there is a truer "I"

The Lies of Ego/Identity attributed to the writing of Henri Nouwen.

We have so identified with our ego/false self that it's often quite a freeing revelation to learn that what we have, what we do, and what others think/say about us is only our small "s" self and not our truest capital "S" Self.

For most of my years, even deep into my faith life, I believed I was the collection of my thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. My personality was me. What a life altering experience to begin to recognize my personality as only a part of me- a series of conditioned thoughts, strategies, patterns that was formed early in my life and that I've largely overidentified with as the whole of me.

In Enneagram workshops, I like to have a raincoat on that I take off and hold, sharing that this raincoat is like our personality....a part of us that has helped to protect us...but it is not the core of who we are. We are more than our personality.

Our protective ego self that has worked overtime to assure safety, security, approval, esteem, power, and control, would like to remain in the driver's seat and have us believe that it needs to be in charge, but what about the part of us underneath our ego/personality that is inherently and unconditionally approved of, loved, and secure? Could we dare believe that our very Essence- without any measurement of possessions, achievements, or others' opinions- is this glorious capital S "Self" that is the highest expression of ourselves and would like to be in the driver's seat?

The Enneagram is a tool used to help us become aware of who we think we are and who we really are. We don't get rid of ego/personality nor live fully from Essence on this side of life, but we can begin to work lovingly with our personalities in healing ways that help us to live from more of our Self.

Right foot, Left foot on your wholehearted journey!

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." -Unknown

"You're not healing to become worthy. You're healing to realize you always were." -Vex King