#672 - Nick Howland - Author Shares His Journey to Find Self Love in his New Memoir Book “The Atheist’s Prayer”

Recorded live at Expert Networking Night, Jimmy sits down with Dr. Nick Howland to discuss his new memoir, The Atheist’s Prayer: A Memoir of Gratitude. Nick shares his story of growing up in the LDS faith, serving a mission, being excommunicated twice, losing his identity, and ultimately walking away from belief altogether.

What followed was years of anger, depression, shame, and a deep search for meaning that eventually led him back to something unexpected: self-love.

This conversation isn’t about attacking religion or defending atheism. It’s about what happens when the systems you relied on to define your worth fall apart, and you’re forced to rebuild from the ground up.

Nick talks openly about divorce, suicidal thoughts, depression, therapy, men’s work, brotherhood, and the daily practices that helped him learn how to keep promises to himself.

They discuss why self-love can’t be outsourced to religion, relationships, or self-help, how integrity is built one decision at a time, and why healing requires honesty, support, and personal responsibility. This is a raw, vulnerable conversation about shame, growth, and becoming someone you respect.