Your brain thinks there’s a tiger in the room

Let’s talk about survival mode.

Dr. Eugene Choi said something in our conversation that hit me hard:

“If a sabertooth tiger isn’t in the room with you right now, it’s probably not life or death.”

But our brains don’t always know that.
When we’re under stress — a deal falling through, a bad quarter, an angry email — our brain flips into survival mode.

Heart rate spikes. Focus narrows. We react instead of create.

The problem?
We can’t be in survival mode and executive mode at the same time.
One is built for danger. The other is built for growth.

That means every time we let stress take the wheel, we shut off the part of our brain that plans, builds, and leads.

So this week’s big idea:
Pause and ask yourself — “Is there a sabertooth tiger in the room with me right now?”
If not, take a breath.
You’re safe enough to lead again.

Check out what Dr. Choi had to say about “tigers” here.

Let’s get to it.