Reader,
What you will find in this email:
- The reflection I’m practicing as I finish a 12-week Enneagram training
- A simple way to work with your type
- A free Deeper Dive Guide to your type
I’m finishing up a 12-week certification process this week with Enneagram + Marriage, and I will share more in a couple of weeks, once I submit the final case study requirements.
For now, I want to share one of the more meaningful insights I have had along the way, because it has been shaping how I understand myself in a way I did not expect.
Throughout the training, Christa Hardin kept referring to me, an Enneagram Type 3, as a "truth teller", which is not typically how Type 3s are known. The first time I heard that, I remember thinking, "Has she got that right? Aren’t those the 8s and 1s?". When I asked her where she was getting that from, she pointed to something I had not considered: the virtue of each type and how it helps move us beyond the vice.
For Type 3, the virtue is veracity. It is not a word our culture uses much, but it speaks to alignment with truth, accuracy, and honesty. (excellent article here on this) In that sense, it makes sense that a growing Type 3 would become a truth teller.
The vice of the Type 3 is self-deceit, not dishonesty toward others, but a subtle tendency to deceive ourselves into believing that we are the image we present. When that happens, it becomes easy to put more energy into managing how we are perceived than into allowing what is actually true.
What I have been noticing is that when someone asks how I am doing, and I begin my response with, “If I was honest…,” I find myself saying what is actually going on. And if I am honest right now, this is difficult work for me, and at the same time, it has been freeing to let that be rather than shape-shift or expend the energy on image-management.
Virtue is not something you force, but something you allow. So I have been practicing a simple question: “If I allowed myself to be honest…”
Here is what this might look like across the Types. How does this sit with you and your Type?
Type 1 — Serenity
If I allowed myself to be at peace… what would I release?
Type 2 — Humility
If I allowed myself to be honest about my own needs… what would I acknowledge?
Type 3 — Honesty (Veracity)
If I allowed myself to be honest… what would I share?
Type 4 — Settledness (Equanimity)
If I allowed myself to be settled… what would I feel without letting it lead?
Type 5 — Detachment (Generosity)
If I allowed myself to stay present… what might I give away?
Type 6 — Courage
If I allowed myself to trust my own courage… what would I do without over-preparing?
Type 7 — Contentment (Sobriety)
If I allowed myself to be satisfied right now… what would I notice?
Type 8 — Openness (Innocence)
If I allowed myself to be open… what would I feel without protecting myself?
Type 9 — Right Action
If I allowed myself to fully show up… what would I say or do to express what I want?
It is worth noting that this movement from vice to virtue is not quick work. It is a lifelong process that requires being curious about your patterns, becoming aware of how they shape your life and relationships, and practicing something different over time.
Where might you allow yourself to be more honest this week, or, if you know your type, where might you allow yourself to move toward your virtue?
FREE RESOURCES FROM E + M TRAINING
One of the things I have appreciated about Christa at Enneagram + Marriage is the generosity of her resources, and I have permission to share them with you. One in particular that is an incredible gift is her Deeper Dive Guide by Type.
If you would like a 40-plus-page Deeper Dive Guide for your specific Enneagram type, reply to this email with your type, and I will send it to you. It is a very thorough and handy resource.
If you want to explore the Enneagram, therapy, and marriage further, the Enneagram + Marriage Podcast is a great place to begin.
As I finish this certification, I will share more in a couple of weeks about how this work will begin to expand 9 Lumens Coaching's offerings, particularly in the context of relationships.
P.S. With summer coming, if you have been thinking about starting or refreshing your Enneagram journey, I would love to hear more about where you are and what you are looking for. To explore the different ways to work with me, you can find those here
Whether that looks like weekly, bi-monthly, or once-a-month sessions, we can find a rhythm that fits your summer!
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Linda Hannigan
Your Guide to the Enneagram
Coaching for clarity. Space for change. Support for lasting growth.
Certified Enneagram Coach | Credentialed Life & Leadership Coach | BTH, CPLC, PCC
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