Typology

Decision making takes courage. But sometimes the commitment to find the best option consumes an enormous amount of mental energy and can leave any of us exhausted and stuck. However, when you learn to stop overthinking you can start spending time on things that bring more peace, love, and joy into your life. Today, we're revisiting my interview with Anne Bogel on getting decisive. Though we focus a lot on Enneagram Nines in this conversation, I think you'll find her advice applicable -- no matter what your type is! So, take another listen as Anne gets to the heart of decision-making as an Enneagram Nine, shares what perfectionism-driven overthinking looks like, and suggests a few disciplines that Nines can use to get out of analysis-paralysis. Wishing you all a very happy holiday!

What is right and what is wrong? What is good? What is not good? We all tend to believe we know, but each one of us would answer these questions differently. Enneagram Ones, in particular, tend to be pretty black and white when it comes to right and wrong. Typically, it's harder for Ones to see the gray. So, learning to see the fundamental perfection, or goodness, at the core of all things is an important area of growth for Ones.

Today, author Jelani Memory and I explore the nuances of The Improver, the impact family of origin has on personality, and how he's learned to find good in the gray.

Jelani Memory is a black man of faith, who originally founded Circle Media which is now Co-owned by Disney and launched an amazing publishing company called A Kids Book About.

The mission of "A Kids Book About," is to help kids and their grownups have honest conversations by making books about challenging, empowering, and important topics told by diverse authors who know that topic first-hand. They cover a range of topics such as racism, white privilege, empathy, anxiety, and addiction.

He's spent his career creating products for families, changing the way they engage online and with each other. He lives in Portland OR with his wife and six kids. He still hopes to become an artist when he grows up.

This week I continue the conversation with Leeann and Michelle. Blending humor, motherhood, and the Enneagram, Leeann and Michelle show how they approach self-awareness and personal growth with lightheartedness and compassion towards themselves and others. Tune in through the end of the show to hear the advice they each share for processing big emotions.

With backgrounds in commercial acting, television news, and comedy – Leeann and Michelle are a firehouse combination. You recognize them from their viral hits like, "Look What Joanna Made Me Do," "If You're My Friend Then You'd Buy This," and "The Diet." The success of videos like those fuels their passion to create great comedy in many mediums; parodies, sketch humor and live shows. Leeann & Michelle have attracted 40 million views of their videos, and have received national attention from USA Today, The New York Times, TODAY and Southern Living. Leeann & Michelle routinely appear in local media, sell out their improv shows, and have even earned the adoration of the one and only, Joanna Gaines. Between shoots, you can find Leeann & Michelle sweating it out in Phoenix, AZ. Leeann is likely cleaning or organizing her home (again), while Michelle is avoiding laundry.

You can watch more of Leeann and Michelle on YouTube.

**If you love this episode and want to hear more about Fours and Eights, listen to Tori Kelly and Andre Murillo discuss the role the Enneagram plays in understanding their friends and family, respecting each other's strengths, and navigating their emotions.

What happens when two comedians who love the Enneagram get together to make YouTube videos? You get over 50 amusing Enneagram-related videos to entertain you. With backgrounds in commercial acting, television news and comedy, Leeann Dearing and Michelle Fortin are a firehouse duo who create great comedy in many mediums: parodies, sketch humor and live shows. You can catch their "Enneagram Funnies" here.

These two join me in witty banter to discuss how the Enneagram has transformed their lives. You're going to love them.

Enneagram Sevens typically appear confident, optimistic, and sunny. They're experts at finding the silver lining in any given situation in an attempt to avoid psychological and emotional or even sometimes circumstantial discomfort or distress. But what people don't understand about Sevens is if you scratch the paint just a little bit you'll find a lot of anxiety and unattended sorrow, unattended grief that they've spent so long living into the expectations that others have of them to always be the person who brings the juice, or make the party fun.

So how do Sevens learn to sift through their anxiety and grief so they come out stronger on the other side? Listen as my guest, two-time Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and actress, Jamie Grace, walks us through her process and provides a few tips for quieting the noise.

Jamie is a very self-aware Enneagram Seven who actively advocates for joy, wellness, and mental health through the lens of music, film, and faith. An entertainer at heart, she regularly creates fresh content, including new music and weekly videos and episodes of her podcast, the Jamie Grace Podcast.

The Enneagram is a wonderful instrument that helps us develop self-awareness and self-knowledge that allows us to move through the world more intelligently, with more love and compassion, but it doesn't define us. It helps us develop an internal witness who can stand back and observe when we need to make a different choice or action. So, when life throws you a curveball, as it did for our guest, Marcus Johns, the Enneagram allows us to shift our perspective and let go of what is not in our control.

Marcus is an actor, musician, writer, and social content creator best known for his viral Vine videos, which continue to entertain people on YouTube. You can also find him here on Instagram.

I'm often asked what it's like for specific type-pairings to be in a relationship? I believe that any type can have a successful partnership as long as they are healthy in their type. That doesn't mean there won't be challenges along the way, but when you're self-aware and also understand how your partner sees the world, it allows for more grace and compassion towards each other.

Today, Lee and Laura Camp join me in a discussion of how the Enneagram helped them get into a healthy space and allowed them to heal their relationship as an Enneagram 1 and Enneagram 8.

We know that Enneagram Ones have a strong inner critic, but they're not alone. Just how loud is that inner critic for an Enneagram Four? What does it sound like?

Tune in this week as former Bachelor, Ben Higgins talks about his inner critic, the healing journey of getting over his "Self," and the role the Enneagram has played in finding true compassion and connection among all of his relationships.

Enneagram Eights are charismatic individuals who lead through strength, competence, stability, and control. When self-aware, they learn to balance their intensity with a strategic approach and bring community leaders together to execute big changes.

Today's guest, one of our country's top voices on community partnerships, Joshua Dubois, joins me in a discussion about the Enneagram and how it has made his team more empathetic and more human with one another.

In this episode we cover:

• Learning to trust his instincts
• How leading strategically opens the door for communication
• What Joshua learned through his experience in the White House

CEO, author, and media commentator, Joshua DuBois is one of our country's top voices on community partnerships, issues impacting African Americans, and religion in the public square. Joshua led the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships under President Obama. In the White House he brought together community leaders from across the ideological spectrum to tackle some of the nation's biggest challenges. Joshua is now CEO of Gauge, a market research company, and also leads Values Partnerships (valuespartnerships.com), one of the country's top social impact agencies. He is a frequent media commentator on CNN and author of the bestselling book, "The President's Devotional: The Daily Readings that Inspired President Obama," a compilation of the devotional meditations he shared with the President and narratives of faith in public life.

One of my favorite quotes by M. Scott Peck is, "Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths." Once you accept that life is hard, and the sooner that you accept it, the better off you'll be.

With all the craziness of 2020, it's important to remember that life is full of struggles and we all have to live with a certain amount of pain. If we let it, our negative thoughts can take over and take us out of the game before we even start. But, with a little self-awareness, we can learn to quiet our thoughts and manage the uncertainty and self-doubt that arises when times are difficult.

My guest today, author, business coach, and Enneagram 7, Alli Worthington joins me for a great conversation about overcoming adversity and moving forward when things are tough.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What it looks like to "Stand Strong."

• How to manage pain and crisis without numbing out, and

• Recognizing and managing your Inner Critic

Alli Worthington is known for her straight-talking encouragement and practical tools that help women reach their dreams in business and life. She's a business coach and advisor who has worked with companies such as Intel, Disney, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble. She is the co-founder of "Called Creatives," where she coaches writers and speakers.

Author of The Year of Living Happy, Fierce Faith, and Breaking Busy, Alli is a well-known speaker and host of the popular podcast, The Alli Worthington Show. In her new book, Standing Strong: A Woman's Guide to Overcoming Adversity and Living with Confidence, Alli gives women a no-nonsense guide to recognizing and eliminating the things that hold them back, to tackling the obstacles of fear, self-doubt, and insecurity, and to stepping into the dreams that planted in their hearts. Each chapter closes with discussion questions and action steps to aid readers on their journeys to living with strength and confidence.