The Nine Types

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Series: The Enneagram

The Enneagram is divided into nine distinct personality types. As you read the descriptions of each, you may discover that you feel deep resonance with one or many of the different types. In fact, all of us have a little bit of each one inside us.Notice which ones you most relate to.

Below are short summaries of the nine types adapted from Richard Rohr and the Center for Action and Contemplation.  Each has a link to a reflection by Richard Rohr where you can learn more about each number.

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What is the Enneagram?

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Series: The Enneagram

For the next few months we will be taking a deep dive into the Enneagram; what it is, how it is helpful and what your type might be.  Whether you have never heard of the Enneagram or have been studying it for years, this will be a great place to deepen your understanding, pick up some tools and broaden your perspective.

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Authority Over Your Journey

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Series: Take Back Authority Over Your Life

When we allow our value to be diminished, we then diminish our impact on the world and others around us.  We forget the part we get to play in the larger story and our desires and heart go underground.  Our mission becomes just putting our head down and surviving through day.  It seems like we don’t have much control over our lives and no real impact.  This kind of thinking leads to despair and despair leads to apathy.  No wonder so many of us feel stuck!

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Authority Over Emotions

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Series: Take Back Authority Over Your Life

Every emotion is valid.  What we feel is the real experience we are in.  But, emotions are not always accurate or logical.  For example: The anger you feel towards your spouse for the hurtful thing they said to you is painful and real.  You feel this pain and instantly your amygdala, the fight or flight center of your brain, gets ready to attack or defend.  When you are reacting this way your prefrontal cortex, the critical thinking part of your brain, is shut off.  The emotion is valid, the pain is real, but you are unable to make the healthy choices that you want to if you are being led by that emotion alone.

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Authority Over Thoughts

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Series: Take Back Authority Over Your Life

The human brain is absolutely incredible.  It processes over 6,000 thoughts a day.  Problem solving, logic, drawing conclusions, creating images, building theories, asking questions and much more happening all day long.  It is like a computer hard drive spinning in the background whether we realize it or not.  While this is a wonderful thing, it can also be exhausting and overwhelming to have this onslaught of activity happening between our ears at all times.  We want to learn to lead our thoughts instead of them leading us.  There is a reason that Paul says, “Take every thought captive to Christ” in 2 Corinthians.  How do we do this?

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Theme for the Year

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Series: Take Back Authority Over Your Life

One of the ways that I am intentional about my life direction is to ask Jesus at the beginning of the year, “What is this year going to be about for me?”  I started this practice a decade ago and without fail the theme for the year has been instrumental in my growth and awareness in each season.  It is less a glimpse into the future but a preparedness that I cultivate in my everyday.  Whatever the theme may be, it allows me more awareness, gives more meaning to events and allows me to be ready when opportunities arise.  The themes are mostly uncomfortable and needed invitations to growth… the more uncomfortable the more I trust that this theme is from God and not manufactured by me:*)

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Keep Looking for Green Shoots

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Series: Take Back Authority Over Your Life

I am aware that as we close out 2020 and enter into 2021, there is a much different feel than usual.  At the end of the year we usually celebrate the joys and practice gratitude while also grieving the losses and struggles.  But this year it seems that both are being angrily kicked out of the way in a communal “Good riddance!.”  I understand the discomfort, but my fear is that we will miss what the good and the hard came to teach us in 2020.  

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What Will You Do With Your Pain

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Series: Take Back Authority Over Your Life

This past Wednesday was a dark day in American history as violence erupted at the capitol building.  Many of us falsely hoped that the intense struggle of 2020 would stay in 2020, but it seems to have followed us right into 2021

The strange thing about something like the Coronavirus outbreak is that there is no one to blame; no one to villainize.  Almost twenty years ago when 9/11 happened, it was devastating and caused a ton of emotional pain for many Americans.  Yet, the enemy was clear and, for better or for worse, this country formed a stronger America in opposition of the enemy.  But, in your current state of affairs, who is your enemy?  Who are you blaming?

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Victim Mindset

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Cut It Down to Size

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Series: Take Back Authority Over Your Life

In her book, The Dance of Connection, Harriet Lerner says this about a client: “Over time, she was able to give voice to her shame, expose it to the light of day, confront it, and cut it down to size. She could not exorcise it entirely from her day-to-day experience, but she learned to greet shame—like fear—as an uninvited visitor who could be counted on to come and go. And she didn’t let shame stop her from giving voice to her needs and accepting comfort and help.”

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