A way to view one's spiritual life: a set of concentric circles. In the very center is our soul: our inner world, our dreams, the landscape of memory, the trap of personality. As we move away from the center, we find spiritual practices. Activities like meditation, centering, yoga (in the Westernized sense, not its original purpose). This might be where one could find astrology, divination, tarot reading. It's a world of symbols and signs. Further out from…
I’m working as a coach on my own, a financial coach for a local nonprofit, and taking care of a toddler. The narrative of figuring out how moms “do it all” can be boring, but it’s also a very REAL struggle some of us go through. I'd like to share some of my thoughts about how to juggle our different responsibilities as parents. These can apply to many scenarios, though -- any time you're feeling trapped or overwhelmed…
One particular bend in the road of my journey (the story I’ll tell for the rest of my life) started when I found Love Is Letting Go of Fear by Gerald G. Jampolsky. Visit part one of these lessons here.It’s a thin book, barely over 150 pages. Preparations, ingredients, and lessons for personal transformation. It’s simple and straightforward, and yet has deep meaning. Its message was a catalyst, and the words dropped me into the vast pool…
One particular bend in the road of my journey (the story I’ll tell for the rest of my life) started when I found Love Is Letting Go of Fear by Gerald G. Jampolsky.It’s a thin book, barely over 150 pages. Preparations, ingredients, and lessons for personal transformation. It’s simple and straightforward, and yet has deep meaning. Its message was a catalyst, and the words dropped me into the vast pool of water that is the present moment.…
We've all been there. The thing needs to get done. We're the only person who can do it. But we delay it. Again. Then again. Another day. Another week. What's going on here? We know we can do it, but we don't do it! In my view, there are a few reasons we procrastinate: It's tedious, boring work we want to avoid (laundry or dishes)We don't have the proper mindset or attention we need to accomplish the…
I'm in a lot of Facebook groups about the Enneagram. I love to hang out there, give advice, and learn from others. In the Type 9 group, I've seen quote a few people ask about self-development as a 9 in regards to living a Christian life. Many teachers say that the work of the 9 is to choose his own desires over other people's desires, assert herself, or stop accommodating others. If Jesus calls us to be…
You are a special snowflake. Yes, you. I know what most people say: you're not unique, your stories aren't new, you don't deserve a trophy. That last one may be true, actually, but not the rest of it. You are a unique combination of genetics from two specific people who came together one day long ago. Your father contributed his genetic makeup, and your mother carried you for nine months while her body nurtured you into a…
The Enneagram is a powerful personality typing system that examines your core motivations, fears, and desires. There are nine personality types interconnected in various ways, but they each stand alone as a primary way of encountering the world. Do you know your type? Check out my Enneagram resources page to get started. Mindfulness is a regular practice of seeing and accepting things as they are. There are a variety of rituals or practices that can lend to…
We covered a lot of information in the Enneagram basics series. It is natural to feel overwhelmed or confused by the different avenues one could use to explore the Enneagram. Here's what I recommend: Find your type. Maybe just from reading the post about the nine types, you know your type because it stood out to you. You could find your type with a test -- there are many free ones online, and there are also extensive…
The Enneagram is a spiritual path of growth through the lens of personality. There are nine core types, and each type has what is called a wing. It's another way that our core type (1 through 9) manifests itself. Here's an example. Type 9 can have an 8 wing or a 1 wing. They're typically written out like 9w8 and 9w1. 9s with an 8 wing, or 9w8, is still primarily concerned with keeping the peace, avoiding…