Enneagram Part 4: How the Enneagram Has Helped Me Evolve
There are so many things I could share about how the Enneagram has impacted me personally. I’ll start with something basic about my type. I identify with the number 7 on the Enneagram model, which is often called “The Enthusiast.”
One of the characteristics of this type is their constant movement toward what is fun or pleasurable. I definitely see this within myself. There was a time in my early twenties when I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). As I dealt with a challenge in focusing, I saw a doctor and even took medication briefly. I found it to be somewhat effective, but I did not like the side effects I felt at all, so I discontinued it.
It’s always been a challenge for me to focus my attention. There are so many things that catch my eye, so many things I want to do, and so many things I get excited about. So I tend to be scattered. It’s one of the reasons meditation has been so impactful for me because it has to do with learning how to stay still.
When I started working with the Enneagram, one of the first things I discovered was that my excitement about this and that and my jumping around toward what was pleasurable was actually just a strategy for avoiding pain. Moving toward what was fun was my way of not having to feel sad, anxious or fearful. While this happens to most of us when we’re struggling, the strategy is particularly strong for type 7s. Learning to work with this has been my path.
I know this doesn’t sound too sexy or interesting. Like, “Great! Let me find out my Enneagram type so that I can feel uncomfortable.” But, this is the work. For me, it’s been about learning to slow down, harness my focused attention and open myself up to sit with discomfort and pain.
While it may not sound exciting, a tremendous amount of satisfaction and peace comes from it.
As we dive into the Enneagram, we see that we develop coping strategies to help us avoid things. (For example, fear and pain.) As long as we’re in avoidance of those things, that coping strategy stays in place and runs the show.
As soon as I developed a greater ability to be uncomfortable, the strategies I’d always used to keep the discomfort away could be dropped. I don’t need to protect myself from that anymore, because I have the ability to be with it. I developed a greater depth of connection to myself and other people—and to the reality of what’s happening around me. This is far more satisfying than my old strategy of just staying busy and focusing on what’s positive.
The truth is, life isn’t always happy. Certain experiences are painful. If I go through life with the strategy of distraction and only focus on what’s good, I miss a whole realm of connection with reality that is available to me.
This is just one of the many ways I’ve personally been impacted by my work with the Enneagram. It’s fundamental to the type 7, and it’s one of the ways I’ve been able to add greater depth, satisfaction and freedom to my own life.
If you’re interested in finding out your own type and discovering what habitual patterns might be holding you back, I invite you to reach out. I’d love to do a typing interview with you, to ask you some questions and help you explore:
What’s the core motivation that’s moving you?
What coping strategies are you employing?
If they’re not working for you anymore and keeping you in a limited place, how might you begin to do the work to free yourself?