Jeff Probst doesn’t just survive. He lives. As the host of acclaimed reality show “Survivor” and budding daytime talk show host, Probst said he takes each day he is given and uses it to its greatest potential.

“The busier you are, the more you’ve done,” Probst said in a press conference with students at the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute. Busy doesn’t begin to describe the past year for Probst, though. Besides hosting “Survivor” and preparing to host “The Jeff Probst Show,” he also directed a movie, wrote the first of three children’s books and tied the knot with Lisa Ann Russell.

And he isn’t about to slow down. Probst lives for the moment and makes taking risks a lifestyle, and he plans to instill that in his viewers as well. “Say yes to living and say yes to the adventure of life,” he said.

“I don’t know how many ticks I have left [on the clock],” Probst said, but he plans to spend them creating relationships and leaving his mark.

As a part of the show, Probst encourages audiences to experience the “adventure of life” together. He said that friendships, business and romance become the most rewarding risks a person can take.

“Trying to be the best friend to someone who drives you nuts –that’s an adventure.”

Probst said that hosting “Survivor” gives him an opportunity to observe patterns in people’s interactions.

“The show is based a lot around relationships,” he said, and “87 percent of the people have no chance of winning from day one” based on how they establish themselves on the show.

“It’s about human nature –why do we behave the way we do?” Probst said. He often sees patterns in how contestants on Survivor “assess the situation and adapt.” He said he often views the show and wonders whether or not the contestants had watched the past seasons because “they make the same mistakes as last season.”

He said, “Getting along with people is the best asset you can bring to any situation.”

Probst’s fascination with relationships carries beyond the show as well. He has a special interest in how technology affects relationships in today’s teens. Sites like Facebook and Twitter connect teens in a way that makes it easy to communicate, but in a less substantial way. He said he is curious about these relationships in the digital world.

“It’s amazing,” said Probst. “[This generation] will be the first generation to grow up with all of this technology.”

Probst said that he is also interested in how Generation Z reflects his generation. He cited the phrase “youth is wasted on the young” when describing teenagers today. He said that he’s learned from that experience.

“I’m going to continue to do what I wish I had done when I was 17,” Probst said. “Kiss the girl, go for the job…just say ‘yes.’”

Maddie Mayhew is the Editor in Chief – Online for The Spartan Speaks.