As you know, I’m a fan of the enneagram.
Why?
Mostly because it helps me understand my personality, and when I’m operating from my limited perspective, as opposed to feeling connected to the universal mind.
Dr. Robert Holden often teaches about the enneagram and frequently shares his insights via social media and his email list. I came across this recently and found it super helpful.
He took all 9 enneagram types, identified them, as well as a specific way each can get stuck or blocked from receiving all the good that wants to come into our lives.
I took his ideas and have shared them below, altering some of the language, etc.
Curiously when I read through these, I related to many! The multiple ways I block myself from experiencing love, abundance, happiness…
As you go through them, see if you recognize the pattern. If yes, the invitation is to forgive and have compassion for yourself for falling into it.
Have a look and see if any resonate.
1: Perfectionist
This is about all the ways we’re not living up to our own high standards.
So, might you be willing to stop judging yourself for not being perfect, or for not living up to unrealistic expectations?
I was thinking about this recently, how I do so much right, but fall down in some minor way, and then focus on that ONE thing I screwed up…
Can you relate?
Now I’m extending compassion to myself and working on unhooking myself from having all those unreasonable standards!!!
2: Helper
At point 2, we’re often over-performing, and forgetting to ask for help.
Instead, would you be willing to give yourself a break and stop thinking that you have to do everything by yourself? That no one will help you?
Could you be open to knowing that you deserve help and support and can achieve it in all kinds of ways!?!
3: Achiever
Here, we can fall into performing or over-performing as a way to mask feeling unworthy.
Might you consider loosening up on feelings of unworthiness? When you don’t feel like you’re enough or are doing enough?
Instead, could you lean into the idea that your existence alone is a blessing? (LOVE THIS IDEA!)
4: Individualist
At point 4, we can get lost in our suffering, that others will never understand the pain we feel. We can also fall into the belief that everyone else is deserving of (love, happiness, wealth…) except for us.
Rather than feel shame around your wounds, or being wounded, could you transmute those into “beauty marks”? In other words, transform your wounds into wisdom.
The idea here is that it’s through the cracks that the light pours in.
At point 4, the invitation is to also forgive how we have felt abandoned and how we may have also abandoned ourselves. (This has been an amazing inquiry for me!)
5: Investigator
The investigator never feels they have enough information to make a right decision.
An alternative to this is to think about being willing to extend love to yourself when the ideas you’ve had about life are wrong. (Whoops!)
In other words, could you be willing to admit/honor that sometimes, you get things wrong? So, rather than listen to the inner critic, could you be open and available to new ideas?
I think about this one as being a bit more flexible with your thinking…
6: Loyalist
The challenge here is the fall into fear.
When that happens, could you forgive yourself? And then allow yourself to be open and available to love?
Feels sooooo comforting.
7: Enthusiast
It can be hard to be present.
The work here is to extend love to yourself when you’re blindly searching elsewhere for what you seek, when you’re unable to see/appreciate what’s right in front of you or unable to accept the beauty that’s here right now.
8: Challenger
Afraid of feeling or appearing weak?
Could you forgive yourself anytime you do actually feel weak?
Sometimes, I think we experience this as not being enough… relate?
9: Peacemaker
Who do you want me to be!?!
Lastly, at point 9, the invitation is to forgive who you think you are or who you think you’re supposed to be, so you can be who you actually are. In other words, be more authentic.
I’ve been having fun using these ideas as jumping off places for inquiry. Find the ones that resonate with you, and explore! Your’e so worth it.
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Image courtesy of Jamie Hagan on Unsplash