How are you motivated?
Apr 11th, 2008 by spaceagesage
I have been researching the Enneagram personality types to discover more about why I do what I do and how to change. What is the Enneagram? I like this definition that I just Googled for and found at sensesopen.com : “The ancient Enneagram is a profound and elegant approach to communication, character and culture. Based on ancient sources … the Enneagram describes nine different character types or worldviews: the ways that people and groups think, act, feel, and most especially, relate to one another.”
Also at this site, is an overview of each type’s deep, internal motivations for why they do the things they do. Here is the list:
Type 1: Wants to avoid mistakes and do the right thing.
Type 2: Wants to sense and support the emotional needs of others in order to feel important, needed and loved.
Type 3: Wants to achieve recognition for accomplishments. To be successful and to look good.
Type 4: Wants to find love, meaning, and fulfillment through self-expression and deep connection.
Type 5: Wants to protect privacy by limiting desires and accumulating knowledge.
Type 6: Wants to feel safe, secure and prepared in a threatening and dangerous world.
Type 7: Wants to enjoy and experience life to its fullest.
Type 8: Wants to be powerful and in control. To gain respect by protecting the weak and the innocent.
Type 9: Wants to be at peace with themselves and with the world.
Now I would guess we all want some of these things, like to be at peace and to do the right thing, but these motivations are not superficial in these Enneagram types. Each motivation listed is the deepest, most motivating part of each type’s psyche.
For example, as a Six personality type (OK, the cat is out of the bag now!), my motivations are to be “safe, secure and prepared in a threatening and dangerous world.” Well now I know why I became a tomboy, why I learned the martial arts to the point of being able to teach them at the senior level, and why I used to always play devil’s advocate or to see the negative side of something first — all this protectiveness just to never become vulnerable to a perceived threat.
“Perceived” is the key word, there. Sheesh. A lot of my time and energy has gone into building a protective shield or force field around myself. Now I know why the martial arts, journalism, photography, firefighting, and being an EMT came so naturally to me. I wanted to be in the know, behind the camera, or capable in emergencies. Now I know why deep relationships, life-long friendships, and being a warm, fuzzy type of person has often eluded me. It was if a sign hung on my heart that said, “Shoot First; Ask Questions Later!” or as if my heart kept broadcasting the words of the old TV show robot on Lost in Space, “Danger, Will Robinson. Danger!”
So now I have to learn to let go of my own overactive sense of self-protection and believe in myself more. It’s actually kind of weird. On the one hand, I know I am one of the most capable people I know of in any emergency, but part of me feels like a failure desperately needing to do more, to learn more, to know more. Fortunately my journey into awareness is helping me to see my favorite Louise Hay affirmation is more and and more real: “I am safe. I rest knowing that only right action is taking place in my life at all times.”
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The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.
~ M. Scott Peck ~
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