Uncovering You

Dear wonderful, beautiful you,

Have you heard it deep in your heart? Have you felt it in your bones? Have you wrapped your head around it?

I hope so, but just in case, I’ll say it again.

You are so much more than your type.

So, so, so very much more.

Don’t get me wrong – I want you to dig into the Enneagram and discover with which type you lead. I want you to explore what that means and observe how your type structure operates in your daily life. I want you to connect with others of that type to learn from and encourage each other. I want you to interpret your history, rest in the present, and prepare for the future with the lens of your type in mind.

I want this for you because I have found the Enneagram to be a profound tool for awareness and growth, and committing yourself to serious study, observation, and practice will offer fresh perspective and deeper insight.

But while you do that, I want you to keep in mind: “I am not my type. I have a type. I am more than a type.” Why? Why is that belief so important?

When we discover our Enneagram type, we discover a covered self that is begging to be uncovered.

When we work with our Enneagram type, we work to release the covering we thought we needed to gain love, acceptance, and protection.

When we loosen our Enneagram type, we encounter our uncovered self in all our raw beauty and move towards healing, growth, and grace.

So, when I say “You are more than your Enneagram type,” what I’m saying is this:

I see you underneath that covering you’ve clung to. I know how it seems like your skin and bones. I understand how uncomfortable and even preposterous it can feel to reconcile “the way things have always been” with “who you were created to be.” Trust me, I truly know the shock and despair of discovering the self-awareness you thought you had was merely self-consciousness.

AND I believe there is hope – I believe there is a way to grow from here.

I believe that the desire to be fully known and fully loved is innate to the human experience and I don’t think it’s wrong. Our type sees that desire and does everything it can to force the issue, often oblivious or painfully aware that it is sabotaging the result.

But now we know. Now we see it in action. Now we catch the type structure coming up, hooking in, and tightening, and we choose a different way. We choose to loosen. We choose to breathe. We choose to live freely and fully.

My role as an Enneagram teacher and coach is to help you discover how your type structure operates and then – and I don’t want you to miss this – to help you dis-identify with your type as you uncover the person you were created to be.

Keep digging. Keep questioning. Don’t settle for being covered and unconsciously driven. Choose life. Choose freedom. Choose to uncover the wonderful, beautiful you that has been there all along.

Doesn’t it feel good to breathe?