On 15 January 2009, a US Airways plane struck a flock of Canada geese shortly after take-off from LaGuardia Airport, resulting in dual engine failure. Captain Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger III had seconds to act. With no possibility of returning to LaGuardia nor of reaching the nearby Teterboro Airport, Sully had two choices: panic in the wake of danger, or hold himself up and fly the plane. By some stroke of luck, genius airmanship, and a bit of a miracle, he landed the plane on the Hudson River and everyone survived.
Honestly, this is every pilot’s nightmare. The danger was so real, staring him in the eyes. I am sure every one of his orifices must have wanted to explode in fear of certain death. The passengers must have been in all states of confusion and panic. Maybe crying, maybe praying. But Sully chose action.
You see, jobs like flying an airplane do not go well with panic. You are far up in the sky in a heavy metallic tube, fighting gravity every inch of the way. A million things have to be just perfectly right to make something like the Hudson ditching even possible.
Our state of mind in the face of danger makes the difference. When consumed with fear, we sometimes lose situational awareness and go into a mental commotion. In Sully’s case, this mattered most. Instead of panicking, he went through his checklist, confirming his altitude, airspeed, distance from the airport, and all the things he had to assess. Had he allowed fear to rule his mind, his fate would have been left to desperate projection. What will happen next? How are the passengers? When last did I go to church?
The mistake comes after the first reaction. Many people stop at the feeling. They assume fear equals threat and let the mind fill the gaps with worst-case scenarios. Adrenaline spikes and logic drops. That is biology, and there is nothing wrong with it. But it is possible to hold the fear and manage the situation at hand with a good dose of courage.
Look at everyday life. You avoid pitching an idea at work because you think your English isn’t good enough. With no real danger in the room, your mind fears rejection, loss of status, and other mindly things.
In his not-so-cool movie After Earth, Will Smith said, “Danger is very real, but fear is a choice.” That line is powerful because the choice comes after the facts. You either trust what the evidence shows you, or you let your mind invent outcomes with no proof.
The danger may exist, but fear only wins if you let it. So, what will you choose?
