Today I'd like to introduce you to Nate Bagley, "a 20-something single guy ... [who is] on a mission to find out if true love really exists... and if it does, exactly how to obtain it." Nate is the force behind The Loveumentary, a project that focuses "on the couples who are doing it right," those "dynamic duos who make [you] salivate for a relationship."
I met Nate virtually through The Summer Bucket List Challenge, and I felt you should get to know him because we all need positive role models when it comes to relationships. So, if like Nate and me, you have questions about healthy relationships, follow his blog and tune in to his podcast. In the meantime, Nate shares a snapshot of his Good Life with us. -Eden
1. How do you define The Good Life?
The Good Life is living in a way that enables you to experience the most of what makes you happy. For me, that means minimising possessions and maximising experiences. It means working on projects that make me happy and positively impact the world, not being stuck in a cubicle for 40 years. It means spending time around loving and empowering people, and cutting out those who are negative energy-suckers.
2. Do you think it's possible to pursue The Good Life? Why or why not?
I think pursuing The Good Life is simply a matter of deciding what makes us truly happy and going for it. The key to doing this successfully is to let go of the pressure we feel to live someone else's version of happiness.
My version of The Good Life might be completely different than someone else's... and for a long time I felt like that made my version of The Good Life wrong, or broken, or just plain crazy. Life truly became Good when I finally decided that it was ok for my version to be different, and stopped comparing it to that of others.
My version of The Good Life might be completely different than someone else's... and for a long time I felt like that made my version of The Good Life wrong, or broken, or just plain crazy. Life truly became Good when I finally decided that it was ok for my version to be different, and stopped comparing it to that of others.
3. Do you think you have The Good Life? If yes, when did you learn this?
I honestly believe I have The Good Life. I learned this when I realized that The Loveumentary -- my current passion project -- resonates with people on a very deep level. Lots of people. It's changing the way people look at their relationships and [what they] believe about true love. It's something I could never do were I to live within the framework of life that other people have created and tried to persuade me into living.
4. How has blogging helped you recognize The Good Life?
The first note I received from a perfect stranger letting me know that I'd helped her regain her belief in True Love was a turning point for me. I realized that hundreds... even thousands of people were consuming some of my personal creations and truly benefitting from them.
Knowing that the things I create truly help others is the fuel that keeps me writing (and podcasting). It's the most rewarding thing I've ever felt, and I never want to give it up.
Knowing that the things I create truly help others is the fuel that keeps me writing (and podcasting). It's the most rewarding thing I've ever felt, and I never want to give it up.
5. Do you have any tips you'd like to share with others?
Sit down and make a list of the things that make you truly happy. Is it money? If so, how much? Is it traveling? Is it your family? Your friends? As you identify the things that make you happy, make sure you are filling your life with those things. Every day. The more you keep those things at the center of your life, and respectfully ignore the things that other people believe will make you happy, the more fulfilled your life will be.
If you ever feel yourself starting to compare yourself to neighbors, friends, or family, reflect back to your list. Do you need the shiny new car, the big house, or the extravagant vacation? Not if they aren't on your list...
To sum it up simply, the fastest way to lasting happiness is to choose what you love, then love what you choose.
If you ever feel yourself starting to compare yourself to neighbors, friends, or family, reflect back to your list. Do you need the shiny new car, the big house, or the extravagant vacation? Not if they aren't on your list...
To sum it up simply, the fastest way to lasting happiness is to choose what you love, then love what you choose.
Ciao Bella!
Nate!
P.S. Don't feel like commenting? Strike up a conversation with me elsewhere: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.
Credits: All layouts designed by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life. All images taken by Nate Bagley of The Loveumentary and used with permission.
A Good Life Snapshot is a monthly series featuring a DIY or lifestyle blogger I follow and who I admire.