Shhh... don't tell anyone. I'm going on a 13 month journey.

I thought that might get you! Truthfully, I am going on a 13-month journey - an inward journey with Russ Hudson. Russ is a world-renowned Enneagram author, teacher, and thinker. He has written several classics about the Enneagram. He and his partner, Don Riso (now deceased) brought the Enneagram to the modern world through their ideas of how Enneagram fuses psychology and spirituality. He believes the Enneagram is the map to understanding our forgetfulness, allowing us to recognize the neural patterns that take us away from our Essence. I have signed up for his 13 month certification in Conscious Living, allowing me to do the deeper inner personal growth work so I can be a better coach (so Type Five of me). I am so excited - this is a win-win!

You too can get to know Russ through his website and free monthly guided practices. This commitment to getting present in body, mind, and heart is the cornerstone of Enneagram teachings - balancing our heart, head, and gut centers of intelligence. This can only be done through daily practice. You can enjoy this practice free from his website where you will receive his monthly practice, https://russhudson.com. You will not regret this!

Remember, to please sign up for my FREE Enneagram typing session. This is my life purpose and mission - to type as many people I possibly can to make a difference in their lives and our world. It truly is a magical tool for personal growth. Here is the link: https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/64334

And here is this week’s blog where the Spiral of Discovery continues on to Saboteurs (kind of icky but the heart of the Enneagram self-growth work).

How the Eclipse Shined Light on My Shadow.

A once-in-a-lifetime event happened in our little town - a total solar eclipse. This is the perfect opportunity for this type Five to shine her light.

Waiting for the magic to happen.

Weeks ago, I had planned for my snow tires to be swapped to summers at my car dealership in Burlington. on the Friday before the eclipse. Hmm…Do you think people will be coming up for the weekend that day? What will traffic be like on our two-lane highway into town that afternoon? A quick look at the grocery store parking lot as I drove past en route to my tire swap and it looked like locals were already getting prepared. I will stop in (with my list in hand) and bust out groceries to meal-prep for the weekend. Time management.

Saturday morning, hours spent in the kitchen (Type Fives love their “me” time even if it is for the collective good) local law enforcement cautions locals to stay off the roads (even canceling school on Monday). You don’t have to ask me twice. Stay home? I’m on it!

You see, Type Fives rely almost completely on their thoughts and devising ways to conserve resources. All of this eclipse prep was the perfect scenario to shine my light - shopping before the crowds, staying home, prepping meals, But is that really shining my light, or is it shining light on my shadow? I would say with all of that resource conservation, shadow work is definitely playing out. Did someone say Avarice?

In Chris Heuertz’s book The Enneagram of Belonging, he graciously assigns type-specific loving-kindness mantras to help us manage our Shadows and Saboteurs. I recite them daily (especially when the night-time thoughts creep in) and these phrases have helped me incredibly.

May I be here now.

The view from our spot - Totality.

May I say Yes to the silence.

May I let go.

May I have Faith (I’ve added this one specifically for me to be more open to the Universe’s energy and guidance.)

As my mantra played in my head, tick, tick, tick so did the countdown to totality. I thought about how lucky I was to be experiencing this with Ernie and Brock. This would most likely be something we never experience together again. So be here now, Julie. Say yes to the Silence. Let go. Have Faith.

Preparation for the eclipse brought out the Avarice in me, but when it was time to experience it, my shadow stayed away. The work is a daily thing. And I’m ok with that. When I needed to shine my light and get deeply present, I did and experienced something I will never forget.

Remember, my Enneagram Typing Sessions are FREE. As I explained to a group of women earlier this week - YOU ARE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ME - typing helps me build my business! So please, if you haven’t been typed, sign up!



This week’s blog is about two of the Enneagram triads. These are very useful triads as they have to do with conflict style and how we interact with others to meet our needs. If you haven’t been typed, maybe reflect on your style and you might be able to discern your type.

Last Call for Deep Dive Workshop - 2 spots remain, begins 3/14

There is so much to learn about yourself and your loved ones through the Enneagram. I guarantee more fulfilling relationships and a more purposeful life when you join me on this journey of self-discovery. I only have two spots left on my Deep Dive and since I am offering a 2-for-1 on my Deep Dive Enneagram Workshop with a new start date of March 14th you’ll want to jump in! Email me and I can help you with the 2-for-1 deal.

Remember, I offer FREE Enneagram typing. If you want to join the workshop with a friend, they will want to be typed ASAP.

That is all I got this week - still playing catch-up from vacation!

Click Type 9’s Path to Wholeness drawing below for this week’s blog.

Observe. Reflect. Develop. The Personal Growth Journey breakdown

As a life coach, I often tell people that the beginning of change begins with awareness. Until recently, I never really thought about what comes after. With this three step process, Observe - Reflect - Develop, anyone can change their ways and set themselves up for a Future Self in more alignment with purpose.

All change starts with Observation. Nothing has brought this more to light than my personal work with the Enneagram. As a Type Five I have become (painfully) aware of my constant thinking, sprinkle in some fear, some avarice, my need to know and you’ve got a recipe for LOTS of observation. I find myself often pulling back from my typical reactions and just noticing them (especially those thoughts!). Without the Enneagram, it would have taken me so much longer to discover all of the things that make me me and everything I hadn’t noticed before in 58 years. Crazy, huh?

After Observe comes Reflect. Fives are probably pretty good at this since we tend to spend lots of time in our heads. That being said, Reflection lends itself to the why behind the actions. Super important work because if you don’t see the why then the how (Develop) is not possible. Let me explain.

My Center of Intelligence is Head. Knowing that I’m always thinking as a reaction (instead of being in my body or heart) gives me pause to consider another reaction. Recently on vacation, I wanted to wake up and spend some time working on a few things for my coaching work (I know, I’m on vacation, but I actually LOVE doing this kind of thing in some quiet space). Husband had a different plan - “Let’s take a walk to the coffee shop.” Even though I really wanted to be in my head, contemplating my next coaching idea, I had to stop thinking, get in touch with what he wanted (heart and body - he loves walking with me for my latte), and realize ‘I’m on vacation with my husband!’ So we did and of course, it was great. Develop. I know it sounds little, but my initial reaction isn’t about connection. It’s about preserving my resources and doing head-centered things. I kind of knew this about myself but not to the level I know myself now - thanks to the Enneagram. Now, I am rethinking my reactions and getting curious about how to Develop my heart and body centers.

Personal growth takes observation, reflection, and development. The Enneagram fast-tracks all three with the road map provided for transformational growth.

Remember, I offer FREE Enneagram typing, and now is the perfect time to book that since I am offering a 2-for-1 deal on my Deep Dive Enneagram Workshop with a new start date of March 14th. Email me and I can help you with the 2-for-1 deal.

Click Type 8’s Path to Wholeness drawing below for this week’s blog.

What Ninja and Ivy are teaching me.

I have two cats. They are siblings. One is a black cat (the one pictured) named Ninja and the other, a calico, named Ivy. The other morning, I glanced over from my Peloton and noticed how Ninja was waiting for his next meal. I got lazy a few months back and purchased an automatic feeder. He waits in his Docker’s box at the edge of the dining room table and stares at the automatic feeder. I’m fairly confident he doesn’t tell time because if he did, he would realize he has a minimum of two hours before his next meal. Ivy, on the other hand, goes about her business which only involves some form of sleeping (on a bunk bed, on my side of the bed, in my husband’s clothes he has left on the bed). She couldn't care less when the next meal was going to happen. Ninja is future-oriented. Ivy is present-oriented. I’m not confident an animal can be past-oriented, but I definitely am. This only came from giving some thought to my thoughts. All humans fall into these three categories with past, present, or future orientations. I didn’t know a cat could be future-oriented. I thought all animals were just deeply present. That is why it is so comforting to spend time with them. They are here, now. However, Ninja taught me something I should have known all along - he lives to eat no matter when that might be. That might be why he isn’t the most snuggly of types. He doesn’t want to waste time being with me, he’d rather be contemplating and preparing for when the food drops into his bowl. He is mission-oriented no matter the time of day. If he had an Enneagram type it would be either a 3, 7, or 8! They are doers, planners, and wondering “what’s next?”.

In the Enneagram world, there are three types of stances (Hornevian stances) which are the ways we approach life and get what we need: Compliant (Types 1, 2, and 6) Assertive (Types 3, 7, and 8), and Withdrawn (4, 5 and 9). Ivy is compliant - she lives in the present and is much more affectionate than Ninja. Ninja is assertive - he lives in the future and is mission-oriented (“When is the next time I eat?”), and I am withdrawn - where I focus on the past (observing the world and trying to figure things out). Knowing this about yourself doesn’t excuse you from these types of behaviors (I’m pretty sure, I can’t convince Ninja to change his ways), rather this knowledge opens our minds to other possibilities. You see, many of us are going through life without giving much thought to the why behind our actions. Understanding your Enneagram type will shed some light on this (among many other things) including your Hornevian Stance.

If you have already been typed and would like to meet again for a 15-minute follow-up to clarify your typing (I’m getting better at this!) OR you would like to schedule a FREE typing session, I would love to see you! Schedule those opportunities now: 15-minute follow-up or FREE Enneagram typing.