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The Enneagram has some cool tips that can work - even if you've tried everything.
By Roland Legge — Written on Oct 13, 2022
You are tired, stressed and overwhelmed.
Changing finances makes it hard to pay your bills every month. You wonder how the conflict in the world will affect the bigger picture. You feel the growing divisions in your country, often dividing along political lines — you feel little hope for the world.
Thankfully, you can begin your healing through the Enneagram.
You don't have to stay stuck in hopelessness and despair. You don't have to pretend everything is good in the world. The answer lies in learning to access your nine motivations and three instincts with the Enneagram.
The Enneagram gives us a map to inner wholeness.
It reveals nine different motivations we all need to be healthy and shows you which one you get stuck in. It not only shows you where you get stuck, but it also offers you a way to freedom. Healing through the Enneagram can enhance your life.
It also helps you find inner peace by teaching you how to strengthen your three biological drives (self-preservation, social and sexual), and this is what we will focus on in this article.
When you are healthy in your Enneagram type and balanced in your instinctual drives, you will have all you need to stay grounded during turbulent times.
Here are three easy steps to help you find peace when the world feels out-of-control
1. Pay attention to what you need to thrive
The first and oldest instinct is self-preservation, the human need to survive. Your body will reveal to you what you need to live well.
Notice how well you are doing in each of these three zones:
Zone One: Health and wellbeing
Do you eat well, get enough exercise and have enough sleep? Do you pay attention to your body so you know when your body is hungry, tired or weak? How does your body let you know what it needs?
Zone Two: Maintenance and resources
Are you working at your best, running your business efficiently, and having adequate resources to pay your bills? Do you keep your house and car in good shape?
Zone Three: Domesticity
Think of your home as your shelter-a place for the operation of the sexual and social. It is about creating a home where you can be yourself and provide for your family. Is your house or apartment your sanctuary?
Self-preservation is about discovering the things we need to grow. Healing through the Enneagram will help you to notice what you need.
2. Be aware of who will help you to be the best person you can be
Humans have found that we can do much more when working with others. Your intuition will reveal to you whom you can work with and enable you to read the energy of a group to make the best use of the group's talents.
Notice how well you are doing in each of these three zones:
Zone One: Reading people and situations
You can read people's body language and pay attention to the tone of voice of each person. You can read between the lines of a person talking with you. You can pick up the atmosphere of a group of people in the room.
Zone Two: Bonding, affiliating and connecting
If you are strong in this zone, you will likely be in a pair bond. You have the recognition that humans can not survive alone.
Zone Three: Contribution and participation
You have a hunger to contribute to the world. You value intelligence and see the value of working together. Your social instinct reveals to you if a community or organization is not healthy, and you have the inner knowing that we all need friends.
Social is all about the power of working with others. Healing through the Enneagram will help you to recognize the organizations and groups that will enhance your work and goals.
3. Notice which passions energize you
The sexual instinct is the energy within you to charge your batteries.
The recognition of the life force wants to be free and help you be creative. Sexual energy allows you to regulate your energy. It draws you to people with the same power—a force that can change the world.
Sexual types are like spark plugs bringing energy to your situation — and they aren't just about romantic or physical sexuality. Healing through the Enneagram will help you to notice the spark of life in you.
Notice how well you are doing in each of these three zones:
Zone One: Attracting and being attracted
Sexual types attract and repel people depending on how well their energy jives with each other. They look for hot spots in any group and need stimulating places.
You strongly desire to broadcast your energy and display yourself like a peacock. How do you like others to see you?
Zone Two: Edge and evolution
Sexual types love taking risks and walking on the wild side. They are always looking for adventure. How adventurous are you?
Zone Three: Fusion and merging
Enjoy losing yourself amid the object of your attention—the experience of being activated energetically. Have the ability to lose themselves in another and also in something creative. What do you enjoy doing that you can spend hours doing and wonder where the time went?
You must be healthy in all nine types — and with your three instincts.
A great place to start is with your instincts.
We react more quickly to our animal instincts than our motivations.
When you make sure, you are getting all your basic needs met, such as physical, mental and emotional health.
When you have friends and family to support you in your daily living, you know you are not alone. When you access your life force, you will have all the energy you need to do what needs to be done.
You have one instinct you overdo and one instinct you ignore. The instinct in the middle is usually your strongest.
You will make the most significant difference in your life when you work on the instinct you forget. Healing through the Enneagram will show you where you need to focus.
When you are at your best, you will be able to take the ups and downs of life.
It doesn't mean life will be easy, but you will find inner peace to help you navigate life's ups and downs.
You will cultivate the gift of presence that will enable you to access the wisdom of your three instincts and your three centers of intelligence. Healing through the Enneagram can transform your life.
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Roland Legge is a Certified Spiritual Life Coach and a minister in the United Church of Canada in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. He shares more advice via his newsletter and eBook, as well as in coaching sessions with clients.
This article was originally published at REL Consultants. Reprinted with permission from the author.