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