A Simple Guide To Remembering Your Life 

Can we take a moment and appreciate how well edited Nathaniel's videos are?

I feel like I’m watching some Netflix documentary or something! Btw I appreciate the plug man 👊🏼

I like to say that "memory" is my favorite film director, the photography is on point, the story is vivid and the editing invisible.

“Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you might think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted. Get ready to bloom.”🌱

"If you want to remember your life, make things. And make things that require effort and time, that test your patience, that push you. These are the things that are gonna really matter when you look back on your life" thank you.

I've been keeping a diary since 2003. Out of paranoia, I made digital copies of all of them over time (I'm currently in book 76). I then added all my photos and other memories with a coded file name so everything is in chronological order and searchable. I ended up with 20 GB of files that now represent my life in the past eighteen years. It was incredibly time-consuming to set this all up and it still is (naming and sorting through photos, scanning diaries etc.) but it is so worth it. I'm always able to say in which year something happened and I can always look up what I was thinking about at the time. Whatever happens, this is a treasure I will always be able to keep.

Absolutely loved the idea of not being a passenger, watching your life slip by is one of my biggest fears in life. This gives me an even greater sense of urgency when it comes to following my dreams and passions. If you do what you love, there will be nothing to regret at the end.

this is so helpful. I tend to think of remembering my life in terms of organizing photos. This video is a really strong theoretical version of remembering that I want to integrate more into my life.

"If you want to remember your life: MAKE THINGS. And make things that are hard and require effort and time, that test your patience and push you. These are the things that are gonna really matter, when you look back on your life." - 9:52 That hit so hard! I really needed this, thank you! May have cried my way through the Skillshare ad 😭

0:37 - Stories 3:40 - Attention 8:22 - Don't be a passenger Thanks man, I needed this right now.

I have my moments in life which I call "Little Infinities" These are simply moments that I think "This doesn't feel real" or "This moment shouldn't have to end" But I believe they don't. Whether it's simply staring at an amazing sunset or holding someone you love. I truly think that these moments last forever. Maybe not for us, but that's part of the beauty. These moments stand alone in time forever, allowing you to go make more. Hold on to these moments the best you can, but when it's time... let the little infinities go wherever little infinites go.

This reminds me of a reflection that i read two days ago "What am I doing today to put me into alignment with who I'm meant to be?" And it has personally helped me control where my intention goes and feel more fulfilled at the end of the day, i tried it out yesterday and am doing it today too.

"You're doing the remembering now, not in the future." This really hits home for me. The most vivid memories of my life are those when, in the moment, I had an acute feeling of living something special and unique and most importantly, ephemeral. The pictures can reinforce that feeling, for sure, but they can never create it. I studied abroad for a year in Barcelona, and one day with my friends we spent the entire night on the hills above the city, just talking about life and enjoying the moment together before we all went our separate ways. I remember very vividly the bus ride home, in the heat of the summer that was just beginning, with the lights and the warmth of my friends' presence by my side. Such a heartwarming memory, and it really echoes what you're saying in the video. Thank you for all the beautiful things you make, Nathaniel.

I really felt that comment about when the attention is going to too many things you totally feel lost and unbalanced. You do it to think you are leaving nothing behind, but in the act you never truly experience anything.

This is beautiful ❤. Thank you Nathaniel. My husband has MS (a degenerative brain disorder) and it causes memory impairment. He's a writer, a self described "storyteller", and spends a lot of time trying to remember the past, getting frustrated when he can't, afraid he will not be able to. Since my guy is 45 and we have an awesome 4 year old son, he wants to document his life and his past. Sometimes he gets overwhelmed. I've shared this video with him and he is going to apply it. I just want you to know that if you're ever working on your craft and are frustrated, read this comment (or a zillion others like this), and know that you aren't just creating content that's awesome. In some cases, what you're doing is directly changing lives and future generations. For my son this will be the case. Thank you for your dedication and perseverance to keep doing the things that fill your soul 🙏. So proud of be part of your community. ❤

"If you want to remember your life do things one at a time." its like Nathaniel can see me multitasking while watching this video lol

for folks wondering the song at the start of Part III is called "Flying" by Cody Fry, gorgeous tune also, another great video Nathaniel

If someone can beautifully summarize their life within 13 minutes, this is it!! I really appreciate that you said 'sometimes, you pay more attention to the world around you when you pick up a camera' . It's so true for most of us who loves to document our life. And, the close up shots resonate well with your way of storytelling, honest and intimate.

There's even more joy in documenting when you do it only for yourself: not to be posted online, not to be told but just kept to yourself :)

I heard this one quote "You could drive from one side of the country to the other and not even see the country."

I'm just in awe of everything, your content, style, sound, b-rolls, video quality, editing, organisation ,vi just want to take in every single detail!

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” *―C. S. Lewis*

Thanks for making this video

We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.

"reflection is inherent in writing" Well said!

Loved the point about how photography makes you pay more attention, not less!

"ITS THE ATTENTION THAT YOU BRING TO THE THINGS THAT YOU DO." This hit, thank you sir.

"I have stories about myself, things I can and cannot do. That is called identity" - Nathaniel Drew

“Where is my attention going?” Brilliant.

I was literally just thinking about this ! I feel the process of documenting our thoughts somehow (whether through film, song, photography, writing etc.) then consuming it back & interacting with it is so important for our evolution. It allows us to have an ongoing conversation with ourselves. As you say conversations and stories make up most of our lives and they are ever-changing and developing with each new perspective/experience we gain. Plus creating is such a beautiful way to process our emotions and tap into our subconscious. It brings subconscious thoughts into our waking conscious lives, allowing us to be a lot more intentional ! I recently started my youtube channel and during the process of creating videos I realised how valuable it has been for my personal growth. More determined now to stick with it because of that. ps. thanks for sharing your perspective with us and always giving me new ways to further articulate my thoughts :)

You’re videos always getting me so excited to live life. After having 3 breakdowns in the last 36 hours, I definitely needed something to keep me going. Perfect timing and thank you for dedicating so much time to these videos! They keep getting better and better!!

Judge nothing, you will happy. Forgive everything, you will be happier. Love everything, you will be happiest.

I need to watch your video twice over every time. The first to appreciate how damn good you edit (synching up the type writer taps alone to your audio and make it sound authentic must have taken ages!) serious respect for that. The second is for the inspiring messages. I took your skillshare course in documenting your life recently and thanks to that I have an audio recording of my son's heartbeat which I subtly recorded during a midwife appointment and it's honestly amazing. Keep up and awesome work man!

"you're doing the remembering now, not in the future", wow! such deepness in a simple phrase. I'll keep this in my heart. thank you!

this somehow made me tear up and think about beautiful stories with people that aren't around anymore. It's so inspiring to see how you view certain things and I thank you a lot for sharing your thoughts and advice 🙏🏼

Love these 3 methods 🙏While we are on the topic of remembering, these are 3 things we always try to remind ourselves: 1) Accept your past without regrets 2) handle your present with confidence 3) face your future without fear . Hope it can he a helpful reminder 💛

This is my ABSOLUTE favorite video of all times!

I just really love how every video takes me on a mini trip into the mind of Nathanial. The way he looks at life (views, values) but also how he processes the outer world.

Music, dancing, running, writing are the things that make stories in my mind and make me feel alive

AHHHH THAT LITTLE HIT OF DOPAMINE WHENEVER I SEE UR NOTIFS😭👑✋🏽

Photography is my way of "writing" a journal. To me it captures the moments much better than any word could.

I have busy time now - exams, projects, all the obligations so I partly forgot about remembering and enjoying life. So many emotions and thoughts to consider after watching this video!! Thank you, it's really wonderful

This is so important, everything goes by so fast and sometimes we just need to stop and think about everything around us and really be aware. I love to see people talk about life I think is so beautiful. There's a couple of persons I would love to have a conversation with, and this guy is one of them!

Hi, I've been watching your movies for a long time, but now I'm writing your first comment, I really appreciate you, I don't know if you realize it, but you have a very good voice and fluency. You have all the respect for what you do, ...... continue ! Let me tell you, that your movies relax me and sometimes I listen(watch) to them several times .... In case you didn't know, you have people who appreciate you all over the world, once again congratulations.

As I watched the video, I felt like you took the words right out of my mouth, before I could think to say them. I feel the same way about being present in my life, paying attention to the moments that I'm in and being proactive in steering the direction of my life. Thanks for presenting these ideas so neatly in the video. I can't imagine the amount of time it took.

I’ve recently started painting ,sketching and drawing. I have never been a drawing person until now and I am really enjoying the process

6:27 that photograph is incredible. it would seriously be a great cover for an indie/emo album

My favorite thing about your videos is your storytelling skills, they keep me locked onto the screen for the entirety of the video. This includes seeing how you put everything (video, audio, and words) all together. Keep going Nate!

Oh Guy, I’m currently in an “existential crisis” searching for a meaning to my life (or at least a direction), and this video is what I was waiting for! Thx for your help 🙏

Love this. Especially the idea of photography being a sort of meditation that increases awareness.

your videos are so visually pleasing! It goes well with the amazing quality of your stories. Lovely video

I usually multitask when I'm watching youtube videos, but with your videos, I always sit down and focus on nothing else

All that matters in your life is You. You are that unique being that’s always a constant no matter what or where you are. You and life are the two most precious treasures. Record and relive your life. Is a wonderful thing. Remember I’m not a body I’m Soul. “I’m a Soul snd I have a Body “Good job Drew

I’d like to say, you’re a genius. I’ve been trying to do all of this subconsciously. Each one of your videos is just so enlightening. I find myself wondering what goes on in everyone’s unique and individual minds other than my own, and your videos do just that. I feel like we’re on the same frequency in life. Don’t stop what you’re doing man

You have to be your number one fan when being creative. You have to own it and encourage yourself. Its then when u create something beautiful. Thank you for doing these videos. God bless you for being yourself, ur such a blessing :)

I love witnessing how one idea develops into a script, then footage and finally into a whole video.

This hits very close to home. These are themes I have been thinking a lot recently, making memories, having an impact, being in sync with my deeper self and the world around. I have been thinking about putting it on paper for a while and I'm itching closer to making that step. I would be very interested in your approach on journaling in this regard. Thank you for this video and inspiring me to write my own story

Sincerely this one speaks to me differently. Forever grateful to be able to watch such content for free, you change or have an impact on the life of way more people than you might think possible.

Seeing the production value and intentionality of each video ramp up is making me very happy- thanks for the great video, Nathaniel!

Whenever I feel too overwhelmed in life, I come back to these videos, extremely inspiring, calm, intentional and makes me want to create stuff and take action. And the newsletters has great resources too!

dude i like your brain man. the way you think always opens my mind to a new perspective in life i never realized i had. and it honestly feels so fulfilling to have my mind expand like that. thanks for the amazing content, you're great!

Your videos are absolutely on another level comparing to 99% of the contents this platform has to offer.

I love your channel because I resonate with the way you perceive life. It's so intentional and reflective, you really do make life seem like a movie. Not in a cliche way or idealistic way, but in a way that values every experience. Keep doing what you do man, it's truly inspirational.

I'm always impressed by the high quality of your videos. The ideas you share, the fascinating video clips interspersed throughout, I can just see the thoughtfulness behind every detail of the video.

That clarification of your words.....WOW!

Another powerful way of remembering life is by creating mix tapes (or just Spotify Playlists). Some songs remind me of falling in love, of loss, of my exchange semester - whatever memory I have, most likely a song will remind me of it. So playlists work really well for me personally to remember my life. I try to make a new playlist every time the season changes with a few of my favorite songs in that period of life and update it regularly. Looking back on these playlists from previous years really takes me back in time. I can highly recommend this method if you're a lover of music too. (For some inspiration, the book "Love Is A Mix Tape" by Rob Sheffield is a great read too!)

I almost cried. I find it relatable when people make art like filming and photography as to preserve memories. Great job as expected!

This video came in the best moment ever! Thank you❤️

The way you described the energy in a photo being “just enough” & being extra present in that moment...just warmed my heart. Looking forward to take one of your classes ❤️

I think of your videos as pieces of art. The flow, composition, sound effects, background music, title cards, graphics, b roll..... it all comes together so beautifully.

"You're doing the remembering now, not in the future." THIS! I love your view on photography. Social media made me get used to trying to document everything. I realized I was too focused on the end product that I wasn't fully present, so I took a step back from social media (after watching that video of yours) and I feel like I'm actually living now. I appreciate all the work you put into your content. I learn something new every time I watch or read it!

i have been following you since 2017 and I love how your editing style has changed. now, it has a unique Nathaniel Drew signature vibe to it.

Listening to you is like listening to me in some way. You do what I do but you do it so publicly and its interesting. My only concern is that there are so many people out there trying to reinvent the wheel. I am 48 and I have always liked stories, always been creative and always capture memories through imagery. I like your direction, I like your tone of voice and how you explain about your adventures. What I do want to see in you and everyone who jumps on the band wagon on media is this .... remember you weren't here first but glad you are here to inspire those to try. Some of us have been doing what you do since they could walk, talk , create way before the computer was even invented. In fact I believe documenting/journaling started way back on the walls of caves. Keep up what you do and so will I and hope you have an amazing time with your own life while inspiring others to enjoy theres.

This is beautiful, I've been watching your videos for awhile now, but dang, this one is special, thanks for working so hard and sharing so much wisdom. It is really changing my life and how I view the world.

We are the culmination of all the events that have occured to us, our thoughts and everything we consume. Being aware of all of this is a crucial component of self-discovery.

This editing is on another level. God bless you man

Nathan you are such a beautiful soul, I wish we were friends in real life!

YOU. ARE. AMAZING.

Your message is so iconic and very relevant to these times where everything is fighting for our attention and most things aren't worth our time. Most people are drowning in the Mundane. Thank you! So refreshing! 🙏🏽💕

I especially liked the part of the video where you talk about creating art in different forms to remember your life. I haven’t thought about it before! Thank you

You really inspire me

Sounds silly but I appreciate you so much, your honesty and your story telling helps me to remember that life is a beautiful mess and no one is perfect. Thank you.

Man, you're a legend 👍🙏🙌❤️

that smile you put on right after saying "acceptance is letting life happens" is the best thing to realize on these days. thank you nathan.

Dude I'm so glad I stumbled on your channel! You've hit so many relatable topics that I'm going through and it has really helped me understand my own role in my own life. Thank you.

i could listen to you all day. you are such an inspiration to me. keep up the great work and be happy!

A great way to start off my day, much thanks!

I feel like this video is exactly what I needed to hear. Everything you said felt true to my life. Thank you.

Wow. Every new video is litteraly the best of your channel. I can't believe i can watch all this stunning videos without having to pay for them

I'm weirdly obsessed with this video! That editing is on point!

you just made my life more clear. again. thank you, Nathan

Definitely needing this right now 😌. Cheers 👍 ✌️

Thanks for always being so inspiring!

I fall in love with your videos again and again. I admire your ability to put common daily musings in such a poetic yet simple and direct style. So fan of your work and so happy you are back. Lots of blessings from a dancer from Spain living in India. Namaste!! 🙏🌟

This video gave me chills. Great work, I love it

Amazing video as always my dude! Your videos always inspire me to be a better film maker and live my life with more intention.

You're a my favorite creator. I had chills going on all by body in the end of the video. Amazing nathaniel!!!

I wouldn't get where I am in my life without you Nathan. Thanks a lot, men!

thankyou Nathenial! I can feel myself growing when I watch your videos

Part 1: Stories. Do self reflection. "How can I be more intentional about what I'm doing?" Part 2: Intentions. Less is more. No multitasking. Do things one at a time. Part 3: Don't be a passenger. Get the most out of life. Play an active role in your life.