I love the enneagram as much as the next person. So much so that I have been studying it for 10 years. But be warned:

The dangerous thing about engaging with any personality framework is the temptation to walk away with your results feeling you have discovered who you are.

The true purpose of the enneagram is not to tell you who you are, but rather who you had to become to survive your life. It reveals the strategies you had to take on to face whatever it was that life put in front of you.

If you’re like most people, you figured out your type, you wondered how to become more like your growth number and less like your stress number, and then you started leaning into your wings. Maybe you’ve even dabbled in the subtypes?

But now what?

Is there formative work beyond the enneagram?

The answer is YES.

Once you have learned all about your types predictable patterns of thinking and behaving, and begun to engage in healthy practices in the pursuit of health, it may be time to start the difficult work of digging through all those complicated layers of personality in an attempt to bring rebirth to your true self. This is the person God made you to be. It is who you are at your core, your essence.

If you’re ready to grab a shovel & start digging, here is a first critical step to begin the process:

PRACTICE PRESENCE.

Presence is what you experience when you stop running, performing, protecting, or overthinking. Presence is what happens when you realize you are not your thoughts. You are the one observing your thoughts. You are not even your feelings. You are the one who recognizes feelings when they are true for you.

Presence is where, “who you had to become” begins to disintegrate, and your true self starts to emerge.

Try this:

1. Sit in a peaceful place

2. Imagine your breath flowing in and out as you breathe

3. Experience the sounds, smells, and sensations on your skin

4. Ask God, “What is one thing you want to teach me about who I am?”

5. Just listen…

At Plumline, we know how difficult it is to pursue wholeness and an authentic self. This is especially true when it feels as though you are pursuing this wholeness on your own. This is part of why Plumline offers guided groups and retreats specifically to help you recover parts of yourself that have gotten lost or gone missing. Click here to learn more about our group offerings and consider an upcoming group or retreat that is convenient for you. You do not have to stay stuck in your personality. More life awaits you if you will put in the work.

True self is ahead,

Jake