, are persons who are like Joan of Arc.
They are afraid.
They feel fear.
But they have a way to deal with this fear.
The fear doesn't stop them.
They go through it and come out and proceed and next have the experience they were looking for.
Bringing them more close to wholeness.

These are people who are brave and courageous.
Who become Joan of Arcs and get honored with statues and Broadway plays.

Or who become human beings full of wisdom, peace, harmony and most of all: love.

Joan of Arc

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