Happiness, podcast

Episode 111: Breaking Free From A Cult with Nick Craig

Nick shares:

“My Vision is to positively impact 1 billion lives before I die. It stems from the limiting beliefs I’ve had to break inside myself. Those lessons and breakthroughs lead me to realize there are so many people who have been through things just as bad and worse than me. I choose to live my life in a way that helps as many people as I can. I want to free others of the burdens I’ve been freed of. To have their minds freed to believe in themselves, to promote love and self-care, to educate  on the importance of mindset and safeguarding our thoughts.

My name is Nick Craig born in 1989 to unwed parents who were no longer together. I grew up in a split family and at 3 my mother met and married my stepfather who is a con man. My step dad went to prison when i was 9 and got out when i was 11. He decided to become a “pastor” while in prison. That was how i wound up in a cult. He used his position to rule and dominate people with troubled pasts and would literally equate disobeying him to disobeying god. We were required to give everything to him and rely on him to take care of us.(anyone in the cult). While in Highschool i was not allowed to date. I couldn’t go out with friends. I was only allowed to go to school or “church” or outings with said church. There was also physical abuse along with the constant degradation and mental attacks.

The turning point from bad to worse came when I was 22. I will never make excuses for my participation but, I honestly didn’t know any better at the time. A single mother in our “Church” caught her son (age 13) raping and sodomizing her daughter(age 7). Me and another member were told to teach the son a lesson. We can discuss but its not my proudest moment. While we didn’t hurt him we did scare him horribly. A few weeks later I was arrested along with my friend and my stepdad. This was my wake up call. It made me start questioning everything.

I faced a life sentence over the situation. No, I did not murder or even physically hurt anyone. Through a miracle and 2+years of court dates, I was ultimately sentenced to probation and 333 days with an ankle monitor. I met my wife several years before all of this happened. And she made up her mind to get me out.

When I chose to leave I was on my own. Which I had never been alone before. I had to struggle to make ends meet and was nearly homeless. I managed to get by and pay for my fees and classes and had 0 incidences and have been a contributing member of society for the last 7 years (4 since I last had contact with any of them including my mom).

It was a long road that lead me to become who I am today. My wife and I moved to Texas so I could reconnect with my dad. We got married this past July and her family has taken me as their own. I have been constantly learning since my awakening. Constantly seeking the truth and giving back to this world and anyone I can. I have also gotten plugged back into a great church family (a real one).

I now help my dad as a project manager in his construction management company. We also started a Real Estate Investing company that is one of the vehicles we are using to impact lives with a focus on serving families in less than ideal circumstances. Whether it’s helping stop foreclosure, owner financing properties for families that can’t qualify for traditional lending or simply being a friend to someone who is going through a tough time. I am also Authoring a book chronicling my experiences and the lessons I have learned from them. My Social media is dedicated to sharing with others and helping anyone I can to grow and have an advocate which I hope will eventually translate into more interviews and public speaking.

1 Billion Lives Before I Die

Rain or shine by your side

Through struggle and pain

My hope for you remains

Free to love, Free to be,

wholly you for all to see

1 Billion Lives Before I Die”

You can follow Nick’s Instagram account here.

Sending so much love and positivity your way! The world needs your kind of awesome, Steph

2 thoughts on “Episode 111: Breaking Free From A Cult with Nick Craig

  1. Hello,
    This is prob going to be strange. I am you high school girlfriend (Alex Sinatra). I have always wondered how things ended up for you. I am beyond thrilled to have read your article. You have over come more than one can imagine. Prayers for you and your family.

Comments are closed.