Synopsis

There are some forms of exhaustion in which the cure isn’t rest. There are some forms of exhaustion in which the only cure is wholeheartedness.

On the whole, men are in crisis. Crisis of roles, expectations, concealed depression, identity politics, societal change & intersecting systemic issues and inherited ghosts of injustice & legitimacy. Three out of four suicides are men and the numbers of men taking their own lives has been rising. The American Psychological Association recently came out with new categories for the mental health struggles of men, citing 'traditional masculinity' as innately harmful. We're in a time of collective initiation and deep intergenerational trauma.

As men we need to reclaim the orchestrated chaos of real initiations together into healthy and integrated and connected maleness, on purpose. We need to get to the root of what's holding us back personally & collectively, so we can create the more thriving, beautiful, regenerative & just world we all long for.

This book includes guidance & tools men need to thaw out by diving deeper into their soul Purposes while at the same time facing their traumas. The inner troubles and inner gifts are often intermingled. Men are in a different kind of hero's journey because of the collective problems on the horizon for all of humanity. We need each other. It is now a time for new paradigms of conscious brotherhood, engaged Fatherhood and reconfiguring kinship and reparation with ourselves, one another and the Spirit of the land.

In both the corporate world and in the world of personal growth, Purpose is the new black. Purpose has been featured in Forbes magazine as well as a focus for corporate leadership since 2019 and will become more important in the coming years as we wade through the major shifts underway in our world. On the personal level, men are joining men's groups and reaching out for help now more than ever & need help transforming trauma, encountering initiation and focussing on healing & transformation. Purpose alignment is the special sauce that set's a man in right relationship with his soul's calling & the gifts he was born to give.

As men we are in a potent time of shapeshifting our identities by descending into the mud of our humanness. We need to look to the wisdom traditions that can offer spiritual guidance for the flowering of our consciousness. At the same time we need the courage to descend into the muck and tend to our wounds and traumas. To be a man is to be wounded. There is no lotus without the muck. It takes courage to be at once broken & unbreakable. It takes willingness to enter the paradox and celebrate the inner marriage as well as the outer dance of Life. The old story of what it meant be a man is becoming obsolete, myopic, unhealthy & out of touch. The story of the lone wolf is over. The new story is still being written. We are in a time of accelerated evolution, radical transition, an uncertain space between stories. The world is on fire & many men are frozen with exhaustion & a kind of existential demoralization.

Men need support to navigate personal trauma and collective trauma while holding a clear vision of their calling and Purpose in the Great Turning as well as actionable steps to activate their potential for both personal healing & culture repair. I am on a mission to restore healthy, intentional initiations & rites of passage for men & male youth through the non-profit harm-prevention society Sacred Pathways Foundation that I co-founded.

This book provides guidance for men to claim their power, heal their trauma & live their Purpose.

This book is a deeper story of lostness, psychosis, shame-shifting, wounding, exile & belonging, spiritual emergency, the wisdom in grief, male vulnerability, politics, mythic imagination, poetics of initiation, the task of claiming worthiness and the essential work of restoring what was wounded by the masculine and how it needs to be healed by the masculine.

What sets me apart is my commitment to standing outside of consensus reality, with one foot in this world and one foot in the otherworld, and invite people to descend into the deeper wisdom of the heart and soul as well as the inherent interconnectedness of our lives with the natural world.

Sales arguments

• Gabriel is affiliated with Mankind Project which has a following of 1.1 million members and will get traction and orders when engaging with the community
• Gabriel is in touch with 2k+ people within the community and is actively growing his network around his book topic
• 'Purpose' is a buzzword in BOTH the corporate world as well as the personal growth field, and for good reason, we are in a time of unprecedented crisis both personally & collectively and we need regenerative purpose to ignite the change we need, en masse.

Similar titles

• No More Mr Nice Guy: A Proven Plan For Getting What You Want in Love, Sex and Life by Robert Glover, Published in 2000, 2003 by Running Press / Perseus Books - This book has a cult following and my book takes these idea's to the next level and is similiar because it's aimed at men needing to come out of depression & collapse & come alive with their soul Purpose.
• Claim Your Power: A 40-Day Journey to Dissolve the Hidden Trauma That's Kept You Stuck and Finally Thrive in Your Life's Unique Purpose by Mastin Kipp, Best-seller Published in 2017 by Hay House book & it's author are a prime example of why Purpose work is so HUGE in personal growth work. Like me, Kipp also approaches has a dual focus on trauma healing & Purpose work. My approach differs in also including the power of myth, a focus on embodiment & Indigenous ways of knowing.
• The Way of the Superior Man: A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire by David Deida, Published 1997, 2004 by Sounds True - Deida's work changed the field of gender & masculinity studies forever with his provocative teaching style. My approach differs because of my focus on wholeheartedness as well as the challenges of parenting & family matters to the modern man.

Audience

Men seeking personal growth, initiation, soulwork, spirituality

Advance praise

“Integrity” – David Cordes, Director of Boys to Men Canada

"The work that Gabriel does in our community is how change happens." – Julie Glynn, Spiritual Coach (A Course in Miracles) ICF Certified

“My time working with Gabriel was transformational. As a man, I just find it hard to have spaces in which I can be heard, seen and empathized with. There’s a natural ‘aha, I get it’, that happens when men hold space for the pain, anger and struggles of other men. It made it easy to process things in my life, receive mentorship in a kind and brotherly fashion, to get a push where I needed. I realized that it’s something that I’d been longing for all my life, something my own father couldn’t give me.” – Jan Joubert, Art Therapist

“All in all … working with Gabriel was the best thing I've done in the last twenty years.” – Fred Rosenberg

"Gabriel brings integrity, wisdom and courage to manifesting his life's vision and to serving people. I've stood beside him in times that called forth his deepest essence and trust him, his intentions, and the way he shows up implicitly. " – Rick Miners, First Light Clinic Inc

"[Gabriel's writing] is a precious guide for any guy looking to rise above the challenges we all face as modern men. As a previous participant in Gabriel’s men’s group myself, I know this is hard-won wisdom, which is why I’m so excited that he’s doing this for men’s health and I know this is only the beginning." - Lachlan Stewart, Masters Student, Spiritual Care & Psychotherapy