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Your Enneatype is not who you really are, but often a survival mechanism that you adopted in your childhood. In an effort to gain love, security, and recognition, you have often unconsciously assumed a role that served you the most. Maybe you adapted by becoming a perfectionist, always helping, being strong and independent or just maintaining harmony.
But what if you are more than your Enneatype? What if the patterns and beliefs you have adopted are not your true identity, but just a layer you have developed to protect yourself?
In this blog you will discover how your personality is made up of different layers of consciousness and how you can use your Enneagram type not as a limitation, but as a powerful tool. By gaining insight into these layers, you will learn how to break through old patterns and make a deeper connection with your true self and your soul mission.
Do you want to know which Enneatype influences you the most? Take our Enneagram Test and find out which patterns drive your behavior. Do you want to go even deeper and discover what your soul mission is? Then a Soul Type Session can help you to look beyond your personality layer and get in touch with your deepest essence.
From your Enneatype to your Soul Mission
From an early age, you unconsciously started to take on a role. A way to feel safe, to belong, to receive love and recognition. In your family, you learned what was appreciated and what was less welcome. Maybe you noticed that you got a lot of compliments if you were neat and responsible, and you developed into a Perfectionist – Enneatype 1. Or maybe you discovered that you got extra attention when you were caring and helpful, which made you recognize yourself in the Helper – Enneatype 2.
Sometimes, there was tension or unpredictability in your environment. In that case, it could feel safer to make yourself invisible, to withdraw into your own world, and to distance yourself from emotional confrontations. For example, the Observer – Enneatype 5 or the Mediator – Enneatype 9 came into being. Whatever role you chose, it felt like your way of interacting with the world.
Yet this role is not necessarily who you really are. It is a layer that you have taken on, a survival mechanism. Your Enneagram type shows how you have adapted to your environment but not always who you are.
Why do you adapt at later times and sometimes adopt a different Enneatype?
After your childhood, new environments emerged: school, work, friendships, relationships. Situations in which different expectations applied and in which you may have discovered that your original role did not always work. So you adapted again. Maybe you stayed in your familiar pattern, but maybe you also developed a different side of yourself.
For example, at school, you notice that performing well is rewarded, and you start to behave more like an Achiever – Enneatype 3. Or you discovered that humor and spontaneity were a way to get attention, and you embraced the carefree nature of the Adventurer – Enneatype 7. Maybe you felt stronger if you were independent, like a Leader – Enneatype 8.
Each situation called for a different version of you. You became flexible without perhaps realizing it. But if you keep switching between roles, how do you know who you really are?
From Survival to Self-Discovery: Discover the Layer Beneath Your Enneatype
Your true core lies beneath all of these layers, hidden beneath the personality you’ve developed to survive. Your Enneagram personality type shows what you have become accustomed to, but not what your soul mission is. By becoming aware of these patterns, you can let go of them and make space for who you really are.
Do you want to discover which Enneagram type influences you the most? Take our Enneagram Test and gain insight into your deepest patterns. Do you want to look beyond your personality and discover what your soul mission is? A Soul Type Session can help you explore the layer below your Enneatype and get in touch with your essence.
The 4 Layers of Consciousness
Do you want to know who you really are? Then, look at the layers of your consciousness. Together, they form your identity.
The different layers and how it works:
The Top Layer – Your Soul
This is the core of who you are. Your soul is pure, free and radiates a magic that transcends everything. This is where your soul mission lies, the reason why you are in this world. A place full of infinite possibilities. Pure and sparkling.
The layer of the subconscious
This is where all your survival mechanisms are located. Already in your early childhood, without realizing it, you adopted one of the 9 Enneagram personality types. These are the patterns, fears, and beliefs that you were given in hand to feel safe. Think of that persistent role of perfectionist or helper. They run deep but are also traceable.
The layer of the conscious
Now comes the fun part. When you start with personal growth and inner work, you step into this layer. Here, you become aware of your Enneagram type. You see, all those patterns and reactions are just learned habits. This realization is like a ray of light in a dark room. Suddenly, everything becomes clear.
The Bottom Layer – Your Physical Body
Here, you meet the result of all your inner layers: your physical self. The more you are connected to your soul, the more your body radiates this in energy, health, and radiance. But beware! If your soul sends signals while you are still entangled in old patterns, your body can show you. Maybe you feel tired, have complaints, or it seems like you are standing still as if something is blocking you. A clear reminder: there is work to be done.
Your path to transformation
Think about your life right now. Do you live on autopilot, caught in patterns that once provided security but now limit you? Or are you already consciously working on growth and change?
Many people unconsciously remain stuck in their survival mechanisms for years. They react to situations as they always have, without asking why. The perfectionist continues to strive for flawlessness, the helper continues to care for others without putting himself first, and the mediator continues to avoid conflict in order to maintain harmony. It feels familiar but does not bring real freedom.
Awareness is the first step to transformation. The moment you start observing yourself, space is created. Why do I react like this? Does this come from fear or from love? What would happen if I did it differently? By asking yourself these questions, you break through the automatic patterns and give yourself the opportunity to make new choices.
How to get closer to your true potential by letting go of old habits
Old habits feel safe. They have helped you to protect yourself and survive in a world that was not always soft. But what if those habits get in the way? What if they no longer serve who you really are but rather limit your growth?
Getting closer to your true potential means daring to let go. That doesn’t mean that you have to change your entire personality, but it does mean that you can learn to choose what you feel deep inside. If you’ve always thought you have to be strong and not let anyone show you that you’re vulnerable, try opening up. If you are used to pleasing others, practice saying no.
Every time you break an old habit, you give yourself back a bit of freedom. You make room for who you really are beyond your survival mechanisms.
The power of awareness
Awareness is the key to change. As long as you don’t understand why you are doing something, you will remain stuck in the same patterns. You continue to strive for perfection, caring for others, avoiding conflict, or proving yourself simply because it’s always been that way. But as soon as you become aware that these patterns are not your true self, but learned survival strategies, space is created.
Your Enneatype can be a powerful tool in this. It shows you what automatic responses you have and why you started using them in the first place. Maybe you’re an Enneatype 1 who always tries to do everything right because making mistakes used to feel unsafe. Or an Enneatype 9 that seeks harmony and effaces itself because that was once the easiest way. By understanding where your behavior comes from, you can break it step by step.
The power of awareness is that it gives you back your freedom of choice. As soon as you see that you are not your personality, but that you can use it, you can make other choices. You no longer have to act automatically from fear or habit. You can consciously choose what you really want from a deeper connection with yourself.
Why this process requires courage and perseverance
Awareness alone is not enough. It is the first step, but real change requires courage. It means letting go of old habits while they have given you a sense of security for years. It means that you have to endure discomfort, that you have to become aware of your triggers, and resist the urge to fall back into what feels familiar.
This process does not always go smoothly. There will be times when you fall back into old patterns. You notice that it is easier to give in again, avoid conflict again, or strive for perfection. But it is precisely at those moments that your growth is. Every time you consciously choose a different path, you strengthen yourself.
Awareness is an ongoing process
Awareness is, therefore, not an endpoint but an ongoing process. The more often you recognize and break through your automatic patterns, the closer you get to your true self.
Do you want to discover which Enneagram type influences you the most and where your growth opportunities lie? Take the Enneagram Test and gain insight into your patterns.
In addition, we have a free e-book for each Enneagram type that gives you deeper insight into your type, the pitfalls, and the road to personal growth.
Curious about all Enneagram types and their unique properties? Read our blog about the 9 Enneagram types and find out which type is most recognizable to you!
As Einstein said:
“You can’t expect a different outcome if you keep doing things the way you always did them”
So, are you ready to look beyond your Enneagram type? To discover what soul mission is hidden behind all those protective layers? Do you dare to let go of old patterns and make room for a life full of energy and fulfillment? Your soul and our soul-type sessions are ready to show you the way.
Take that leap and transform. And enjoy every step of the way to yourself.
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In this 4-minute audio, John takes you into the essence of the enneagram. He explains how your personality came about as a survival strategy and why real change is only possible if you are willing to feel.
An accessible way to get to know us, the enneagram and yourself. At your pace, when it suits you.
