Episode #11 feat. Steve Conroy

What happens when a man facing a midlife crisis and clinical depression discovers that his position of comfort is actually a "position of contracture" keeping him stuck?

In this eleventh episode of Follow Me to the M-R-O-P!, host Brian Mueller sits down with Steve Conroy for a powerful account of his 2006 initiation at Frost Valley, New York. Steve shares how arriving at the rites in a raw, vulnerable state allowed him to experience a "miraculous" breaking apart of his old self, leading to a profound reframing of his life’s struggles.

Steve recounts the "aha moments" that defined his journey—from a quiet bus ride conversation with Fr. Richard Rohr to receiving spiritual messages from nature and strangers in airports. He speaks with raw honesty about the "hot seat" feedback that challenged his ego and how initiation turned him into a global citizen of a masculine fellowship. If you have ever felt "stuck" in your spiritual life or wondered if failure can truly be a doorway to something greater, Steve’s story is a grounding invitation to step into the unknown.

Episode Highlights

• The Power of Breaking: Why the first ritual felt like something inside was coming apart for the better.
• Pecking Away at Fear: Lessons from a hummingbird and a forest floor about persistence and facing death.
• Prescriptive Encounters: How an AA sponsor at a Denver airport provided the exact confirmation Steve needed.
• The Grandfather Energy: Trading the "warrior" need to fight over doctrine for the "king" energy of blessing.
• Universal Brotherhood: Realizing that men carry the same cares and concerns from Ireland to America.

Links & Resources

• Choosing Presence (Sponsor): https://choosingpresence.org
• Practicing Presence App: https://choosingpresence.org/app
• Illuman MROP page: https://illuman.org/mrop
• Adam's Return by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/3PzVESH
• Falling Upward by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/4uUM64P
• Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/47qLNVp
• Host: https://brianmueller.com

Credits

• First and foremost, thank you to Steve Conroy 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 Soundroll
• Becoming a Legend by Vens Adams