Survival

Actually, S.U.R.V.I.V.A.L.

Size up the situation
Undo haste makes waste
Remember where you are
Vanquish fear and panic
Improvise
Value living
Act like the natives
Live by your wits

(Some quick background info...I took an outdoor survival class a couple of years ago, which was very informative.  One of the first things they taught us was the S.U.R.V.I.V.A.L. acronym.)

Over the last week or so, we've seen a few episodes of this show called I Shouldn't Be Alive. The episode we just saw was about two hikers that had gotten lost, and by dumb luck they made it out alive and even unhurt. They truly should not have been alive based on the decisions they made.  The thing I've noticed the most about the show, is that people end up in bad spots usually because they panic.

S.U.R.V.I.V.A.L. is a nice little acronym to remember, but it's not necessarily in order of importance. "Vanquish fear and panic" and "Value living" should be tied for #1, in my opinion. Once you've given up mentally, you're done. I Shouldn't Be Alive is sometimes counter-intuitive; usually people survive because they don't give up, but I've definitely seen a few shows (like today) where people survived despite giving up. Hopefully people are paying attention to what they are watching. I hope they are learning from people's mistakes, and not copying them!

"Mind over matter" is more real than most people realize. If you're in a survival situation and you think you're going to die, then you probably will.