131 | Nick Peck: Finding Purpose and Healing Through Storytelling and Faith

About the Guest

Nick Peck is an accomplished author and former collegiate athlete, known for his compelling storytelling, particularly in his latest work, Only Way Out. Growing up in an abusive, alcoholic household in California, Nick faced significant trauma and adversity. He eventually found refuge in sports, earning a scholarship in football. Transitioning into journalism and authorship after retiring from athletics, Nick has made it his mission to inspire and help others through his genuine and heartfelt narratives. His works are informed by his personal experiences, motivating readers by illustrating resilience and the transformative power of storytelling.

Episode Summary

In this captivating episode of Becoming UnDone, host Toby Brooks interviews author and former collegiate athlete Nick Peck, exploring themes of resilience, identity, and healing through storytelling. Nick shares his tumultuous upbringing in California, detailing how sports served as his escape from a life marred by trauma and instability. His latest book, "Only Way Out," is a compelling testament to his journey and an inspiration for others seeking solace and purpose amidst chaos.

The conversation delves into how Peck used writing as a therapeutic outlet, crafting a narrative that resonates with many. Touching on the power of family, forged in adversity, and the community found in sports, Nick offers valuable insights into how identity can be formed and reformed in the face of life's challenges. The episode also highlights Nick's journey of faith, mentorship, and the impactful role of writing in processing his past. This episode is a profound exploration into overcoming adversity and finding new purpose through creative expression.

Key Takeaways

• Sports can provide structure and a surrogate family for those growing up in chaotic environments, offering a path to new beginnings and opportunities.
• Writing and storytelling can serve as powerful tools for healing, allowing individuals to process trauma and speak truth from their scars.
• The importance of perseverance and gratitude is emphasized, with Nick underlining the mantra of "don't quit" as key to overcoming life's challenges.
• Faith evolved from a latent childhood connection into a guiding force, providing strength and perspective in overcoming adversity.
• Journaling is highlighted as a beneficial practice for mental and emotional health, encouraging reflection and preemptive coping strategies.

Notable Quotes

• "I think there's one thing that separates all great people from everyone else, and it's just that they don't quit."
• "Even though I loved my journalism gig, I was kind of looking for a purpose."
• "I was always questioning, 'Oh, why me?' But now I'm more grateful for it because it made me the person I am."
• "There's something so valuable about actually writing stuff down, especially in this ever-changing digital world."
• "Having faith in God has really helped me…there's always one person on my team, and that's God every single day."

Resources

• Nick Peck's Book: Only Way Out
• Nick Peck's Website

Transcript

0:00:04 - (Toby Brooks): This is becoming undone.

0:00:12 - (Nick Peck): I grew up in California. I grew up in an abusive, alcoholic household. On top of that, I grew up around a lot of trauma, a lot of death, a lot of things like that my whole life. I was just kind of looking for a way out of my situation. And luckily, early on, I found sports. Was lucky enough in high school to initially earn a full ride scholarship. And then on signing day, the school that I had committed to initially called me, said, hey, we gave away your scholarship to someone else. Would you be willing to walk on? I was an athlete, so I was a football player. And then once I, you know, officially hung up my cleats and retired, so to speak, I was looking for a purpose. Even though I loved my journalism gig, I was kind of looking for a purpose.

0:00:45 - (Nick Peck): And so I kind of just, you know, jumped straight into, always love reading, always love books. I was like, let me try this, just a normal scale. I think I wrote the book initially for me and my sister, and the dedication page is dedicated to all of it. And, you know, me and my sister, we, like, we both went through the same things. And whenever we were growing up in our life, we look at each other and be like, what's wrong? You know, we just go all of it. And so there's that powerful impact, you know, as well.

0:01:07 - (Nick Peck): Hey, what's up, guys? I'm Nick Peck. I'm the author of Only Way out and I am Undone.

0:01:17 - (Toby Brooks): Hey, friend. I'm glad you're here. Welcome to yet another episode of Becoming Undone, the podcast for those who dare bravely risk mightily and grow relentlessly. I'm Dr. Toby Brooks, a speaker, author, professor, and performance scientist. I've spent much of the last two decades working as an athletic trainer and a strength coach in the professional, collegiate and high school sports settings. Over the years, I've grown more and more fascinated with what sets high achievers apart and how failures that can suck in the moment can end up being exactly the push we needed to propel us on our paths to success.

0:01:49 - (Toby Brooks): Each week on Becoming Undone, I invite new guests to examine how high achievers can transform from falling apart to falling into place. Quick reminder that this podcast is entirely separate from my role at Baylor University. It's my personal platform to explore what I've learned and what I'm learning about the inner workings of identity, resilience, and reinvention, and how, in the midst of setback and failure, you can navigate your own purpose storms.

0:02:14 - (Toby Brooks): Foreign Speaking of purpose storms, what if the only way out was through. Through chaos, through rejection, through trauma that could have broken you, but instead built something entirely new. Today on Becoming Undone, I'm joined by author, former collegiate athlete, and all around renaissance storyteller Nick Peck, a man whose life reads like fiction, but it hits like truth. In our conversation, we dig into his journey from chaos to clarity, the weight of identity forged in pain, and how storytelling helped him heal.

0:02:51 - (Toby Brooks): If you've ever wondered whether your scars could speak and whether someone out there might need to hear what they had to say, this one's for you. I hope you'll enjoy my conversation with author Nick peck in episode 131. All of it. Greetings and welcome back. Becoming Undone is a podcast for those who dare bravely risk my mightily and grow relentlessly. Join me, Toby Brooks, as I invite a new guest each week where we can examine how high achievers can transform from falling apart to falling into place.

0:03:18 - (Toby Brooks): Joining me today from Austin, Texas, by way of California is author and athlete and podcast extraordinaire, Nick Pac. Nick, thanks for joining me today.

0:03:28 - (Nick Peck): Thanks for having me, Toby. I appreciate it.

0:03:31 - (Toby Brooks): So you or someone from your team had reached out to me actually and said, you know, you've got this book coming out and as I do, I kind of screen these things and as the show has grown, I've gotten more. And I'm just always overwhelmed, frankly, by the stories that come across. My email and yours was no different. It was really just a tremendous background to. Even though it's a fictional work, it is based in no small part on your lived experience.

0:04:01 - (Toby Brooks): We're going to get into that. First things first, though, I always start off with a little bit of an easy question to kind of wade into the water. What'd you want to be growing up and why exactly?

0:04:12 - (Nick Peck): What I'm doing now, actually a journalist and author, I always knew it's what I wanted to do. And the reason why, I honestly can't tell you. I think I was just inspired by, you know, authors and writers. But like, as early as I can remember, I used to go around my neighborhood selling news for kids. I would write stories and stuff like that. So honestly, I'm living the dream right now, what I'm doing.

0:04:31 - (Toby Brooks): So tremendous, tremendous. Well, the book is Only Way out, the story of Jalen Pierre. And this is a young man who's navigating a tough upbringing and finding redemption, love, football, brotherhood, those things. And, you know, not to dig too deep into the personal side of this, but I know it's rooted in personal pain and triumph. When did you realize going from that idea of always wanting to be an author and wanting to be a journalist, that you had to tell Jalen's story, even if it meant you had to reopen some old wounds.

0:05:09 - (Nick Peck): That's a great question. Honestly, it just kind of came to me like I. I played. Like you mentioned, I was an athlete, so I was a football player. And then once I, you know, officially hung on my cleats and retired, so to speak, I was looking for a purpose. Even though I loved my journalism gig, I was kind of looking for a purpose. And so I kind of just, you know, jumped straight into. I've always loved reading, always love books. I was like, let me try this. I'm a big believer in any kind of art. You can tell when it's genuine or not, whether it's a painting or a book.

0:05:35 - (Nick Peck): So I felt like I wanted to tell a story that was loosely rooted on experiences and stuff that I went through first. So I think that was kind of what inspired me to tell Jaylen's story was one looking for purpose, but then also trying to have a true, genuine story. Because I believe that you can feel that in art when it's not genuine.

0:05:51 - (Toby Brooks): Absolutely. So my book project started, most recent at least, and it's based in no small part on the podcast, but initially it started as memoir, and, you know, it was COVID lockdown. And it was like, okay, this is a time for me to dig out and really dig into my story. And what I found was the deeper I dug, the darker it got. And there was no small amount of depression and anxiety. And it was. I really. I had to push away from it for a while because it was. It was just trauma that I hadn't really fully unpacked. I think especially guys and athletes in particular, were kind of taught and trained that to be vulnerable is weakness, and to talk about your feelings and your emotions and to give legs to the fact that this is what I've been through frequently is really, really difficult. So I'm curious, was the fact that you've written this as a fictional work but rooted in your experience, did that help you disconnect it from your own lived experience, or did you find that it was therapeutic for you to go back through it in this way?

0:07:07 - (Nick Peck): Honestly, it was definitely more therapeutic. And like I said, when I started writing the book itself, it was one of those moments for me where I was like, ah, this is where I was bor to do so. I was kind of just luckily, just kind of in a flow state, even though it's covering these very Deep, dark, personal, even personal stories. But luckily for me, I was just kind of in a flow state the whole time. And I think that kind of made it more therapeutic for me than, you know, triggering, so to speak, just because I got to stay in that flow state and not necessarily worry about dealing with the actual traumas themselves, but instead using that flow state to develop the story and how I wanted to and stuff like that.

0:07:43 - (Toby Brooks): Sure, for sure. So we want to go back to the beginning. Start at wherever you would want to start the story. If we're going to ask you to give us the abridged version of your lived experience all the way up to you're fairly young guy. So it's not like there have been a lot of years that have transpired, even though there's lots of experiences. So start at the beginning, wherever that was, and share your story.

0:08:09 - (Nick Peck): Yeah, so as you mentioned at the top of the show, I grew up in California. I grew up in an abusive alcoholic household on top of that, and grew up around a lot of trauma, a lot of death, a lot of things like that. And my whole life I was just kind of looking for a way out of my situation. And luckily early on I found sports. And then in high school, I started playing football for the first time and lucky enough to really find my passion there, and then was lucky enough in high school to initially earn a full ride scholarship. And then on signing day, the school that I had committed to initially called me, said, hey, we gave away your scholarship to someone else. Would you be willing to walk on?

0:08:41 - (Nick Peck): And as I mentioned, I grew up in a house in a household that I was like, no, you know, I'm looking for a way out of my situation. And so at the time, believe it or not, I was playing offensive line, so I was about £325 in high school. But I kind of grew tired of weighing that much. And so I went junior college for a year, lost about 125 pounds and taught myself how to long snap. And then eventually, you know, was lucky enough to finally get that full ride scholarship to long snap, did that and then jumped into finish, finished my schooling and then jumped into journalism, as I mentioned. And here I am now.

0:09:15 - (Nick Peck): But yeah, just, you know, a lot of been all over the place, traveled all over the place, been around a lot of, you know, different types of trauma. But yeah, it's like the abridged version, sure.

0:09:24 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah. No, I appreciate you sharing that and being honest and vulnerable with it. So much of your story, as I read through your speaker kit and look through the things that you had sent through and even the summary of your book that's rooted in no small part on your story. There's this thread of identity being forged through adversity. The fact that you had to overcome these things. Setbacks like a scholarship that gets pulled in the 11th hour, setbacks like, you know, changing a position as a. As an athlete and, and even weight and body image issues.

0:09:58 - (Toby Brooks): What part of your past do you think shaped you the most into who you are today?

0:10:04 - (Nick Peck): That's a good question. Honestly, you know, I think it's the combination of everything, because I think, you know, had I not gone through my weight loss journey, I wouldn't have been able to be better, you know, had I not gone through, been around a lot of trauma or a lot of abuse, and that then those things I would not be able to tell the story I needed to tell. So I think it's a kind of a combination of everything.

0:10:22 - (Nick Peck): Even though I think a lot of time when you go through trauma you like, a lot of times you're questioning, oh, why me? Why me? But now that I'm kind of on the other side of it, you know, I kind of in more grateful for it because it made me the person I am and those kind of things. So I think it's, you know, a combination of everything. I don't necessarily know if there's one particular event because, you know, I was kind of living in survival mode, bobbin and weaving so long through all those trials and tribulations. So I didn't. Yeah, you know, it really couldn't. There wasn't one thing that kind of, you know, shaped me specifically.

0:10:49 - (Toby Brooks): No, that makes sense. And I think it's different for everybody. I know that anyone that's tackling a book project, some people would say, you know, I don't care if I sell one copy. I'm writing this for me. Or maybe it's written for a special someone that helped you get through a season, and maybe you owe your life to that person. Other times we want a broader impact. There's a fine line between writing to process pain and writing to serve others.

0:11:16 - (Toby Brooks): Who would you say you wrote this book for? And what do you hope that it does for them?

0:11:21 - (Nick Peck): Yeah, you know, I mean, on just a normal scale, I think I wrote the book initially for me and my sister in the dedication page, just dedicated to all of it. And, you know, me and my sister, we like, we both went through the same things. And whenever we're growing up in our life, we look at each Other and be like, what's wrong? You know, we just go all of it. And so there's that powerful impact, you know, as well, just to be able to do that. I've. I'm. As you can see, I'm covered in tattoos. So I have her writing that says all of it tattooed on me, and she has mine on hers. So I would say that. But, you know, as far as the audience itself, I wrote the story in third person on purpose, not first person, point of view or memoir, because I wanted the reader, whether it's male, female, young, old, regardless of sexuality, religions, anybody can kind of put themselves in the shoes of Jaylen Pierre in the struggles and trials and tribulations he was going through and related to their own lives. Because I think we all would go through different trials and tribulations and different seasons, just as Jalen does in his own story.

0:12:14 - (Toby Brooks): This thought right here, this idea, seriously, it's been stuck with me ever since my interview with Nick now about a month ago. For a show like mine, where I'm not only the interviewer, but also the administrator who sets up the interviews, handles all the editing, the production, the promotion, it's fairly normal for several weeks to pass between the date of the recording of an interview and the day the show gets released and you get to hear it.

0:12:40 - (Toby Brooks): So when Nick shared his simple five word dedication four or five weeks ago, it seemed fairly mundane. Dedicated to all of it. But when you hear that rationale, the fact that a brother and a sister were huddling together, weathering the storms of abuse, together in their own ways, but both leaning on and supporting one another, the fact that all of it has become a rallying cry, a source of inspiration, and now a visible reminder tattooed on one another that even though that season of trauma has passed, the bond between brother and sister remains, perhaps stronger because of it.

0:13:20 - (Toby Brooks): I'm both inspired and even a little bit convicted by Nick sharing this simple phrase as a powerful reminder that even though for a time in their lives, what was once wrong, all of it has produced a grit and a resilience and a strength that both he and his sister are now better for. It's the very essence of what it means to transform from being undone to becoming undone.

0:13:47 - (Nick Peck): All of it, you know, I kind of wrote it for everybody to show, you know, if there's. There's ways out of your situation to find it, but then also, you know, just that relatability of the other things that he deals with and the community he builds and those kind of things.

0:14:01 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, 100% I, I think there's wisdom in that. And there's always this fine line for an author between wanting to reach as many people as possible. But also, if, if it's not niche enough, then it's a one size fits none. And so there can be a real challenge there to find a way so that we can use story to impact the most people. So I certainly appreciate that and, and respect. And I'm certainly no fiction writer myself.

0:14:29 - (Toby Brooks): So you said you found refuge in football. It's a common theme in this show that whether it's sports, frequently I'll have former military, former Navy SEALs or special forces folks, Grammy award winning artists, people who find purpose and find fulfillment and find early success in whatever that pursuit is. For you, it was sports. How do you think sports function as kind of that emotional life raft for young people who are growing up in chaos? Kind of like you described all of it?

0:15:04 - (Nick Peck): You know, I think it kind of just gives you that structure that you may be missing, you know, just at your house. But then also, I always say this, it gives you that created family. I think so many people that grow up around, you know, trauma or, you know, go through trials and tribulations, their immediate family aren't people that they can necessarily rely on. And luckily, sports brought that to me through the way of coaches, through the way of even professors and teachers who were helping me through those kinds of things, and then even teammates, my teammates. I played football, so I had 110 brothers every single day that I stepped out on that field.

0:15:34 - (Nick Peck): So I think sports can give that. But then it also, you know, just gives you, like a literal way out. You know, it gives you ways where you feel like you're down at the bottom and you can't get up. You know, there's, there's a light at the end of the tunnel when you see the opportunity that sports can give to you and create for you.

0:15:49 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, I think that's well said. And this is, this is 100% a compliment. But in looking at you, I wouldn't have guessed offensive lineman. You know, today I would have guessed maybe a tight end or a wide receiver. Like, you're, you're lean and mean these days, but they're wired differently. There's no stats other than penalties, and you're there to protect. And so I can certainly hear it in your voice as you talk about your sister that there's definitely a protective instinct within you.

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0:17:18 - (Toby Brooks): Take care of your body, fuel your recovery, and let's keep getting better. What advice would you give a young athlete who's trying to use the game to escape? In your case, you needed that scholarship. And when it gets pulled away at the last minute, man, that felt like betrayal. I'm sure there's a fine line between speaking in if you're mentoring a young athlete, like, yeah, this game can get you out of this circumstance. But if it falls through like it did for you, sometimes that pressure of being the way out is really pathological, right?

0:17:51 - (Nick Peck): No, for sure. And that's, you know, that's why I even say when I talk to athletes now, it's like sports. It doesn't always have to be to go to the pros. I think so many people think it's, you know, going to the pros. But to me, I was able to leverage sports. What I'm doing now, to be able to do what I'm doing now. I built a network of connections. You know, built a brand off of being an athlete to be able to get a book published and have people want to read the book and things like that.

0:18:15 - (Nick Peck): So I think that's the other twofold of it, too, that you find more than just one passion. Because sometimes I think you put all your eggs in one basket, especially at that young high school age, looking for a way out of your situation, you kind of put yourself in a hole. But luckily, like I said, I knew what I wanted to do as a journalist and author. So as I was being an athlete, I was kind of building up that career as a journalist and author, writing freelance and doing those things on top of it, too. So, you know, if things did fall through like they did, I had other plans and other avenues to go. But that's not to say you give up when life throws you punches.

0:18:46 - (Nick Peck): You know, you keep going at it. But, you know, I think that's the other thing sports can bring you, is you can leverage it to do so many other things. And especially in today's day and age with nil and all the above, there's so many different opportunities for young athletes out there. So I think sports is just special in that sense.

0:19:02 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, I would completely agree. I know in your book you touch on some really tough family dynamics, and even though it's written in the third person, I have to think that there was no small amount of psychological work on your part to kind of sort through what that lived experience meant to you. Has writing the book helped you find any peace or forgiveness toward the people that hurt you in your past?

0:19:29 - (Nick Peck): Oh, for sure. And I. I mean, on top of that, too, I think, you know, doing a lot of therapy and doing those kind of things, doing the work has made me found that. So I think it's the combination of both of writing things out and the feelings and emotions that I felt, but then also using that to go into my therapy sessions, say, hey, I wrote this really hard chapter today about this and these feelings and emotions and working through them, because I think it's one thing write it down on paper and feel like it's therapeutic, but you actually have to do the continual work to make yourself feel right, understand what you're feeling, and things like that. So I would say it's probably, you know, therapy for me, for sure, writing it all down. But, you know, I also had to go and do that work with a professional to be able to sort through those emotions.

0:20:10 - (Toby Brooks): Right. And what a powerful gift to. To have writing as an outlet. My wife is a therapist, and I. I'm more on the. So. So she'll take folks that have had trauma and. And kind of sort through that to get you back to normal operating temperature, I would call it. And then I'm more of a performance coach where I want to take someone and let's optimize your habits and your behavior so that you can accomplish.

0:20:34 - (Toby Brooks): And I view it very much like I'm an athletic trainer and a strength coach by trade. Well, the AT works with you PT or orthopedic surgeon, whomever they work to get you better when you're hurt. Once you're healthy, then the strength and conditioning coast makes you faster, they make you stronger in the weight room, those kinds of things. So being able to write like that, especially at such a young age, is, I have to think that's a very powerful tool in your arsenal that a lot of folks your age don't have to take to therapy or to take to a coach and process through what you've actually put down into words.

0:21:12 - (Nick Peck): No, for sure. And I think that's something that we were missing in our society today because we're all so digital. But there is something just so powerful about having a journal and writing your feelings and emotions bear this is now.

0:21:24 - (Toby Brooks): Officially the third time this week I've encountered an encouragement to journal. So curiously, I did what I do. I did a quick literature review. Does it work? Let me give you a quick tip for whenever you are curious about what the research has to say about a given topic, because the non scientists out there would lead you astray. First, don't google it. If you do, you'll end up finding lots of opinion pieces, third party reviews written by AI, or even worse, someone with zero knowledge of what makes for good research.

0:21:58 - (Toby Brooks): Instead, find yourself a database tool. I personally like EBSCOhost, but also use tools like Medline or Web of Science. If you don't have access to those, at the very least you can still try Google Scholar. Once you're there, search for meta analyses or scoping reviews. You can kind of think of these as high level summaries written by researchers about research. They're a quick and efficient way to figure out what the body of work has to say about a given topic.

0:22:27 - (Toby Brooks): Many will have highly specific inclusion criteria, ensuring that hopefully some of the crappier studies got excluded. Regardless, the authors of these works can give you a quick summary about your given topic and what all the literature has to say about it. For example, I used Google Scholar and I searched for journaling and mental health Meta analysis. Limiting my research to articles published since 2020 produced 24,000 results.

0:22:58 - (Toby Brooks): The first hit was an article published in June 2022 in Family Medicine and Community Health by Sohal and colleagues. In the study, a survey of 3,797 articles were reviewed, with just 20 of them meeting their strict inclusion criteria as peer reviewed randomized controlled trial designs. Now, not to nerd out on you here, but that's kind of the highest level of science. So what we're looking for. Here are those controlled designs.

0:23:26 - (Toby Brooks): The authors concluded that while the studies that were included showed benefit to patients who journaled, more work is needed. Researchers tend to do that quite a bit. Another article I found just a click below, published in SSM Mental Health in December 2022 by Wirtz, Willen and Mason, demonstrated the profound impact of journaling on mental health, specifically during the COVID 19 lockdowns. All that to say for Nick, it doesn't matter what the peer reviewed literature says.

0:23:55 - (Toby Brooks): Writing was not just a way to cope during his pain, but a way through it and a powerful reflective practice after it. And what started as a way of making sense eventually became a way of better coping with what he'd been through.

0:24:09 - (Nick Peck): You know, it doesn't necessarily have to always be writing a book too, but I think something so powerful about journaling every day, even if you don't necessarily have something that you're working through, but just journaling every day, you know, it's, you bring up rehab and physical therapy. I, you know, I think mental health and healing, journeys through trauma and those kind of things. Even if you are in a good place, it's, you have to do the prehab. You have to continue to go to therapy and seek therapy, not just when you're at the lowest the lows, but those kind of things. And writing is one of those outlets. You can do that through writing in a journal daily. And just getting your thoughts and feelings down on paper is something that's really.

0:24:41 - (Toby Brooks): Powerful, a hundred percent. I had the good fortune of speaking with newcomers to Baylor athletics today, whether they're transfers or freshmen, and talk a little bit about AI. And I know it's a hot topic, especially for young college students making that transition from high school. And frequently, especially young students would view AI like, oh, it's not allowed, or you know, this is cheating, or this is plagiarism.

0:25:06 - (Toby Brooks): But what you're talking, there's no amount of chatgpt that you can go to to write down your lived experience. And so I mean, it's, it's valuable to have that tool available to maybe process through some of your construction or how you're going to kind of create your character arcs and those kinds of things. But for you, like you said, there's really no replacement. And I love how you said pen to paper, like maybe it's not even a word processor. I mean, there's something for me, therapeutic about the kinesthetic process of, of physically writing something down.

0:25:40 - (Nick Peck): Oh, for sure. And you know, I think the one Thing that AI and those things can't replace, you know, is, is the heart and the brain. And you know, those are things that remember feelings and remember thoughts and remember emotions. And that's what something too physical that you can hold in your hand like a journal. You know, I'm. I hold a pen in my hand at all times just because it kind of gives me that piece as a writer, feel those things. But no, there's something so valuable about actually writing stuff down, especially in this ever changing digital world, because I think AI, like you said, it's a tool, but it's not the end all be all, especially with dealing with emotions and those kind of things.

0:26:13 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, yeah, completely agree. Well, another theme that comes out in this show frequently as, as we kind of lose identity, this idea of I go from being in pieces, I'm undone, I'm apart, to having a purpose left unfulfilled is frequently we would put our identity in things that are temporary, whether that's sports, whether that's entrepreneurial pursuits, whether that's being an artist. Those are all things that have an expiration date on them.

0:26:43 - (Toby Brooks): And frequently my guests would talk about how they would have a transformative faith experience and how they've placed faith differently than it was when they were relying on self as an athlete or as an artist or as a Navy seal. Did faith play a role in your survival or your healing? And if so, how's that evolved over time?

0:27:02 - (Nick Peck): No, it's funny you bring that up. I've actually, you know, kind of had a transition these actually this past year or so with it, you know, my whole life actually growing up, I've had this weird connection with faith and always didn't grow up in a religious household by any means. But the nights that I would go to bed and be scared for my life and things like that, I'd always for some reason sleep with a Bible and hold the Bible and, you know, had no true connection to it either on those kind of things. And then as I've kind of transitioned out of my trauma and things like that, I truly found peace and with a higher power and having that faith because, I mean, when you are going through so much trials and tribulations, you kind of question even in the book, and Jalen does it too, but he looks up to the sky and asks like, why? Why leave? Why is this my life?

0:27:42 - (Nick Peck): And so I think transitioning to having that kind of faith and trusting that there's something out there that's believing that's going to take you and guide you through the things that you're going through is super powerful. And that's something that's really, for me these past few months I've really dove into because I was, you know, been in dark places myself. I still go through things as you go through trauma and something, you know, having faith in God has really helped me develop that faith aspect of, you know, I can get through each day regardless of who's on my team and who's not on my team.

0:28:10 - (Nick Peck): There's always one person on my team and that's God every single day. So that's, it's. I'm glad you brought that up. That's something that, it's really helped me these past few months and you know, honestly my whole life without even me knowing her.

0:28:22 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, now that's super cool. And certainly something that, that lends a perspective that nothing else really can. And lots of times we don't understand why we've had to or why others have had to go through things that we would never wish on anyone. And through that faith lens we maybe still don't have a full appreciation for why, but it helps and certainly it certainly helped ground me and lots of the guests that I've had on the show.

0:28:54 - (Toby Brooks): So you kind of alluded to the fact that maybe you do a little mentoring these days. You've lived through what a lot of young men are trying to survive. You also found success as an athlete. If you could go back and speak to your 15 year old self for a minute, what would you say to him?

0:29:11 - (Nick Peck): Honestly, there's, I think there's one thing that separates all great people from everyone else and it's just that they don't quit. And that's the one thing, and I'm not meaning the sense of don't quit on what you're doing or those kind of things, but even don't quit when you, you're having those suicidal ideations and going through those things. You know, there's so much more to life that can give it to you. So I just think don't quit. Life's not a sprint. We live in this world where we think it's a sprint, but honestly life is a marathon and it's an, it's a never ending marathon that you're continuing to run and taking different courses and different paths. So I think that's had one minute to go back and talk to myself is just don't quit. There's going to be lots of times where you want to, but don't quit. And then the other thing I'll add to it. Just add a sense of gratitude into everything that you're doing. And it doesn't necessarily just have to be grateful for all the big wins, but just the simple things of I get to have a meal today. Oh, I'm really grateful for this walk. Water, I get to drink today. And that's one thing that I kind of wish my 15 year old self would have done a little bit more of. Just so, you know, to help keep myself, my own self regulated and those kind of things.

0:30:11 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, completely. Again, talking with Nick Peck, author and former collegiate athlete, mentor, podcast extraordinaire. One question I ask routinely and I love music and I love how it can convey emotions that words oftentimes can't. And it's been interesting even asking the question because it seems like there are two brands of guests, those that can come up with this answer right away and then there are non music people and they're like, I have to get back to you.

0:30:38 - (Toby Brooks): But the question is, if we were to watch a montage of your life, what song or songs would you pick to play in the background and why?

0:30:46 - (Nick Peck): Yeah, so like you mentioned, I'm a Cali kid, so obviously I love rap and those kind of things. And someone who's been a big inspiration to me my entire life has been Nipsey Hussle. I'm not sure if you're familiar with who Nipsey Hussle is, but he's been, you know, I've got a TMC tattoo on me for him. And so it would be the song Perfect 10. It's by Nipsey Hussle and DJ Mustard. And it's just, you know, it's just a song. I even on the Instagram post one of my, my book published. You know, it just really spoke to me. And you know, in the, in it, there's a, a piece of when, you know, Nipsey is, I think he's getting interviewed maybe on the Breakfast Club or something like that. He's just talking in it and he's like, I just didn't quit. That's the one thing that separated me between everyone else. I just didn't quit. And I think that's the montage I would want to have because whenever I listen to that song, it's when I'm trying to celebrate a moment or feel those kind of things. And so, and that's what I think the song I would want to have for the montage of my life.

0:31:37 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, I had to just confirm real quick. I'm like Grinding on my life. That's, That's. That's a nipsey hustle. That's in my. My gym playlist. That is. Yeah, yeah. Neighborhood man. Yep. Well, the. The title of the show is Becoming Undone. And frequently I have guests on who have accomplished a lot. But the whole idea behind it is even if you have come apart, you've still got a purpose left unfulfilled. So what for Nick Peck is left undone.

0:32:08 - (Nick Peck): For me, like I said, I found my purpose with writing this book for the first time. So it's something that I kind of plan on doing the rest of my life. So for me, I'm just going to continue to chase the dream of being an author. I've been lucky enough to become an Amazon bestseller already and make appearances on great podcasts like yours and TV appearances. But, you know, for me, it's not necessarily bad. It's just to be.

0:32:29 - (Nick Peck): Be able to continue to tell stories that mean something and that can last a long time. And kind of like you said, I'm not. For me, it's not selling 10 million copies, so to speak. It's more of just being able to fulfill that purpose. And if I can have just one person, that it resonates with them some way or another. To me, that's the biggest blush in the world. So I'd say just continue to chase this dream of being an author and see how far I can take it and see how many lives that I can impact, because at the end of the day, that's the most important thing.

0:32:56 - (Toby Brooks): That's it. Like, I really appreciate that perspective. I've heard it said that a book is the most valuable business card you'll ever have. And especially in 2025, you give somebody a business card, they'll throw it away, like, frequently, you know, tap my phone and I'll share that contact. But you give somebody a book, especially if you've inscribed it personally inside, that's something they'll hang on to and that will open so many doors.

0:33:19 - (Toby Brooks): And I know that there are more works ahead for you. It's. It's really been a pleasure chatting with you and learning a little bit about your story. I'm really thankful for your time. If folks want to follow your work, where can I send them? Drop some socials. I can put the links in the show notes and description, but where can I send them?

0:33:38 - (Nick Peck): Yeah, the book itself, available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, everywhere you get a book and then I have an author website, nikpac, author.com. and then I'm very active on Instagram and it's at Nick Pack Author. I try to keep you very simple and easy. But yeah, Nick Pack Author, that's pretty much everything where you can find Fantastic.

0:33:54 - (Toby Brooks): Well Nick, thanks so much for dropping in. I really do appreciate it and you're welcome back anytime.

0:33:59 - (Nick Peck): I appreciate it. Super grateful for the opportunity. Hey what's up guys? I'm Nick Peck. I'm the author of Only Way out and I am mundane That's a wrap.

0:34:08 - (Toby Brooks): On another powerful conversation. Huge thanks to Nick Peck for bringing the Heat and the Heart. His story is proof that even in the darkest chapters, there's still a plot twist waiting to be written. I just ordered his book on Amazon. You can check it out there. If this episode stirred something within you, I'd ask you to do me a favor. Share it. Leave a review. Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode.

0:34:31 - (Toby Brooks): And if you want more behind the scenes insight stories I don't share on the POD or our content help keep you grounded in your own comeback story. Join me with the weekly Undone newsletter. It's totally free, comes out every Sunday, and I don't even try to sell you anything. It's simply my tips for living our best undone lives. If you want to sign up, just go to undonepodcast.com click subscribe in the top menu and drop your email there. And if you're looking for a speaker or a coach to help your team, your company, or your campus navigate change, overcome burnout, or rediscover purpose, let's talk.

0:35:03 - (Toby Brooks): You can reach out directly to me@tobyndonepodcast.com Coming up on the show, I've got Lubbock Christian's own coach Chris Softly, state champion and incredible leader of young people. He joins me to talk about leadership through adversity. After that, I've got former NFL head athletic trainer John Lopez who shares what it takes to stay grounded in the high stakes, high performance world of professional sport.

0:35:40 - (Toby Brooks): Trust me, you're not going to want to miss either one. This and more coming up on Becoming Undone. Becoming Undone is a nitrohype creative production written and produced by me, Toby Brooks. Tell a friend about the show and follow along on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @becomingundonepod. And you can follow me at Drtoby Brooks on Facebook, Instagram, threads and LinkedIn. You can also check out my linktree at linktr ee drtobybrooks that's D R T O B Y B R O O K S Listen, subscribe and leave me a review at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

0:36:15 - (Toby Brooks): Till next time, keep daring bravely, keep risking mightily and keep growing relentlessly. All of.

0:36:26 - (Nick Peck): Sam.