Typology

On last week's episode of Typology, I had an amazing conversation with my friend, Fr. Richard Rohr, renowned Enneagram expert and Franciscan Priest, and Executive Director for the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We discussed the difference between the true-self and the false-self and explained how the Enneagram can guide us on our journey toward identifying our own true-self. This week on Typology, Richard and I continue that conversation. Today, we talk about how to use the Enneagram on a daily basis as a framework, or a blueprint, for spiritual formation. Richard also offers words of encouragement and caution for each Enneagram type. For more enriching wisdom from Richard visit the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) and sign up for Richard's daily email that goes out with all kinds of wonderful wisdom and thoughts from him. You can also buy a few of Richard's books. A few of my favorites are The Naked Now, Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, and Immortal Diamond.

I first encountered the Enneagram when I was a graduate student at a conservative seminary. While on a weekend retreat I came across a copy of Fr. Richard Rohr's book, Discovering The Enneagram: An Ancient Tool for a New Spiritual Journey. In that book Richard describes the traits and the underlying compulsions of each of the nine basic Enneagram types. Based on my life experience and what I'd learned in my training to become a counselor, Rohr's description of the types blew my mind. They were uncannily accurate. I felt sure I had stumbled on an amazing resource, not only for Christians but for all people. Little did I know, that 25 years later, Richard and I would be friends and the Enneagram would become the central focus of my work. In this episode, you will learn: How Richard discovered the Enneagram How to break the shackles of self-doubt with self-compassion What exactly is the true self vs. false self Why the Enneagram can help to identify the true-self Richard is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and he is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is the author of numerous books, including Everything Belongs, Adam's Return, The Naked Now, Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, Immortal Diamond, and Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi.

Recently I came across an intriguing article in the Huffington Post about a group of Harvard researchers who undertook a longitudinal study to answer the questions, "͞What are the secrets to a happy and purposeful life?" and "How do we grow and change, what do we value as time goes on, and what is likely to make us happy and fulfilled?" What do you think the researchers said was their most important finding? It was that love and relationships are really all that matters. A person could have a successful career, money and good health, but without supportive, loving relationships, they wouldn't be happy. If it's true that relationships are all that really matter in life, then how do we create ones that are healthy and life giving? And for the sake of our conversation, how can the Enneagram help support our us? To explore these questions, I asked my longtime friends Shauna and Aaron Niequist to join me on today's show to talk about how they've used the Enneagram to support and nurture their relationship. For those of you who don't know them, Shauna is the New York Times bestselling author of the book "͞Present Over Perfect," and Aaron is a worship leader and the author of a new book to be released next August. As you'll soon discover these two people are veteran Enneagram students and incredibly funny to boot! So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the conversation. Suggested Reading ͞The Enneagram in Love and Work, by Helen Palmer ͞The Everyday Enneagram, Lynette Shephard ---- To download a PDF of a chapter from Ian's book called Finding Your Type, visit TypologyPodcast.com. You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And if you like the show, we'd love for you to go over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. It helps us know what you think, and it helps others find out about the show.

A few weeks ago, renowned Enneagram teacher and author Dr. Beatrice Chestnut joined me on our show to discuss how Enneagram Twos see and relate to the world. Beatrice was so great that we were flooded with requests to have her on again, and thankfully she agreed or we would've had a mutiny on our hands! On this episode Beatrice and I tackle the question "How do I use the Enneagram as a tool for personal and spiritual transformation?" It's a great question. Information isn't transformation. If you want to use the Enneagram as a blueprint for change then knowing your number is only the first step. So today Beatrice and I discuss a few of the many next steps we can take to bring about positive change in our lives through using the Enneagram. A student of the Enneagram system of personality since 1990 and a past president of the International Enneagram Association, Beatrice is the author of my all-time favorite Enneagram book, The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge. So, take a seat, put your napkin on your lap, and get ready for a feast of Enneagram wisdom! ---- To download a PDF of a chapter from Ian's book called Finding Your Type, visit TypologyPodcast.com. You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And if you like the show, we'd love for you to go over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. It helps us know what you think, and it helps others find out about the show.

The more I know about life and people, the more I love Enneagram Sixes. Called Loyalists, Sixes are the most faithful and dependable people on the Enneagram. They keep a watchful eye over us. They safeguard our values. In my opinion, they're the glue that holds our world together. And, by the time this episode is over, you're going to understand why Enneagram Sixes have a reputation for being some of the funniest people on the planet. But wait! There's another reason why you need to listen to this show! A few weeks ago, I hosted a panel of four Enneagram Nines, all of whom happened to be guys. At the end of that episode, I promised I would soon host a show with four women. Well, today's the day! For this week's Typology, I brought together Jill Phillips, Leslie Jordan, Francie Likis, and Katie Williams to describe what it's like to be Enneagram Sixes. You're going to love and admire this remarkable group of women. So sit back, hit play, and listen to this wonderful group of women talk about how they see and experience the world. You'll enjoy every minute of it. ---- To download a PDF of a chapter from Ian's book called Finding Your Type, visit TypologyPodcast.com. You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And if you like the show, we'd love for you to go over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. It helps us know what you think, and it helps others find out about the show.

Enneagram Twos are some of the most caring, kind, supportive, upbeat, and tenderhearted people on God's good green earth. Three of my closest friends are Twos, and together they radiate enough love and generosity of spirit to heat a metroplex. In Enneagram-speak they're called The Helpers. On today's episode, I'm joined by renowned Enneagram teacher, author, consultant, and Enneagram Two, Dr. Beatrice Chestnut Ph.D. A student of the Enneagram system of personality since 1990, she is the author of my all-time favorite Enneagram book, The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge. Enneagram Twos are far more complicated than they appear at first glance. Who better to describe what it's like to be a Helper than a Black-belt Enneagram expert and teacher. Beatrice was so good we decided to record two shows with her! Whether you're a Two or not, this show contains so much insight into the Enneagram it will blow your mind! Beatrice has taught at Northwestern University and was trained in group facilitation at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. She served as President of the International Enneagram Association from 2006-2007 and teaches workshops on the Enneagram internationally, focusing on using it as a tool for leadership development and personal transformation. Books and Resources for Enneagram Twos Boundaries: When to Say Yes, When to Say No-To Take Control of Your Life, Dr. Henry Cloud How to Love (Mindful Essentials), Thich Nhat Hanh

In 1991, tennis superstar Andre Agassi appeared in a television ad for a camera called the Canon Rebel. On the set, the fashionably dressed Agassi steps out of a white Lamborghini sports car, lowers his ray bans halfway down the bridge of his nose, gazes cockily into the camera, and says, "Image is everything." I watched that old commercial on YouTube the other day and thought to myself, "Wow, that guy's a poster child for all the not very self-aware Enneagram Threes in the world." Enneagram Threes are called The Performers. These folks are success-oriented, image conscious, and wired for productivity. They are motivated by a compulsive need to succeed or to appear successful, and to avoid failure at all costs. Performers see a world that values people more for their accomplishments, for what they do, not for who they are. Driven by the need for approval and admiration, Threes focus all their energies on winning and looking good doing it. As you listen to today's show, you'll realize that there's a lot to love about Threes when they're healthy, and my guest Jeff Goins proves my case. He's doing all the necessary work (or dare I say 'successfully' doing the work) to become his most authentic self. Jeff is an award-winning blogger, sought after speaker, and best-selling author of five books. He teaches online courses and is pretty sure he makes the world's best guacamole. He lives with his family here in Nashville, and more importantly, he's my friend. SUGGESTED READINGS: Becoming Who you Are, by James Martin, SJ Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self, by Richard Rohr Abba's Child: The Cry of the Human Heart for Belonging, by Brennan Manning Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular Age, by Henri J.M. Nouwen ---- To download a PDF of a chapter from Ian's book called Finding Your Type, visit TypologyPodcast.com. You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And if you like the show, we'd love for you to go over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. It helps us know what you think, and it helps others find out about the show.

I'm not kidding when I say Enneagram Nines (The Peacemakers) are well represented in my universe of relationships. My wife Anne is a Nine. My daughter Maddie is a Nine, and as you'll soon learn, a disproportionate number of my friends are Nines as well. On this week's show we decided to try something new. We invited not one but a panel of FOUR Enneagram Nines into the studio to describe what it's like to be members of the Peacemaker tribe. Why host a panel? In my experience, people learn more about different Enneagram types when they hear people who self-identify as that type talk about their lives. Why listen to me talk about a type when you can hear from folks who live it everyday? This week you'll meet four of my closest friends—Singer-songwriter Andy Gullahorn, guitarist, businessman, (and five time Grammy nominee) Randy Williams, Sobriety Coach and counselor David Hampton, and Chris Gonzalez, PhD, a Marriage and Family Therapist, and Director of the MFT program at Lipscomb University. We honestly didn't know what would happen when we stuffed me, my guest co-host Rabbi Evan Moffic, my producer Chad Michael Snavely, and four others guys into our tiny recording studio with a six pack of beer but as you'll soon hear -- it was magic. This is one of the most entertaining and enlightening shows I've ever been a part of. My panel today happens to be all men, but we've already scheduled a panel of four women to be on the show in the next few weeks and a mixed gender panel as well, so keep your eyes and ears open for those shows! ​​Suggested Readings for Enneagram Nines: - Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want, by Michael Hyatt - The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life with Everyday Courage, by Mel Robbins Be sure to listen to Episode 24 of The Road Back to You Podcast with Enneagram Nine Chris Gonzalez. My wife, Anne, is a Nine and she's listening to it! ---- To download a PDF of a chapter from Ian's book called Finding Your Type, visit TypologyPodcast.com. You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And if you like the show, we'd love for you to go over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. It helps us know what you think, and it helps others find out about the show.

Enneagram Eights (The Challengers) are hard driving, tough, decisive, innovative, and resourceful people who make things happen. They're larger than life presence and boundless energy instills confidence in others, and people follow them. As long as they're a man, that is. Our culture reveres male Eights. People admire men who "kick ass and take names." Sadly, we all know the word folks use to describe a woman who takes charge, stands up for what she believes, refuses to take crap from people and gets the job done. I don't need to spell it out for you, right? All to say, emale Eights are arguably the most misunderstood and unfairly treated number on the Enneagram. On today's episode of Typology, I talk with pastor, activist, musical artist, and Enneagram Eight, Melissa Greene. Affectionately called the 'The Velvet Hammer' by her friends and fans, Melissa is true to her type. In our conversation, Melissa shares her challenging but often humorous journey as a female ight who grew up and still lives in the American South--a culture in which women are expected to be sweet and gentee...ot made of steel. You can find more of Melissa's current work through Hope Curator for Timothy's Gift (http://timothysgift.com/) hich curates concert tours with other artists designed to entertain and uplift those in maximum security prisons. Melissa is also the Cofounder of Imaginarium (www.imaginarium.life)—a fresh expression of a spiritual community in Nashville. ---- To download a PDF of a chapter from Ian's book called Finding Your Type, visit TypologyPodcast.com. You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And if you like the show, we'd love for you to go over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. It helps us know what you think, and it helps others find out about the show.

"Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people," writes author Anne Lamott in her beautiful book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Whether you struggle with perfectionism in general, or in just one or two areas of your life, you know how draining and torturous it can be. Are there ways to overcome the tyranny of perfectionism? Is it possible to quiet or tame the negative self-commentary of our inner critic? How can we stop harshly judging ourselves and others, awaken self-compassion, and find peace in our "perfectly imperfect world?" No one's more qualified to discuss the perils and perks of being a perfectionist quite like a mature Enneagram One, a.k.a. The Perfectionist. On today's episode, my dear friend and wise Enneagram One Dr. Lee Camp shares how everything changes for the better when we live by the wise motto "progress, not perfection." If you're looking for a book to go along with the theme of today's episode, start here: The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are—Brené Brown Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life—Byron Katie And then don't forget to check out our guest Lee Camp's book, Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World. Be sure and check out what Lee's doing with the Token Show at TokensShow.com. ---- To download a PDF of a chapter from Ian's book called Finding Your Type, visit TypologyPodcast.com. You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And if you like the show, we'd love for you to go over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. It helps us know what you think, and it helps others find out about the show.