Rewriting Survival: Why It’s Time to Redefine What Keeps You Alive

When you picture a survival scenario, what comes to mind?

Is it hardship and hunger—or is it clarity, capability, and growth?

In this first episode of Dear Grandchildren: A Tracker’s Tale, Michael Douglas challenges our modern notion of survival. Too often, it’s cast as a miserable state to endure until rescue arrives. But what if survival isn’t about suffering? What if it’s about rediscovering who you are—underneath the noise, beyond the grind?

We follow the journey of Sarah, a corporate professional who traded burnout for a wilderness course—and walked away with more than fire-starting skills. She found a deeper strength, the kind that comes from choosing adaptability over defeat, and presence over panic.

Michael takes us deeper, connecting ancestral wiring with modern behavioral science. From our brainstem’s automatic responses to our daily habits of attention, the survival story unfolds as an internal one. It's less about tools and more about perception. Less about adrenaline, more about awareness.

This reframing matters. Because our audience isn’t prepping for doomsday—they’re preparing for life. They want skills not just for the woods, but for their wellbeing. Survival, as taught at Maine Primitive, is not reaction—it’s craft. It’s the difference between being at the mercy of life and taking meaningful command of it.

So what if your routines aren’t serving you? What if today you took one small step to reconnect—with yourself, your environment, your purpose?

Listen to the full episode to begin redefining what survival means to you. This isn't about escaping. It’s about coming home.

Listen to the full episode and start redefining survival as the craft of coming home to yourself.

🎧 [Listen now to Dear Grandchildren: A Tracker’s Tale – Survival: Approaches and Outcomes]