What is the Enneagram? - Our Choice to Live Freely

The Enneagram is made up of NINE distinct energies. 

Many of us have come to know them as spaces or types. These energies affect everything on this plane of existence, and therefore affect us at different times as we move about the world. We cycle through all these energies as they move inside us, but one of energies or types becomes our “place of high traffic”. This is our “go-to” pattern. It serves us well as we live our lives, but when we are tired, hungry, stressed, or lonely, we will see ourselves fall into a patterned way of being.  This patterned way of being is know as “compulsed” and it helps us see our primary enneagram type. When we are caught in the compulsions of our type, we are not living from the real person we are here to be. These compulsions represent the lazy side of us that takes over when we are not present.

So… what do we do?

Our work with the enneagram calls us all to take time to self-observe. When we slow things down and take the time to breathe, we begin to see our compulsed patterns unfold. 

Our lives gift us with many reactive moments and when we react, our work begins.  Most times we see the compulsed reactive patterns after they happen. Through slowing our lives down, we then start to see them as we are acting them out. With much practice in being present, we begin to see some of them before they even take place. When we get to this place, we can see how there is a different way of meeting our reactions. Not just from our automatic reactivity, but in a new way. A way where WE choose.

My mentor, David Walsh, told me that Freedom is a faculty like sight. If we cover our eyes we do not possess the faculty of sight. As with our sight, we can only experience Freedom when we exercise it – Also know as CHOICE.  

As we move through our hectic lives this December, let your work with the enneagram grow your ability to live freely by exercising your ability to choose a different way of meeting the world.   

How will you meet the world and yourself this holiday season?

It all starts with being present.

Dale Bially
Inspired Enneagram