Life is heavy ...
But what if the weight you carry isn't what it appears to be? NUGS: Truths for an Unburdened Life is a daring invitation to shed external expectations and reclaim freedom through radical personal responsibility.Author Josh Sager draws from his own experiences - leaving a rigid evangelical world, getting sober cold turkey, battling depression and anxiety, and working over 50 jobs chasing others' dreams.With raw honesty and practical wisdom, he challenges readers to break free from societal norms, question everything, and chart their own course. This isn't a book of comfort; it's a toolkit for courage, clarity, and self-ownership. The only race that truly matters is your own. Are you ready to run it?
Josh Sager is a writer, musician, and former pastor who has spent his life searching for what’s true, real, and worth carrying. After decades spent chasing expectations, fitting into roles that didn’t suit him, and measuring himself against impossible standards, Josh finally stepped away from the noise and began the hard work of rebuilding from the inside out.Raised in a strict evangelical Christian home, he once served full-time as a licensed pastor before walking away from the faith tradition that had shaped his world. That decision—one that cost him community, identity, and certainty—became the beginning of a deeper freedom. He’s since learned that losing everything you thought defined you can sometimes be the most honest way to begin again.Throughout his adult life, Josh has wrestled with depression, anxiety, and a long battle with alcoholism. In 2020, he quit drinking cold turkey and began an entirely new chapter of clarity, creativity, and purpose. Sobriety didn’t just change his habits—it reintroduced him to himself. Walking, journaling, reading, and returning to music became daily disciplines that helped him replace chaos with curiosity and confusion with growth.NUGS: Truths for an Unburdened Life grew from the pages of his private journals—morning reflections written to process pain, faith, identity, and purpose. Over time, those writings evolved into a collection of deeply personal insights about self-leadership, authenticity, and radical personal responsibility. The book invites readers to question what they’ve been told, shed unnecessary weight, and live a life that’s honest, intentional, and unapologetically their own.Before becoming an author, Josh worked in more than fifty different jobs—from corporate offices to creative studios to leadership roles in ministry. Each season, successful or not, shaped his understanding of what it means to show up as a whole person, not a performance. His writing is direct, conversational, and unafraid to explore the messy middle—where real growth happens.When he’s not writing or recording music, Josh lives quietly in McMinnville, Oregon, surrounded by coffee cups, notebooks, and the beautiful chaos of family life. He continues to create work that challenges others to live with courage, curiosity, and compassion—and never to stop asking “Why?”You can connect with Josh and learn more about his work at www.thenugsbook.com.
