New Name, New Enneagram Reflections, New (Re)Launch
New Name, New Enneagram Reflections, New (Re)Launch
"Enneathing You Need" is becoming "Enneagram Formation"
I’ve dreamed of getting to write a (re)launch post for this newsletter for a couple of years now. And I’ve dreaded it for even longer.
Don’t get me wrong; I do feel almost giddy with excitement. Or at least excited enough to be comfortable using—perhaps for the first time in my life—the word “giddy” to describe myself.
But I’ve also felt a unique flavor of dread that can only be imparted by the combination of my Procrastination + newly diagnosed ADHD + Type One “I-can’t-ever-mess-up” energy. I knew that writing this—let alone returning to any commitment at writing regularly—would mean inevitably facing the fact that I launched this newsletter in 2019, had high hopes for it, wrote a few posts that got (mostly) really positive feedback, and then… Nothing. I stopped writing. I got busy. I started feeling guilty. And the greater my guilt grew, the less I wanted to think about my Enneagram Newsletter just idling on the web, waiting for me. I even had strangers email me (very politely) to ask if I was ever going to return to the project.
Inner Critic Rap Battle
The spiritual director in me wants to point out the understandable to myself from the last 3 years: You had a lot going on. You bought a house. You had to testify in a lawsuit. You adopted a puppy. You and your spouse had 3 layoffs in 12 months. You started a business. You lost a family member. You were expecting a child. You did the best you could with what you had. Can you allow yourself to accept that that’s enough?
And yet—and yet—the Inner Critic still gnaws at me. Years ago at an Enneagram workshop on the Inner Critic, I found myself saying, “My Inner Critic is like a loud, constant radio I can never turn off or down.” That was both incredibly hard and incredibly healing for me.
But that’s kind of the point: without the Enneagram, I’m not sure I would know how to identify the particular flavor, depth, and omnipresence of that Inner Critic voice. Without the Enneagram, I couldn’t reflect on how giving myself grace is so healing for me precisely because it’s so hard and counter to my meritocratic Type One wiring. Without the Enneagram, I would have never named my Inner Critic “Little Sammy” years ago and personified him with a small toy pony—a symbol of my childhood self—that sits on my nightstand to this day. (Pro Tip: If you struggle with your Inner Critic, treating it like a small and earnest child with a, “There, there, Little Sammy, it’s okay. We’re going to be just fine. The adults will take it from here” is an amazing remedy in the moments you can remember it.)
Maybe like me, you’ve also experienced the Hard and the Healing of the Enneagram. Maybe you, too, have gained invaluable insights about yourself and your world and your loved ones. And maybe you, too, realized that one book or workshop or podcast on the Enneagram often isn’t enough for the journey. That first encounter is amazing! But the journey toward your True Self takes putting one foot in front of the other each day, each week, each season, as best you can. And it takes a pack’s worth of tools to help you on your path of personal transformation.
A New Name—and a Lot of New Content
In my own journey, I don’t know that I’ve found another tool as comprehensive, profound, and illuminating as the Enneagram. But I do know I want to share that that tool with others, even as I keep learning myself.
So I’m (re)launching this Enneagram Newsletter. And I’ve given it a new name to boot.
“Enneathing You Need” is now “Enneagram Formation”.
My past “Enneagram Virtues” reflections are a great indication of the type of content you can expect going forward, every other week (approx. 2 posts per month). And if you’ve loved those—or are new to them—you’ll be heartened to know that I plan to finish the Virtues with the last 5 reflections as free posts later this year for anyone who is now or who will be signed up on the free mailing list. (If you’re getting this in your inbox, you’re already signed up!) I even hope to put those Virtues reflections—including the oncoming reflections for Types 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9—into an affordable, self-published book once they’re done, in case that’s of interest to you.
But I’m also now offering a Paid Subscription option, too, that will go live in about a week. IF that’s of interest, you can pledge your support now and be charged once the paid option goes live.
Regardless, there’s original written content (and maybe some other perks) all related to the Enneagram and the inner work coming your way, with no plans to differentiate quality of written content based on subscription level—only quantity.
As a preview, Posts on the Horizon Will Include:
‘Is the Enneagram True?’ and Why That's the Wrong Question
The Virtue of Type Six: Courage
The Hardest Moment in Conversion
The Enneagram, Dopamine, and Why It’s So Hard to Go Against Type
Enneagram 201: The Levels of Health
If you love what you’ve read so far and want more but don’t want to pay for it—nothing is changing for you (Hooray!).
But guess what? If you love what you’ve read so far and want more but don’t want to pay for it—nothing is changing for you (Hooray!). And if you do want to receive more content—and you want to support this writing because you believe in it—then there’s now an option for that, too.
Here Are the 3 Options:
FREE Sign-Up (default). This is what everyone has as of this writing, and going forward it gives you:
2 public posts per month
Occasional online events
Cost: Free—always
Paid Subscription. For those who desire additional content and who want to support the slog that is being a writer so this work can continue, you’ll get:
4 posts each month (2 public/free posts + 2 additional paid subscriber-only posts)
Access to full online archives
The ability to comment on posts and join the community discussion
Access to online events exclusive to paid subscribers
Cost: $6 per month OR $60 per year (16% discount for annual)
“Founders Level” Paid Subscription. For those who want to go above and beyond showing support for this work, this level includes:
All of the free/public content plus all of the regular paid subscriber-only access and perks, including posts and other events
Access to additional Founders-Only events, such as first looks at projects, a Founders roundtable, interviews with Enneagram teachers, and more
A digital copy (PDF) of any completed reflections Series, such as “The Enneagram Virtues”
Cost: $150 per year
Regardless of what level of support is right for you, know that I’m incredibly grateful you’re here.
Regardless of what level of support is right for you, know that I’m incredibly grateful you’re here. The journey is hard enough alone; let’s do some of it together using centuries of wisdom, a modern lens, and the incredibly powerful tool that is the Enneagram. Until next time, Peace and Every Good,
Sam
Samuel Ogles is a writer, speaker, spiritual director, and certified Enneagram teacher living in the western suburbs of Chicago. He’s on a mission to empower others with deeper insights and a vision for change. You can connect with him at SamuelOgles.com.