Joel Smallbone Shifts His Narrative (Type 3)

It’s a mistake to presume your way of seeing the world is normal because that means every time you meet someone with a different way of seeing the world, if it’s different than yours, you will feel justified in judging them abnormal. But the Enneagram teaches there are actually nine normal ways of seeing the world, not just yours. Part of emotional and spiritual growth is the capacity to recognize the complexities of human personalities and to expand the aperture of our own lens.

Today, Anthony and I welcome the talented artist, musician, filmmaker, actor (and Enneagram 3), Joel Smallbone, to the show. We begin our conversation with an exploration of Joel’s personal experience with the Enneagram and he shares how the Enneagram helped open the doors of understanding within his marriage.

As our conversation progresses, Joel reflects on the process of creating “Unsung Hero,” and the profound impact playing the part of his father has had in his understanding of his father, and of how he relates to the world. As Joel explains, “What [it] has done for me is inverted the narrative, and it’s gone, well, hang on, yeah, you’re not quite as awesome as you maybe thought you were. And hang on, there’s other people’s stories. And hang on, there’s other people’s perspectives. […] So instead of me walking into the room simply sitting, going, who are you? Who are all you in relation to me? I’m almost arguably saying, “who am I in relation to you?”

Join us as we navigate these themes and celebrate the beauty of the human personality.