Painting created by Alex Gellman
“Learn from this universal truth: We are given more than enough energy to transform ourselves every day, but we waste 98 percent of it on tensions, on emotional reactions unrelated to what is actually occurring, and on daydreaming and mental chatter”. (The Wisdom of the Enneagram, pg. 348)
I can certainly relate to this quote on days like today; Since waking up an hour ago I’ve been chastising myself about my poor and too frequent food choices yesterday afternoon. My mind is preoccupied with worry about whether we’ll have enough money for retirement, and what if my health goes downhill and I can no longer work; I empathize with folks who come to see me complaining of minor ailments that they’ve blown up in their minds to be a chronic terminal condition. As Mark Twain said: “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”
Yes we all do this ruminating on negativity, but where does all this negativity come from?
I do not want to fall into the cliché of blaming my parents, although in my case it’s certainly true. I unfortunately only saw myself through the eyes of those who put me down and told me I was ugly, short and looked like a mushroom.
Even though I had a mother I adored, I grew up to have low self esteem and felt I would fail in all I would do.
It took hard work and much soul searching and education to recreate a positive foundation of beliefs about myself and about life in general. I’ve come to believe we grow more beautiful every day if we truly care for ourselves. Last week I treated myself to the theater to see the musical “Sister Act”. Although I went straight from a busy day at work, when I caught my reflection in a mirror, I could honestly say, “Wow, I look hot”! I’m 55 but age doesn’t matter, spirit does – and by the way, the musical was awesome!
Not enough emphasis is given to the benefits of getting to know yourself. Increased self awareness can help you define your own priorities, facilitate decision making and help you connect to your strengths to optimize your potential.
Because we’re bombarded with media images of what we should look like and how we should act and what food to eat, plus we’re surrounded by well meaning family and friends sharing their opinions, our own deep seated needs and wants can go unheeded, and may not even be acknowledged.
Everyone needs to know themselves, and one highly regarded and effective
tool for self discovery is the Enneagram. This test reveals who you were meant to be and who you became because of childhood challenges. It will help you better understand your own motivations and triggers, and you’ll start to recognize self sabotaging behavior – like negativity – and learn to stop it.
The Enneagram identifies nine different personality types by number. For instance, my Enneagram is an Eight.
Eights are driven, passionate and look out for the underdog. They will shut down emotionally to protect themselves from being hurt. Painful childhood experiences will lead them to want to be self-sufficient.
Their greatest opportunity for growth is to open up emotionally (like I am doing) and be vulnerable.
You can email me at [email protected] and I will send you an Enneagram assessment that you can do online for $10. Consider having a one on one consultation with me to review the results for greater understanding.
After you have determined your Enneagram I will offer you a 15 minute FREE consultation.
Your feelings of self worth are also affected by the food you eat – believe it or not. Food is fuel for the brain and the spirit as well as for the body, so make wise food choices. Here is a smoothie recipe that will bring you courage to face the truth and the tenacity to persevere.
Good food helps transform feelings of hopelessness, depression and low self esteem. It’s a step to feeling empowered and motivated to make the necessary change to achieve the life of your dreams.
ANTIOXIDANT Smoothie
1 fig
½ cp blueberries
½ pomegranate
¼ cup gojji berries
1 cup almond milk
2 scoops Ultra clear Sustain
Large sprig of fresh dill
10 almonds or ¼ cup ground almond meal
Mix all ingredients in your vita mix or in your blender. Garnish with a skewer of blueberries and a fig. Enjoy!
