In Case You're Wondering What to do Next...

When everything around me seems swirling and chaotic, I always return to the basics: what I know to be true.  

I remember as a kid, when I’d get super discouraged, dramatic, or disappointed, my sweet Dad would take me on a date (which normally revolved around food, ice cream, what have you), and remind me of who I was.  Not in a pep talky kind of way—more of a recalibrating kind of way.  My highly-sensitive self would get lost in the clouds of her great expectations and harsh inner critic and what I needed more than anything was to feel my feet on the ground.  

My Dad knew that.  Perhaps someone had done that for him somewhere along the way.

While I have been clueless how to respond to the world around me and the mash-up of emotions sheltering inside me for most of 2020, I keep coming back to this: when in doubt, do the next best thing.  Okay, okay, so I got a little inspiration from Anna in Frozen 2.  I guess it’s proof that the kid inside of you and me is indeed, a truth-teller.

While I may not be able to change the world around me in a day (or a lifetime), I can take responsibility for my own evolution and growth and in doing so, directly impact my sphere of influence big or, in my case, small.  By becoming better humans, we build a better world.  By taking care of you, you create a greater opportunity for impact as you engage your family, friends, co-workers, and tribe.  

What does this mean exactly?  Becoming a better human sounds pretty broad.  I believe it starts with self-knowledge.   Last week I interviewed Ian Cron, bestselling author of The Road Back to You and host of the popular Enneagram podcast, Typology.  It was such a treat.  I asked him what his most valuable takeaway was from the Enneagram.  He said “self-knowledge,” without a doubt.  

He said the difference between self-awareness and self-knowledge is self-awareness is being conscious of how you feel, think, and act.  Self-knowledge takes it a step further and unpacks the “why” behind that awareness.  The Enneagram gives us nine (or 27 if you factor in subtypes) lanes that map out how we get lost in our ego, or false self.  It carves out the self-knowledge as well, providing us with the “why” behind our often painful pursuits.  

Today we stand at an unprecedented crossroads.  It’s an invitation to quit pressing the snooze button on the alarm clock of living fully alive. It’s an opportunity to change the world around us by doing the next best thing—whether that is reaching out to a friend in need, speaking kindly to yourself, donating to a worthy cause, responding instead of reacting out of fiery emotion, or hugging your child a little longer at bedtime.   

It’s about revisiting the classics we may have skimmed through in human school.  

Let’s get back to the truth of what we know, my friend.  By taking care of you, you’re taking control of what you can control.  When we build on a firm foundation, we can create a beautiful, soulful tomorrow.  I think we can all agree that hope for tomorrow starts with today.

Deepest Love & Gratitude,

​Katie

Why Empathy is Everything Right Now

Perhaps like you, I’ve been spending more time on social media lately. I have had nothing original to contribute and that’s the glorious point. Last Tuesday’s #BlackoutTuesday marked the first day of one week (and inevitably beyond) to consciously focus on joining our voices, efforts, and resources to become better educated about what’s going on in our country and how we can advocate for healing a very old wound: racism.

Throughout the week, as I talked to friends, family, and clients, I was amazed by how many times I heard a similar thread: “I am listening." Listening for truth, knowing, conviction, and ultimately for hope.

What a powerful place of unity to stand amidst a shattered landscape. Listening.

As I poured over trusted friends and influencers feeds and stories, I came across this quote by a man I’d never heard of, Bill Bullard. It shook me to the core. It reads:

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of
understanding.”

Everything in my body leaped. YES! This is it!

I googled Mr. Bullard and found very little. The most I could muster was his past profession as the Dean of a San Fransisco High School. Fitting. Clearly, he didn’t need much of a footprint to make an impact.

I bet he was a really good listener, I thought to myself as I was searching to find out more about him.

And whereas I deeply value my opinions and those of others, I’m struck by this idea that we are being called to work through the ego’s slippery need to be heard and be right. No matter what you believe or subscribe to, the undeniable truth is that we must rise up and stand as our highest selves were created to in the face of glaring pain: in love, in listening, in empathy.

Opinions come easy.

Empathy requires understanding and humility.

Opinions divide.

Empathy builds bridges.

Opinions are judgments.

Empathy leans heavy on curiosity.

Opinions want to win.

Empathy wants to give.

When I read that quote, I realized just how important the work of understanding is for our own healing and the healing of a hurting world. I also realized this is why I love the Enneagram so much—it leads us through the tight spaces of ego entrapment and into the wide-open fields of compassion, shedding the hard outer shell of fear one layer at a time.
​
It helps us understand that our way of seeing the world isn’t the right way, it’s just one way.

​Let’s commit to the work of listening to understand. Not listening to formulate a clever response based on opinion. Listening to understand so that we may love.

Love & Gratitude,

​Katie

​HUGE P.S. Join me THIS FRIDAY at 10 am CST as I chat with Ian Cron, author of The Road Back to You and host of Typology podcast about using the Enneagram as a tool for developing Empathy. 

Pause & Reset — The Eclipse (and a VERY special announcement!)

Hello!

I hope your week is going well and you were able to catch the total eclipse on Monday. It was magical, eerie, mysterious, and simply moving. To be honest, I’m still very much processing it today.

In fact, it stirred up deep emotion and thought I wasn’t expecting. I’ve loved hearing friends and clients describe their experience as well. A common thread of feedback I’m getting is how unifying this mind-blowing act of mother nature was and is in light of the current chaotic times unfolding before our eyes.

The light became dark as the sun took a leave of absence for mere minutes. We dipped into the great unknown and uncertain, and all the surrounding chaos got dim in comparison to the display of pure genius we beheld.

Yes, indeed; a much-needed reprieve, though brief.

I’m struck by this powerful notion of pause: a collective joining of earth’s awareness directed in nature’s singular display of awe and wonder. Nature has an uncanny ability to ground us in the present moment.

I feel this grounding at the beach as well. Next to the ocean, my little life gets filed away in the perspective drawer and those mighty waves of relief wash over the worrisome details that seemed overwhelming. A pause…a deep breath…and a gentle reset.

As I sat drinking coffee and journaling the jumbled tangle of feelings bubbling up beneath the surface pre-eclipse Monday morning, I came across a quote from Author and Enneagram teacher, Ian Cron.

It helped me put language around what I was experiencing. Ian elegantly stated,

“Humans are the only beings that have the agency to mask their identities. Our goal is to become the true self.”

Yes!! How often do you find yourself putting on masks that disconnect you from the truth of who you are? I know I do… often.

For me, the eclipse served as this dramatic invitation to pause, notice the truth inside, and reset to the path of my essential self. This constant awareness is our collective true north.

When the light of certainty gets dim around us, hopefully we can call on courage and dig deep into that pulsing inner light of wisdom and truth that longs to lead us.

What’s guiding you? What masks do you find yourself wearing that may not be true to who you are? Perhaps this practice of pause will be an opportunity to observe, accept, and completely own our true and unique stories.

Speaking of stories, I’m incredibly excited to bring you a brand new podcast interview next week with Miles Adcox, Owner and CEO of Onsite, an internationally known therapeutic and personal growth workshop among so many other amazing things.

I’m especially grateful for him as Onsite has been a major conduit of personal healing, changing the trajectory of my life a decade ago this month. He is an incredibly effective and heart-led leader and I know you’ll be inspired by his insight, humility, and courage.

Get excited, friends!! 

Love & Gratitude,

Katie

The Enneagram Unveiled: An Interview with Ian Cron

Hi Friends!

Today is huge. I’m bringing you a podcast interview with the incomparable, Ian Cron. Ian is an award winning songwriter, author, priest, therapist, and teacher who recently co-authored a book called, The Road Back to You: Looking at Life through the Lens of the Enneagram. It’s the perfect companion for wherever you find yourself on the enneagram journey and I can’t wait for you to check it out.

Enneagram

If you are interested in learning more about the enneagram and other resources coming your way very soon, click here. It is such a powerful resource that helps unlock our truest, most essential selves and I’d love your company journeying deeper into its truth.

Online Quiz

For now, I know you will really enjoy this honest, intimate, (and funny!) conversation about all things enneagram. No matter what your current grasp of it is, this will be a delightful addition to your enneagram experience. Also, If you’d like to take Ian’s free online type indicator quiz, click here!

Love & Gratitude,

Katie

xoxo

P.S. Mark your calendars for my very first Enneagram Workshop on Saturday, June 10th 1-5pm at BuzzPlant in lovely downtown Franklin.  Much more on that soon!

(Video) Welcome to the Enneagram

It’s your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.
-Rumi

If you know me in this life you’re probably aware of how much I love the enneagram. Ten years ago, I discovered this incredible resource and have passionately been going deeper into its wisdom: reading, studying, and applying it in my own life as well as in our therapeutic journey.

More

The enneagram is more than a personality test, it’s more than a spiritual tool, and it’s more that a book. For this reason, I’ve been a bit hesitant to introduce it through a traditional blog post. No, this is far to dynamic and precious to simply slap on several hundred words, a pretty image, and call it a day.

Companion

For me, the enneagram has been a patient and wise companion gently revealing layers of insight into the truest, most essential parts of who I am as well as those I love. It has given me invaluable insight into relationships and explained the driving forces for why we do the things we do, both good and bad.

Interview

Today, I am still too intimidated to give you a 101 on the enneagram, however I want to tell you about a podcast interview I recently did with a man whose grasp and application of enneagram truth blows me away. Ian Cron has done many things well. He is an author, therapist, priest, award winning songwriter, and teacher. Last year, he co-authored The Road Back to You: Looking at Life through the Lens of the Enneagram, a clever, insightful, and applicable approach to the enneagram. We had the best time chatting about all things enneagram, and I can’t wait for you to hear that interview.

Identity

We talk so much about the power of identity on this platform. I firmly believe knowing who we truly are and likewise who we are not, is a massive step towards personal freedom. If you are into this, yet perhaps feel overwhelmed by the sound of it, you’re in the right place. I’d love to partner with you on that journey, diving deeper into this beautiful tool called the enneagram, as well as providing additional resources to help you unlock your highest, most authentic self.

Step One

Today is the first step of this new journey and I’m so glad you’re here. Stay tuned for my upcoming interview with Ian Cron in the coming weeks and get a head start by checking out his new book, The Road Back to You: Looking at Life through the Lens of the Enneagram.

Have a wonderful weekend! Love & Gratitude,

Katie

xoxo