A Sneak Peek into My Book "Know Justice Know Peace" - The Heart Center

As we approach the release of my new book Know Justice Know Peace: A Transformative Journey of Social Justice, Anti-Racism, and Healing through the Power of the Enneagram, I would like to offer a glimpse into the actual chapters. For the next 3 weeks, we will look at each of the 3 Centers of Intelligence within the Enneagram.

This week I invite you to explore the Heart Center with me. Here is a sample of Chapter 6 The Healer - Heart Center: 2-3-4:

The Heart Center, or Feeling Triad, is home to Points Two, Three, and Four. These three energies have a connection to the emotional intelligence around accessing true compassion and empathy during moments of conflict or pain. This group is centered around emotions, self-image, and value—the shame around their own identities plays a key role in how these three Points show up in the world. Many people who identify with the Heart Center Points (Two-Three-Four) have a distinct experience with the emotion of shame or guilt, more so than the other centers. All humans experience shame and guilt; this is an undeniable fact. However, for the Two-Three-Four, shame is the catalyst for many of their patterns of behavior.

During times of pain and suffering, either internally or externally, Two- Three-Fours experience an emotional response that often transforms into internalized shame and redirected guilt. This pattern consequently bonds Two-Three-Fours to the experience of emotions and connection. The Heart Center is concerned with their own self-identity and the hostility surrounding how they defend or project this image to others. The hostility and guilt around how they show up in the world is dependent on how the Point in question is attempting to find their true selves, fulfill the core motivation, and avoid the basic fear.

We call the Heart Center the Healers, because that is exactly what they do—heal the divides between who or what is being valued and devalued, and connect to the emotional intelligence for themselves and for others. Each Point heals in its own way, which we dive into in each section, but they operate based on what they feel in their hearts and how they manage shame and guilt. The compassionate approach to connection and kindness resides in the Heart Center. When operating from a healthy space, Two-Three-Fours are genuine and authentic healers of the Love Warriors and underrepresented; they connect to people with humility, benevolence, and empathy. They are the center that can access the heart space more readily because they are wired to tap into true emotion.

On the other side, the connection to emotions and shame residing in the Heart Center can create a distortion of authenticity and value. When operating from an unhealthy space, Two-Three-Fours can be manipulative of self and others, prideful and self-serving, and fall into a toxic pattern of validating emotional distortion from various angles. Many people within the Heart Center experience deep shame surrounding a particular unhealed or unexplored internal wound—often involving how their presence shows up in the world. This obstacle can be overcome by diving into the inner work necessary to move through the passion, fixation, and virtue. We all have access to the Heart Center energy, and sometimes the shame and guilt we pick up from these Points can serve as a wake-up call or a catalyst for helping us land in our virtue. Not all shame and guilt need to be negative.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into Know Justice Know Peace: A Transformative Journey of Social Justice, Anti-Racism, and Healing through the Power of the Enneagram. Please join me next week as we look into Chapter 7 The Bridge Builders - Head Center: 5-6-7

A Sneak Peek into My Book "Know Justice Know Peace" - The Body Center

As we approach the release of my new book Know Justice Know Peace: A Transformative Journey of Social Justice, Anti-Racism, and Healing through the Power of the Enneagram, I would like to offer a glimpse into the actual chapters. For the next 3 weeks, we will look at each of the 3 Centers of Intelligence within the Enneagram.

This week I invite you to explore the Body Center with me. Here is a sample of Chapter 5 The Defenders - Body Center: 8-9-1:

The Body Center, or Instinctive Triad, is home to Points Eight, Nine, and One. These three energies have a gut wisdom, a feeling in their bodies during times of conflict, chaos, or just in their daily lives. This group is centered around action, affecting the world or their environments in order to avoid being affected by it, and expressing their anger in different ways. Many people who identify with the Body Center Points (Eight-Nine-One) have a distinct experience with the emotion of anger or rage. All humans experience anger; this is an undeniable fact. However, for Eight-Nine-Ones, anger is the catalyst for many of their patterns of behavior.

During times of pain and suffering, either internally or externally, Eight- Nine-Ones experience a visceral response that often transforms into bodily action and instinctual external rage. This pattern consequently connects Eight-Nine-Ones to action and results more so than the other centers. The Body Center is concerned with creating boundaries for themselves in order to resist being affected by external factors. The boundaries created are dependent on how the Point in question is attempting to protect themselves, fulfill the core motivation, and avoid the basic fear.

We call the Body Center the Defenders, because that is exactly what they do—defend against threats to themselves as well as to others. Each Point defends in its own way, which we dive into in each section, but they all take action based on what they feel in their bodies. The instinctual motivation to protect or to defend human survival resides within the Body Center. When operating from a healthy space, Eight-Nine-Ones are fierce defenders of justice, equity, and fairness and will lead with kindness, courage, and honor. They are the center that gets things done, because they are wired to take action more readily than most.

On the other side, the action and anger residing in the Body Center can leave a considerable amount of destruction in its wake. When operating from an unhealthy space, Eight-Nine-Ones can be explosive and vengeful, judgmental and overreactive, and fall into a toxic pattern of defending for the wrong reasons. Many people within the Body Center experience a wall of anger and rage surrounding a particular unhealed or unexplored internal wound. This wall can be brought down by diving into the inner work necessary to move through the passion, fixation, and virtue and activate as an Ally, Advocate, or Love Warrior.

We all have access to the Body Center energy, and sometimes the anger we pick up from these Points can serve as a wake-up call or a catalyst for helping us land in our virtue. Not all anger needs to be destructive.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into Know Justice Know Peace: A Transformative Journey of Social Justice, Anti-Racism, and Healing through the Power of the Enneagram. Please join me next week as we look into Chapter 6 The Healers - Heart Center: 2-3-4

What It Means To Really Be An Ally

Do you remember a time before we were afraid of being “canceled” or of being called out by the “woke police”? A time when everyone thought things were easier and more finite… male, female, black, white, other. The sad reality is that wasn't history it was a false narrative of our reality. The people pushed to the margins—the gender and sexual diversity community, the People of Color, the differently-abled, the socioeconomically disadvantaged, the marginalized—were always there but the sad fact is no one paid attention to them. The marginalization of people considered “other” is a deep scar we all share and it is a result of centuries of systemic inequities put in place by the dominant majority in power. Systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and practices designed to ensure the oppression of others have caused us all to have a skewed and unfair perspective on not only our sisters, brothers, and siblings, but also on ourselves.

As the people who were forced to the margins begin to fight their way back in, the instinct is to push back and defend ourselves, "our territory", our "normal". This behavior is not only wrong, it is devastating to our path back to reconnection and a return to our humanity. We cannot heal our divides without evolving and educating ourselves on what led to these divides in the first place. Bringing people back in from the margins and making space for everyone begins with a single interaction, a single moment where we choose grace above all else. Then another single moment. And another. We must continue to make space and dismantle the practices and obstacles put in place to divide us.

If we can use these moments as an opportunity for grace and education instead of seeing the moments as an attack, then we can begin to heal our fractured society. Choose grace, always. Educate yourself on the multifaceted world of what makes us all diverse and uniquely beautiful. Make space to bring our siblings back in from the margins and reconnect our family.

In my book Know Justice Know Peace I explore the complexities behind "Allyship":

In order to activate as an authentic Advocate and Ally for all of humanity, we must engage in our own ongoing journey of inner work and personal healing. This journey is not an overnight process. You cannot just pick up a few books on inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism and pin on your Ally badge. Additional exploration into the historical evolution of othering, bias, and bigotry, and the global nature of the marginalization of people may empower you to say, “I get it; now I’m an Ally.” You are not qualified to give yourself that designation. When you declare yourself an Ally, you are using the term as an indication of your place in this work as it pertains to feelings of anger, shame, and fear. When self-proclaimed, the title “Ally” can become a thinly veiled self-promoting moniker that serves as a false internalized identifier rather than the action it represents. Allyship is not a permanent state of being, it is not a self-appointed title, and it is not a fixed reward for any one action. You temporarily fulfill authentic Allyship for marginalized groups based on the actions you take in the moment and the choices you make to utilize your position to dismantle systemic othering. To be an Ally requires maintaining a delicate balance between persistent and intentional effort in order to uphold the valuable responsibility it represents. A true Ally is a person who does not strive to maintain the title but rather endeavors to remove the very need for the title.

Know Justice Know Peace: A Transformative Journey of Social Justice, Anti-Racism, and Healing through the Power of the Enneagram