Episode #12 feat. John Groleau

What happens when a man realizes he’s been bumping through life like a blind cave fish, only to find that the "inner peace" he’s been praying for requires him to sit perfectly still in a 6x6 square of desert solitude?In this twelfth episode of Follow Me to the M-R-O-P!, host Brian Mueller sits down with John Groleau for a candid conversation about his 2012 initiation in the Texas wilderness. John, a retired business owner and grandfather, shares how the stress of a 70-hour work week led him to seek a spiritual reset for the "God-hole" in his soul. He reflects on the "mind-expanding" experience of solitude and a life-altering encounter that led to a decade-long commitment to Centering Prayer.John speaks with raw vulnerability about "coming clean" to his wife and children after realizing that his habit of treating others like "idiots" was actually a reflection of how he viewed himself. From moving beyond political "us versus them" labels to learning that it’s okay for a man to "leak from the eyes," John’s story is a grounding invitation for any man who wants to stop bumping along and start growing.Episode HighlightsThe God-Hole: Why professional success couldn't fill the deep restlessness John felt in midlife.The 70% Stress Reset: How a commitment to twice-daily meditation helped John find the inner peace he had prayed for.Breaking the "Idiot" Cycle: Coming clean to his wife and kids about how he viewed and treated them.The Both/And Way: Trading judgments for empathy and "accepting others where they are in life".Growing or Dying: Why initiation is the necessary vision-building process for a man's "next years".Links & ResourcesChoosing Presence (Sponsor): https://choosingpresence.orgPracticing Presence App: https://choosingpresence.org/appIlluman MROP page: https://illuman.org/mropAdam's Return by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/3PzVESHFalling Upward by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/4uUM64PBreathing Under Water by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/47qLNVpHost: https://brianmueller.comCreditsFirst and foremost, thank you to John Groleau for sharing his journey and his heart with us today.Thank you to Fr. Richard Rohr and the men of Illuman who have stewarded the Men’s Rites of Passage since 1996.Thank you to Jim Heaney and Jim Taylor for their dedication to Choosing Presence.Music Credits:Slow Mo Dreams by SoundrollBecoming a Legend by Vens Adams