How's That Working For You?

Take a listen to this quick, post-interview Enneagram breakdown given by our host, Art Wimberly.

In both 12 Step and Enneagram growth-work a lot of attention is often paid to the 'three instincts of humanity’, that is, the Self-Preservation, Sexual-Syntonic and Social-Adaptive instincts.  Often our personality style is significantly shaped - even driven - by our mostly non-conscious fear revolving around the resources needed to satisfy one of the instincts.  This would be our Dominant Instinct and certain ennea-types combined with certain Dominant Instincts form what are termed Counter Types.  A Counter Type in simplest terms, is an individual whose outward behavior, mannerisms and habits appear counter in some core way to others who identify as the same type. For this reason those that are Counter Types often have more difficulty finding their ‘home’ enneagram number.

Sexual Instinct dominant type Ones are the counter type of One and on today’s HOW’S THAT WORKING FOR YOU? we go live (an up close!) with a Sexual One.  Maggie Banger - addiction recovery and grief therapist with an enneagram informed practice - joins us in studio and gets all up in our space!  Maggie shares  about her (clearly Sexual Instinct-driven) daily coffee treat, her 'moody and broody’ self and - like Alice in Wonderland - the challenge of finding the right balance in her ‘muchness’.  We also discuss the unique and crucial role that deep grief work plays in recovery, for both the recovering addicted and their loved ones as well, and why she was moved to become one of the leading practitioners in that therapeutic space in Alabama.

Join us as Erika Jobes - ennea-type 8, cardiac nurse practitioner, and faculty instructor with The Institute for Conscious Being - shares about the crucial role integrative use of the enneagram is playing in her journey into a more conscious life AND the extraordinary enneagram learning opportunity coming to Birmingham.

Whether you are new to the enneagram, already work with it on some level, or are a veteran with this ancient wisdom system, you will not want to miss this interactive presentation of the spiritual enneagram, led by Dr. Joe Howell, clinical psychologist, co-founder of The Institute for Conscious Being, International Enneagram Association (IEA) Accredited Professional Teacher, and author of Becoming Conscious: The Enneagram’s Forgotten Passageway.

Return to Essence: Dive Deeply Into The Spirituality Of The Enneagram will be hosted by Birmingham’s historic downtown First Church United Methodist Church, August 12th and 13th, 2022.

You can get more information and sign up for this event by going here

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/return-to-essence-dive-deeply-into-the-spirituality-of-the-enneagram-tickets-319707322207?utm-campaign=social%2Cemail&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-source=strongmail&utm-term=listing

I was in a small group gathering recently where our teacher ended his lesson about the proper use of authority with this statement: “Nothing endears like unused power.”  Now I don’t know if the speaker had enneagram type Eights in mind when he came up with that phrase but those words contain keen insight into the journey most type Eights must undergo.  Somewhere in life, for them to become their truest self, our beautiful Eights must learn how to lower their ‘power-shield’, remember their own innocence, and become present to the vulnerability of life.  Ironically, this movement to vulnerability makes them even more powerful on the behalf of others.

In this episode you can come along as Birmingham businessman, family guy, part-time track coach, and enneagram Eight Josh Reidinger, reflects on his journey.  From his natural bent toward early leading and fixing in the family system, his leadership and responsibility roles in business, through a painfully difficult fostering and adoption process - all amidst decades of trying to shield his family and save his beloved brother from the ravages of addiction - we can sense the tremendous burdens of both capacity and obligation beginning to take their inevitable toll.

Join us as Josh gives us some insight into taking apart some of the silos and walls he had been unconsciously building throughout his life.

What are the forces and dynamics that shape and influence the patterns in which our particular personality thinks, emotes and acts?  This inquiry is often framed as the question “Is it nature or nurture?” or “Is it my biology or my biography?”  In other words, have the ways I’ve been consistently showing up in the world been primarily determined by the way I was designed (nature/biology), or, the  experiences I have encountered in my life, whether good, bad or indifferent (nurture/biography)?  Most have generally concluded that at the very least it is some combination of the two dynamics.

Take a listen to this quick Enneagram Teaching lesson given by our host, Art Wimberly.

“The Purpose Driven Life” , written by Rick Warren in 2002, quickly became and remains one of the best-selling non-fiction books of all time.  Its’ exploration of the triple interweaving themes of ‘Who am I?’ ‘Do I matter?’ And ‘Why am I here?’ clearly struck a timely and universal nerve regarding the human search for significance.While finding and living out our purpose - our uniquely designed blessing for the world - is indeed a struggle we must each undergo, it seems that some of us might have personalities that are driven more early and often  by that dynamic.  For instance, enneagram archetype Three appears somehow more attuned in their soul to - and thus driven by - purpose.  However, when living life unconsciously, their driving purpose is not always healthy and can actually cause great suffering for themselves and those around them.

In this episode we get to hear how the seed of purpose keeps appearing in the life and story of Colin Harris, ennea-type Three, co-creator and partner at the Birmingham Recovery Center, husband, brand-new proud father, and recovering heroin addict.  Listen in as Colin shares how his early drive for purpose almost got him killed and left him just short of prison, but also how redeemed purpose has changed/is changing the trajectory of his life AND others in his community.

And if that’s not enough to get you to listen we also get to take another shot at Auburn football!

A quick glance at the Enneagram symbol and you notice that the Type Nine sits at the top of the circle. So you might say that - graphically at least - Nines can easily ‘see’ all the other types from their vantage point.  What is true from a graphic perspective is actually also true in reality: Nines tend to naturally notice everyone, are curious about their needs and viewpoints, and deeply desire to create a peaceful space that draws and keeps everyone together to bring about a greater common good.  Nines easily see the value in individuals, want to encourage that value, and want them to be confident in asserting their value outward to the world.

The painful irony is that Nines often struggle mightily to recognize and believe in their own unique value enough to offer it boldly to the world. This generally leads to an unconscious pattern where Nines habitually subordinate their own needs, desires, dreams and value to others, much of which is driven by a deep fear of painful rejection if the Nine takes a chance and offers their true self to the world. While this unaware strategy might "work" in the short term and to some degree, it eventually creates enough suffering and inner anger that something needs to give.

So how might a Nine become not only aware of the hidden personality pattern that is sabotaging relationships and dreams but also a pathway through to their essence?  Join us on this episode as real estate marketing consultant, podcast producer AND podcast host, digital media techno-geek, husband and dad, hip-hop devotee, golfer and card-carrying Nine, my friend Ronnie Gatrey, switches chairs and mics to share his very valuable Nine journey.  And tune in to see if we can impart any value to Ronnie even though he doesn’t have a valuable addiction!

Tune in as Host Art Wimberly breaks down the Enneagram details contained in his recent interview with Jane Strong.

Chaos always accompanies addiction, regardless of the specific addictive behavior. Whether it’s the inner turmoil of the addicted person or the outer craziness their behavior eventually brings to their life and to those who care about them, chaos is sooner or later a dynamic in the addictive lifestyle.