Typology

Grief is not something you do. It's something you go through.  All of us experience different types of grief and each of us grieve in different ways. But if we allow grief to consume us, if we don't grow through grief, it locks us in the past and keeps us stuck.  The recent loss of my mother has been an invitation for me to reflect on the ways I process my own grief.  So today, Anthony and I wante...

Our greatest legacies are not just in what we achieve, but in the indomitable spirit we demonstrate and pass on to the ones we love. Living a life of purpose could be the greatest gift you can give to the people you love.  In today's episode, pastor and motivational speaker, Jay Hewitt shares his deeply personal journey of facing a terminal brain cancer diagnosis at thirty-seven and opens up about...

How can we use the Enneagram to understand and navigate our emotions? Each of us has a unique emotional wiring that has shaped our personality. But oftentimes, we undervalue the importance of our feelings. "Feelings are just as much a gift from God as thoughts," explains Dr. Bill Gualtiere, "[...] our thoughts influence our feelings. But our feelings influence our thoughts also, and our feelings a...

The metric of success is not tied to money or fame, it's living up to what you're called to do. Founder and CEO of The Cupcake Collection, Mignon Francois, joins us for a delightful conversation about how she turned her last $5 into a $10 million dollar cupcake empire.  Now she's helping other people learn what they can do if only they believe in themselves.   "Everything is already here that will...

As human beings we're wired for connection – to be seen and known fully – yet loved anyway.  When we lack this true connection, we begin to drift into a feeling of loneliness or isolation, both of which have been proven to impact our physical and mental health.  Today's guest, Justin Whitmel Earley, explains the difference between social isolation and loneliness, then implores us to prioritize hea...

Philip Yancey is an award-winning author, renowned theologian, and influential speaker who has written 13 Gold Medallion award-winning books and won two ECPA Book of the Year awards for What's So Amazing About Grace? And The Jesus I Never Knew .  Today, I had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the bestselling book,  What's So Amazing About Grace? with author Philip Yanc...

"We have three energetic engines of what it means to be human. One is our feeling, one is our thinking, and one is our behaving. When those three things are integrated, the way that we're kind of wired, when we kind of again walk into the party and we're really behaving and thinking and feeling all in alignment, this is the fullest expression of a human being." explains Dr. Julia DiGangi.  Our new...

Sixes have excellent analytical minds, are great strategists, troubleshooters, problem-solvers, and of course, see worst-case scenarios that other people don't see. The passion of the Six is fear which is often experienced as anxiety…anxiety that the unexpected could happen at any time. But once they launch a mental narrative in their head of all that could go wrong, these fictional stories can ta...

There's no such thing as a pure personality type. We're all a mash up of two types – your dominant type and your dominant wing. Knowing your wing is important because they reveal a whole different side of your personality and can explain contradictory elements within your personality. Enneagram Fives are edged between the passionate, intense Four on one side and the loyal but anxious Six on the ot...

Burnout is more common than you think and the rates continue to rise. So, what constitutes burnout and how do we combat it?  First, we need to understand the stressors that lead to burnout in the first place.  According to physician, executive coach, and speaker Dr. Neha Sangwan, "burnout is due to prolonged stress and an ongoing net drain of energy on one or more of five levels: physical, mental,...

What is the gut-brain connection, and what role does it play in living a healthy and fulfilling life? Functional medicine expert Dr. Will Cole joins us to talk about his newest book, Gut-Feelings: Healing the Shame-Fueled Relationship Between What You Eat and How You Feel , and how to heal our bodies through nutrition. Versed in the Enneagram, Dr. Cole shares how it has helped him educate and empo...

To be human is to suffer. Most people try to bypass suffering or live with it in isolation. But true healing happens when you acknowlege its presence, learn to be with it, and allow others to come alongside you in your pain.  "Suffering is this whole notion of my perception that, 'I'm alone with my pain.' So suffering is a direct function of the degree to which I am isolated with my pain," explain...

Does your internal world align with your external world? If not, how can the Enneagram help you harness the vast treasures of instinctual insights and inspirations on a regular basis to realize personal and professional success?  Liz Tran, Executive Coach and author of The Karma of Success , joins me for a wonderful conversation about tapping into your inner genius in order to capitalize on what y...

We live in a world where we are faced with profound suffering on the news all day long and we see too much suffering of the world. But how do we take the unexpected things that happen to us and somehow breathe new life into them? Author of The Gift of the Unexpected: Discovering Who You Were Meant to Be When Life Goes Off Plan , Jillian Benfield believes, "No matter what your unexpected circumstan...

We're kicking off Season 7 with a topic I've not yet discussed on the show: Holy Ideas.  Holy Ideas remind us of the powerful spiritual roots of the Enneagram. They are great, universal, spiritual truths that we forgot or lost touch with, as the ego created an overlay of personality. It's a challenging concept, but today's guest, renowned Enneagram teacher Renée Rosario walks us through the Holy I...

As Richard Rohr says, Ones are childlike and full of joy and wonder at the world and creation.  But for Ones, that sense of joy has been lost.  Instead, they suppress their own feelings and focus on being good and doing what is right.  They feel a sense of duty and responsibility and may harbor resentment toward others who don't see things the right way – their way.  But what would it look like if...

Enneagram Threes focus on outstanding performance, being perceived as successful, and avoiding failure at all costs. They believe that love comes from achievement, image, and status and have the tendency to neglect or ignore the personal needs of self and others. But when Threes move toward health, they move to the high side of Six.  When that happens, they no longer need to "drive the bus" or fla...

Have you ever wondered why you like sad music, find comfort or inspiration in a rainy day, or react intensely to music, art, nature, and beauty?   If so, you may identify with the bittersweet state of mind.  Bestselling author Susan Cain joins Anthony and I in a deep exploration of the important topic of bittersweet. She explains that "a s humans, we enter this world with a sense of longing and se...

Some of my favorite interviews on Typology happen when a guest comes on thinking they're one type but they present differently. Today is one of those conversations. We start the show by talking to author, speaker, and social media personality, Carlos Whittaker, exploring how he determined his type and what struck him the most about being an Enneagram 9. Not long into our conversation, we begin to...

When human language can no longer carry the freight of an idea or a spiritual truth, you have to default to metaphor or to another language that can do that job. That language might be sculpture, film, music, or art…whatever medium can express things that discursive analytical language cannot. No other Enneagram type can match the Enneagram Four's creative gift for giving language to ideas others...

Let's face it, relationships are complicated.  But the more you know about yourself and your partner, the easier it is to communicate and navigate conflict. This week, Mike Alexander, Enneagram Six returns along with his wife, Enneagram One, and psychotherapist Cheryl, for a powerful conversation about the dynamics of their relationship and their own journey of healing within their types.  We dig...

Whether we're watching it play out on social media or experiencing it in our relationships and workplaces, all of us know someone who is addicted to drama.  But how do you recognize a drama addiction in yourself or others?  And once you recognize it, how do you break the cycle and live more peacefully? Today on Typology, clinical psychologist Scott Lyons, Ph. D., reveals how he learned to navigate...

What roadblocks keep you from reaching your true potential? How can you shift your mindset to find true inspiration and fulfillment?  CEO of SelfHelp(ful) and host of the SelfHelp(ful) podcast, Kevin Miller believes the key to motivation is understanding what it is that you truly value.  "If it wasn't anybody else, if it was just for you, what do you really want, that you can own?" asks Kevin. For...

Last week David Gungor shared his struggle in determining his type, how he embraces his "chaotic intentionality," and what it means to need others to "get out of his face."  Today we continue the conversation using the Enneagram to help Enneagram Eights grow in self-awareness through spiritual practices and leaning into the people they do trust to gain true intimacy.   David Gungor is a member of...

Enneagram Eights are called The Challenger for a good reason.  Eights don't like to feel controlled and avoid any appearance of vulnerability.  They are naturally confrontational and their combative energy can feel intimidating to others.  But what feels like intimidation to others actually feels like connection to an Eight.  Eights express their anger freely, are fueled by high levels of stimulat...