Reptilian Brain Behavior II

From Surviving to Living In this powerful episode of If Left Unchecked…_, Jason Gillette dives into the concept of the “reptilian brain” and the mindset of survival mode — not to diagnose, not to label, but to ask a deeper question: _Is survival still serving you?

Drawing from his own experience growing up homeless in South Central Los Angeles, navigating food insecurity, instability, and constant uncertainty, Jason unpacks how survival becomes more than a temporary state — it becomes a philosophy. When you grow up never knowing if the lights will stay on or where your next meal is coming from, survival isn’t optional. It’s instinct. But what happens when life stabilizes… and your nervous system doesn’t?

This episode challenges the subtle ways survival mode continues to shape behavior long after the threat is gone. Rushing. Overworking. Avoiding rest. Struggling to slow down. Sacrificing relationships. Even something as simple as hanging a picture on the wall can feel unsafe when part of you still believes everything could disappear at any moment.

Jason explores how survival can quietly cost us joy, presence, balance, and connection. When we operate from “I have to” instead of “I choose to,” we may be living from an old narrative that no longer fits. Survival focuses only on existing. Living requires intention.

The episode asks critical questions:

• Are you prioritizing urgency over meaning?
• Are you sacrificing health or relationships in the name of productivity?
• Are you chasing security while missing peace?
• Are you aware of when survival is showing up?

Awareness is the first step. Once you recognize survival mode — the rushing, the tension, the inability to stop — you gain the power to question it. You’re already surviving. You’re alive. So what would it look like to move beyond that?

Jason reminds listeners that balance is not weakness. Rest is not laziness. Slowing down is not failure. You are more than a survivor. There is impact to make, relationships to nurture, and a life to intentionally build.

Because if left unchecked, survival mode can quietly become your identity.

But it doesn’t have to.