Enneagram Big Mind

I’d like to show a new spiritual and shadow work which I created by using the Enneagram and “Big Mind (Genpo Roushi proposed).”  Firstly, Big Mind practice is composed of the western psychologies (Jungian, Freudian, and Gestalt therapeutic dialogue) and eastern philosophies (especially, Zen philosophy).    As you know, we have a lot of different roles in us, for example, I as a controller, I as a judge, I as a helper, I as self.  The list goes on.  So, the purpose of the Big Mind is to clarify these roles in us, integrate them, and find true self.  I created a new type of Big Mind process (called “Enneagram Big Mind”).    I think this Enneagram Big Mind enhances the understanding of our unique type.  The process is the following.

Facilitator (F): “Who am I speaking to?”

Enthusiast (E): “Yes, you’re speaking to an enthusiast.”

F: “Thank you.  Please tell me about you.”

E: “Yeah, I’m an energetic person.  I really like doing something new.”
F: “OK. So, do you like yourself?”

E: “Of course, I love myself.  But, I suppose I sometimes bother Self.”

F: “Would you tell me more?”

E: “Well, as you may know, I’m an epicure, so my mind often is occupied with a lot of plans or ideas for the future.  Because of my busy mind, Self sometimes feel exhausted.”

F: “Thank you for sharing.  How does Self evaluate you?”

E: “I believe Self thinks highly of me.  Because, I am one of the important vitalities of Self.  Without me, Self may be bored in his life.  However, recently Self asks me to have a calm mind.”

F: “The advice may be good.  So, if you have a calm mind, how will Self change?  Do you think Self will be happy?”

E: “Yes, of course, Self will be happy if I have a tranquil mind.  Also, Self will be able to fully enjoy the present moment!”

F: “That sounds wonderful!  May I ask one more question?  How do you get a tranquil mind?”

E: “That’s a very good question.  Thank you for asking, but please tell me how to get it…that is my joke.  I believe that Zen meditation is one of the most beneficial ways to obtain a peaceful mind.  Thus, I practice it every day.”

F: “Thank you so much.  Next, I’d like to talk to your Self, bye enthusiast!”

Self (S): “Nice to meet you.  I am Self.”

F: “Nice to meet you, too.  Please tell me about you.  Also, what do you think of the enthusiast in you?”

S: “Well, it is difficult for me to describe me, but I am I-Amness.  I am not objectified…In a word, I am a seer.  Yeah, I really respect the enthusiast in me because he gives me powerful energy every day.  Please tell him so.”

F: “Sure, I’ll tell him so.  He will be happy to hear that.  Thanks.”

The above is a simple example of Enneagram Big Mind, but I think this practice will be very effective when I talk with every type in the Enneagram.  

Integral Leadership Collaborative Week3

Integral Leadership Collaborative Week3

At last, I finished my all final papers for this quarter, so I want to listen to the presentations and discussions on Week 1 and Week 2 at my own pace again. 

The schedule of Week 3 is as follows. 

29 Aug	30 Aug	31 Ag	1 Sep	2 Sep
Gail Hochachka, Michael Simpson, Oliver Ngodo Integral Leadership in Nigeria	Dean Anderson Five Key Pillars of Conscious Change Leadership	Elza Maalouf, Roberto Bonilla, Bjanri Jonsson Integral Leadership from Design to Application	Mariana Bozesan, Laird Cagan, Christian Arnsperger The Future of Wall Street: An Integral View	Anouk Brack, Gail Hochachka, Marilyn Hamilton* The Big Picture of Sustainability Leadership
Clint Fuhs and Brett Thomas AQAL for Integral Leadership	Edward West, Brett Thomas, Shawn Phillips*, Wes Blair*, Kelly Bearer Integral Entrepreneurship	Brian Johnson The Ten Principles of Optimal Living	Allison Conte, Willow Dea, Sandra Hill Integral Feminine Leadership	Maureen Metcalf, Mark Palmer, Stacey Clark* An Integral Approach to Leader Development
	Bill Joiner Leadership Agility, Assessment and Implementation	Ian Lawton, Dustin Diperna, Vidyuddeva, Marc Gafni*, Integral Spiritual Leadership	Clint Fuhs Perspective-Taking: Key to Integral Leadership

How has your Ennea-type “appeared” in your personal and professional relationships? Is there a difference between the two?

 How has your Ennea-type “appeared” in your personal and professional relationships?  Is there a difference between the two?

Firstly, my Ennea-type has appeared a lot in my personal relationships.  As the result of the Enneagram test, type seven, three, and eight stand out.  Interestingly, type three, seven, and eight are categorized into the assertive group in terms of the Hornevian Group concept.  In a word, “The assertive types are ego-oriented and ego-expansive” (Riso & Hudson, 1999, p. 61).  As a consequence, the assertive characteristics have a strong influence on my relationships.  In the past as well as now, I sometimes or often come up with the following thoughts when I join an event or party “I am here!  This event (party) will be fun and exciting because I came here.  Something interesting will happen today.”  Of course, I don’t tell anyone about this in words, but my friends often give feedback that I radiate such an aura and energy that people understand my type.  I think that my verbal or nonverbal communication style based on my Ennea-type seems to affect my relationships with others.

Secondly, my Ennea-type used to appear in my professional relationships.  When I was a professional consultant, I tended to juggle several tasks at the same time.  In fact, I felt happy that I engaged in some projects simultaneously.  On the other hand, when I committed to only one project, I was unsatisfied with that situation.  Moreover, I was likely to get bored easily with the same kind of tasks, so I asked my managers to give me new types of tasks.  Although I sought new types of tasks, actually I was sometimes overwhelmed by a mountain of tasks in front of me.  On this point, Riso and Hudson (2003) point out that sevens “are natural multitaskers but can also get overextended and lack follow-through” (p. 196).  This sentence hits the nail on the head.  As the result, I lagged in my duties, so I gave my managers annoyance.  I regret that I didn’t know the characteristics of my type like that those days.  If I had learnt the Enneagram, I could have behaved differently in my company. 

For me, there is no specific difference between the personal and professional relationships.  The first reason is that I’m not good at behaving differently in personal and professional relationships.  I tend to stick to my belief that I try to be the way I am.  Therefore, I won’t change my personality coercively.  Perhaps, this belief may also be influenced by my Ennea type.

Enneagram Self-Reflection:Reflect upon one specific situation or circumstance in your life and explore if/how having knowledge of the Type you identify with provides you with new insight and self-awareness. Will you respond differently with this knowledge?

Reflect upon one specific situation or circumstance in your life and explore if/how having knowledge of the Type you identify with provides you with new insight and self-awareness.  Will you respond differently with this knowledge?

Having rich knowledge of my type provides me with new insight and self-awareness a lot, especially about working with others more smoothly and effectively.  Actually, when I was in the business field for two years, I realized how difficult it is to work with different types of people.  In those days, I didn’t have typological knowledge at all, so it was laborious for me to understand and respect others’ types and differences. 

However, if I work with someone now, I will be able to recognize his or her type correctly and to respect his or her unique characteristics by utilizing the knowledge of the Enneagram.  The examples of my new insight as for working with each type are below.  If I work with type one, I may be careful of my behavioral patterns like chops and changes.  In other words, I can notice that I tend to act flexibly and accept new ideas without thinking deeply.  Type one people whose characteristics are right-wrong thinkers may not follow me, because they may regard my behavior as capricious and ambiguous.   As a result, I need to consider the above characteristic when I work with type one. 

Regarding the relationship with type two, if I work with a type two, I need to pay attention to the following points.  As described above, sevens are likely to work on a number of things simultaneously.  If I were a manager and my subordinate were a type two, the following situation would happen.  The important characteristics of a type two are to be very dedicated to others and to work for others very hard.  In that sense, if I ask the subordinate to work on a job, he or she will tackle it devotedly. 

However, what will happen if my direction is scattered, and I ask him or her to do one job after another?  I suppose that he or she will work hard for me because his or her positive trait is dedication to helping people.  In that situation, he or she may be bewildered by a ton of jobs like rain falling from the sky.  The above examples demonstrated only the relationship between me and a type one and two, but I’ll be careful of the other types when I work with someone. 

 Therefore, I think that I’ll be able to build a good relationship with others and work with others very well by virtue of the Enneagram, as Riso and Hudson (2003) point out that “when personality type is properly understood, communication becomes exponentially more effective because people begin to recognize and make the most of human diversity” (p. 6).  Needless to say, the Enneagram enriches my relationship with others and my life itself.  

Enneagram Self-Reflection:What traits of your Ennea-type do you not identify with?

What traits of your Ennea-type do you not identify with?

Now, I think that I’m going to a healthy type seven thanks to meditation and the effort to enjoy the present moment, so I don’t identify with an unhealthy and average seven’s traits so much.  Under stress, type seven tends to go to average type one.  Sevens are likely to come up with a lot of ideas and plans, so they tend to move from one activity to another very quickly.  As a result, Sevens sometimes may not accomplish their initial plans or goals, so they feel frustrated with themselves.  In such situations, “they begin to behave like average Ones-pulling in the reins on themselves and trying to get more organized and self-controlled” (Riso & Hudson, 2003, p. 150).  Sevens who go to average Ones are likely to criticize their own unique ideas without putting them into practice.  Furthermore, they cannot stand the feeling of dissatisfaction with others and external environment.  Therefore, they regard that everything doesn’t meet their expectations, and then they become perfectionists and begin to criticize not only themselves but also others.  In my recent life, I can’t see the above traits, so I seem not to identify with seven’s traits under stress (unhealthy: level 7 to 9).

As for average levels of type seven, Sevens often think that they have a strong responsibility to entertain others and to fill their environment with positive and exciting energy.  In consequence, the sense of responsibility sometimes makes them withdraw from others and to be isolated, like Fives.  In fact, at such times, they don’t want to be connected with others, and they try to restore their energy by being alone (Riso & Hudson, 2003).  The above traits are the characteristics of average type seven, so they sometimes appear in me.  However, as I consider more details, average levels are categorized into three levels.  I noticed that two of the three characteristics seldom appeared in me.  Specifically, the first is that

Sevens worry that they will be bored or frustrated and that painful feelings will arise, so they try to keep themselves excited and occupied.  They pump up the energy around them by talking, joking around, and pursuing new adventures, but they are often distracted and unfocused. (Riso & Hudson, 1999, p. 270)

I don’t identify with the trait (average level 5) in daily life as type seven.  In addition, the second (average level 6) is that

Sevens are afraid that there will not be enough of whatever they believe they need, so they become impatient, seeking instant gratification.  They can be very demanding but are seldom satisfied when their demands are met.  Jaded and wasteful, they are cavalier about their habits, denying guilt. (Riso & Hudson, 1999, p. 270)

Thanks to the concept of nine levels of development, I understand that I don’t have the characteristics of level 5 and 6 of type seven.  Furthermore, I also found that I didn’t identify with level 1 in healthy type seven.  Level 1 is the most desirable state, and the trait is the following

Sevens let go of the belief that they require specific objects and experiences to feel fulfilled, so they are able to fully assimilate their experiences and be nourished by them.  They also paradoxically achieve their Basic Desire-to be satisfied and content, to have their needs fulfilled-and they become appreciative, ecstatic, and deeply grateful.　 (Riso & Hudson, 1999, p. 270)

After reading the above trait, I noticed that I didn’t and couldn’t let go of my belief that I seek materials and experiences to satisfy my feelings.  For me, a sense of gratitude for everything around me is missing.  In other words, I don’t fully cultivate spiritual aspects to feel a profound sense of gratitude for materials, people, nature, and the universe itself.  Therefore, I don’t see the characteristic of level 1 which is some kind of high spiritual dimension.  By virtue of this question, I figured out that my levels of development ranges from level 2 to level 4.    

Music Yoga: Sibelius “Finlandia” Practice Memo

Yesterday, my friend (my study partner in Japan) and I studied and practiced Integral Life Practice (we practice various types of works every other week through Skype).

Last time, I facilitated “Movie Yoga”, so my friend facilitated “Music Yoga” in return yesterday.  The concept is same as Movie Yoga.  In other words, we listen to the music applying the most important concept of Movie Yoga (Safe Zone, Trapped Zone, War Zone, and Free Zone). 

I felt a tingle up my spine maybe four times in the song.  The song truly resonated with me…This practice is like “mindful listening.” 

Finished Two Final Papers + Volunteer Work for Integral Leadership Collaborative

I finished the two of three final papers right now.  The one is in Enneagram Assessment class, and the other is in Symbols and Dreams class.  Today, I’d like to work for Integral Leadership Collaborative.  I really respect other volunteer staffs, because they are really hard workers.  I’ll pull my weight.

Enneagram Self-Reflection:What patterns of behavior are you now aware of that you weren’t previously aware of?

 What patterns of behavior are you now aware of that you weren’t previously aware of?

Now, I’m aware of my dominant emotional patterns as type seven.  Riso and Hudson (2003) point out that “Sevens have anxiety about their inner world.  There are feelings of pain, loss, deprivation, and the general anxiety that Sevens would like to avoid as much as possible” (p. 70).  In fact, I tended to lock away anxious feelings, and I tried to forget them by doing other activities without facing the root of the problem.  However, as I learn the Enneagram, I can grasp my thinking and behavioral patterns as type seven, so I become able to cope with my anxious feelings very well.  To tell you the truth, I sometimes feel worried about my future, for instance, my career and my life.  If I had been my old self before studying the Enneagram, I couldn’t have faced the insecure feeling in an appropriate way.  Perhaps, I would have avoided the negative feelings by engaging in other activities, but now I courageously face the anxious feelings by virtue of the wisdom of the Enneagram.  The Enneagram made me notice my behavioral patterns and that I was likely to avoid negative feelings. 

Moreover, one of my weaknesses as type seven is that I always think of my future, and my mind is always busy.  My usual inner conversations are like this “What is the most exciting job in my future?”, “What should I do next?”, “What do I do next?” etc. Considering these inner conversations, I can understand that I often focus on my future things, the word “next” and focus on interesting activities, the word “do”.  The more I think too much about the future, the more difficult it is for me to enjoy the present moment.  Here, I have to keep in mind that the key factor of transformation is being present (Riso & Hudson, 2003) and “real transformation only takes place when we are living in real time, which is another way of saying when we are present, fully existing in the now” (Maitri, 2000, p. 226).  In order to be here and now, I practice meditation every day, and I try to fully enjoy the present moment.

Although the above characteristics which I was not aware of are negative, I found some positive patterns as type seven.  When I was young, I regarded self-actualization as attaining something for me.  For example, I almost always thought “What is possible to accomplish for myself?”  In a word, my enjoyment in my life arose from the motivation to do something for “me.”  However, this idea is gradually changing from day to day.  I notice that my self-actualization is related to others.  In other words, my self-actualization is not attaining something for “me” but accomplishing something for “others.”  Actually, I take great pleasure from the words “Thank you!” from others.  When I was a consultant in Japan, the words “Thank you so much.” from my clients or my managers brought me real happiness, and that was my breath of life.  Riso and Hudson (1999) demonstrate that “They know that their primary enjoyment of life comes from contributing something to the world” (p. 283).  I really would like to contribute something to people around me, our societies, and our world beyond my ego.  Doing something for others, societies, and the world is a great satisfaction in my life.  

Integral Leadership Collaborative: Day 4

Integral Leadership Collaborative day 4 is now starting!

Noon (Central Time) Don Beck,  Integral Leadership in the Real World: How to Design for Peace, Transform Organizations and Reshape Communities

4 pm Cindy Wigglesworth, Spirituality and Integral Leadership

8 pm Terri O'Fallon, Growing Up is Waking Up: The Autopoietic Nature of Leadership and Collectives

 http://www.integralleadershipcollaborative.com/fe/13628-the-conference

Impulse to flee

In the process of self-reflection, I sometimes feel an impulse to flee from facing me…  I know merit of self-reflection.  That would be helpful to seek “true self.”  However, the path to true self always causes a pain.  Pain?  Pain with true transformation…

Enneagram Self-Reflection: What insights have you gained about how your Ennea-type operates in your life? Having this insight, will you do anything differently?

What insights have you gained about how your Ennea-type operates in your life?  Having this insight, will you do anything differently?

I have gained a lot of insights about how my Ennea-type (seven) operates in my life after studying the Enneagram.  Firstly, as Palmer (1995) proposes, Sevens are likely to be occupied with a lot of ideas or thoughts, and they tend to focus on future plans.  To tell you the truth, I think that I’m always busy in my mind, so I sometimes can’t focus on the issues at hand.  Now, I understand that I have to concentrate on challenges facing me by virtue of the wisdom of the Enneagram.  Especially, as for my spiritual practice, the wisdom of the Enneagram is so helpful.  As mentioned about my zen meditation practice on the above question, I could not stand sitting for only a few minutes when I was at the beginning of practicing the zen meditation.  That was because a dozen thoughts crowded my mind.  A lot of thoughts disturbed my inner peace, so I gave up practicing the meditation soon then I used to tackle other things.  “If the mind becomes fascinated with the delights of outer life, then spiritual work deteriorates to pleasant planning and gluttony for life experience” (Palmer, 1995, p. 175).  That was the trap which I fell into very much.  However, fortunately, since I recognized the fact, I have restored tranquility, serenity, and peace of mind in my life by continuing zen meditation every day even if the meditation time is short.

Secondly, the wisdom of the Enneagram provided me with the opportunity to find my shadow pattern and to practice a shadow work.  Wilber (2007) explains that shadow work is one of the most important practices in order to develop ourselves.  In my view, the Enneagram is compatible with shadow work.  When I notice that the basic fear, basic desire, superego message, and wake-up call for type seven appear, that’s a good chance to practice a shadow work for me.  For instance, Sevens don’t want others to control the circumstance, but if I feel uncomfortable with the situation that others control me, I’ll be able to find my unique shadow pattern.  Then, I’ll transform my shadow into the power to develop my personal growth.  That is the one of the useful insights in the Enneagram for me.

Thirdly, the Enneagram showed me the nine levels of each type.  The concept was insightful for me.  The first reason is that I can recognize at which levels my center of gravity is by using this concept.  By noticing my current states of levels, I can understand whether I am at healthy levels or not.  If I fall into an unhealthy level, and I can notice that, I may be able to shift the level into an average or healthy level.  The second reason is related to “Integral Theory” which Ken Wilber proposed.  Now, I study it in Integral Psychology program at John F. Kennedy University, but the concept of nine levels of types is similar to the idea of “States of Consciousness” (Wilber, 2006, p. 71).  In a word, states of consciousness indicate the temporary, unsteady, and changeable states of human consciousness.  Like states of consciousness, nine levels of types move up and down in a single day (Riso & Hudson, 1999).  The concept of nine levels of types enhanced my understanding of Integral Theory, too.

Lastly, the path of integration and dis-integration about type seven gave me the hint to transform me.  Regarding the dis-integration of type seven, I could understand the cause for Sevens to go to type one when Sevens are under stressful conditions.  In other words, if I attempt to educate others like average Ones, I’ll be able to notice that I’ll go in the wrong direction, say, I’ll fall into dis-integration.  On the other hand, the integration for Sevens is going to type five.  If Sevens are able to cultivate a calm mind and concentrate on the tasks at hand, they will demonstrate their powerful potentials.  In that sense, the concept of integration and dis-integration suggests the possibility of my personal growth.

Enneagram Self-Reflection:What was your first reaction or response when you identified your Ennea-type(s)? Why do you think you had this reaction - does it correlate to qualities of your type?

What was your first reaction or response when you identified your Ennea-type(s)?  Why do you think you had this reaction - does it correlate to qualities of your type?

                          When I identified my Ennea-type as seven, my first reaction was as I expected.  In fact, since I was a university student, I have regarded myself as an enthusiastic man based on a lot of feedback which people around me gave.  In retrospect, I call to mind my behavior or attitudes in that I am a type seven. 

In fact, I always tended to keep my mind very busy.  As Riso and Hudson (1999) point out, “as long as they can keep their minds occupied, especially with projects and positive ideas for the future, they can, to some extent, keep anxiety and negative feelings out of their conscious awareness” (p. 263).  As the above sentence explains, I was usually occupied with positive ideas or interesting future plans in order to let go of my negative ideas and feelings.  Actually, I didn’t sometimes concentrate on what I had to do now because of my busy mind.  Therefore, I looked for the way to keep my mind calm then I was able to find zen meditation practice by chance.  After I started to practice zen meditation, I became able to keep my mind relaxed and serene little by little.  As Riso and Hudson (1999) recommend that Sevens practice meditation to feel the present moment, the meditation practice is so helpful for type seven, I think.  Thanks to zen meditation, now I can feel connected to the moment and enjoy fulfillment of everything around me.  In addition, zen meditation provides me not only a tranquil mind but also the opportunity to access true self.  Through zen meditation, I have been able to cultivate my spirituality and enjoy the present moment.  In regard to spiritual dimensions of type seven, Maitri (2000) comments that “The more we inquire into what it is that brings us joy through listening closely to our hearts, we will see that joy arises the more we are real and the more we face our truth, because this takes us one step closer to our depths (p. 239).  As a consequence, I noticed that my joy is not at the future but at the present.

Furthermore, my second highest score is type three and eight.  In other words, I’m not only an enthusiast but also an achiever and challenger.  I can recognize in myself that I have a strong desire to achieve something in my life, and I really like to challenge something, taking a risk.  That’s why I fully agreed with the result of the Enneagram test.  More specifically, as Palmer (1995) indicates “Threes are naturally competitive.  They like to stretch their limit, to play full out, to compete with the best” (p. 89), I was really competitive and sometimes cried when I missed some games when I was a kid.  Even now, I hate defeat, and I’m a truly emulous person.  Thus, I think that I have a strong factor of type three.

In addition to type three, type eight has an influence on my type.  Especially, I usually avoid and dislike for someone controlling me.  In fact, Eights tend not to “want to be controlled or allow others to have power over them” (Riso & Hudson, 1999, p. 289).  Also, I sometimes don’t like working under someone who exert his or her authority over me.  As discussed above, I totally agree with the idea that my personality type is comprised of type seven, three, and eight.

Integral Leadership Collaborative: Action Learning Working Session - Bring your real-life projects to this session!

From 8pm (Central Time), this futuristic roundtable discussions will begin.  The detail is the following.

The Integral Leadership Collaborative is far more than a conference. This is a chance to bring the projects that you are passionate about and work in groups with your peers. The idea is to collaborate over the next 4 weeks to take the next step in your leadership initiative. Come to this session with people you'd like to create projects with, start the conversation here, and continue it in the Action Learning Project Group section of the Members site. http://www.integralleadershipcollaborative.com/fe/13628-the-conference

Integral Leadership Collaborative: Panel Discussion Integral Leadership Coaching - Allison Conte, Brett Thomas, Paul Landraitis and Nathanael Chawkin

From 4pm (Central Time), panel discussion about integral leadership coaching will begin.  This topic is my interest, so I’m really looking forward to listening to it!

Integral Leadership Collaborative: Leadership at the Edge Insights From Leaders Who Hold Post-Conventional Consciousness on Change Initiatives - Barrett Brown

Integral Leadership Collaborative day 3 will start soon (noon Central Time).

Today’s first speaker is Barrett Brown.

The Enneagram: Self-Reflection Type Four (Individualist, Romantic)

Type 1	Type 2	Type 3	Type 4	Type 5	Type 6	Type 7	Type 8	Type 9
13	19	21	12	12	4	30	21	12

The above is the result of my Enneagram test.  As the result indicates, type four has a comparatively average influence on me.  Honestly speaking, I have thought of myself as an individualist, so I was a little bit surprised that the test score of type four was not so much high.  The following is my self-reflection about type four appeared in my life.

Firstly, Riso and Hudson (1999) point out that “Fours maintain their identity by seeing themselves as fundamentally different from others” (p. 180).  Reading this sentence, I smiled unwillingly, because this sentence rang a familiar bell about my characteristics.  Actually, I used to think that I’m totally different from others, and others can’t understand me truly.   Moreover, I used to see or see myself still now as a unique, special, talented person.  However, Fours tend to see themselves not as outstanding but also as uniquely disadvantaged or flawed (Riso & Hudson, 1999).   Interestingly, I don’t see myself as so, because I’m type seven so I’m optimistic and don’t like acknowledge my negative parts.  This is a little bit my egocentric characteristics that I regard myself as a unique or notable man, but I understand that this trait is still in me. 

Secondly, I found the difference between type four and seven in respect to self-recognition.  Riso and Hudson (1999) demonstrate that “Fours typically have problems with a negative self-image and chronically low self-esteem.  They attempt to compensate for this by cultivating a Fantasy Self-an idealized self-image that is built up primarily in their imaginations” (p. 181).  Obviously, Sevens have the exact opposite characteristics about self-recognition.  In other words, Sevens are likely to have a positive self-image and always have a high self-esteem.  It is true that this characteristic helped me a lot.  When I tackled something difficult, I could overcome them by virtue of my positive self-image and high self-esteem.  In fact, I usually say to myself like this “I can do it.  Because I am ‘Yohei (my name).’ If I can’t do that, who can do that?”  This self-talk is like an important sentence written in a famous self-help book.  However, I have one thing that I have keep in mind.  Certainly, my positive self-image and high self-esteem are helpful to accomplish something in my life, but as a matter of fact, I sometimes tend to overestimate myself.  As a result, there were some or a lot of failures in my life.  I don’t need to have a negative self-image and low self-esteem, but I rediscovered the fact that I often had too much confidence in myself. 

 Reference: The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types