The Awareness to Action Enneagram Podcast

In this episode of the Awareness to Action Enneagram podcast, Mario Sikora, María José Munita and Seth "Creek" Creekmore discuss the use of the Enneagram alongside spirituality traditions. They first dive into the background and traditions brought into the Enneagram community, and what spirituality means to them. They are frequently asked why they don’t talk about spirituality in their work, so the hosts share why they don’t talk about certain aspects of it, but also why it doesn’t mean what they do is not spiritual.“So I think just doing this work pushes us to cultivate wisdom. To try and understand human behavior, try to understand the world around us, try to understand ourselves, and then glean lessons from that that we can use. Knowledge is just knowing things. Wisdom is applying it.” -Mario [22:37]“If the Enneagram is a tool, it can be used in a lot of different scenarios. And that doesn’t mean that just because I have a hammer doesn’t mean I’m a carpenter, also doesn’t mean I’m an auto mechanic, but they can both be used in those situations.” -Creek [33:47]“We’re not trying to be seen as spiritual, but we’re trying to convey these skills, and a lot of people see that and appreciate that.” -María José [36:50]TIMESTAMPS[00:05] Intro[03:00] A bit of background[06:02] Defining our terms[09:15] Questions about spirituality[15:36] A spiritual aspect of the Enneagram[19:03] Practices to cultivate this work[26:00] What we leave to other people[34:22] Final words[37:12] OutroConnect with us:Awareness to ActionEnneagram on DemandIG: @ataenneagrampodMario Sikora: IG: @mariosikoraTikTok: @mariosikoraWeb: mariosikora.comPod: Enneagram in a MovieMaria Jose Munita: IG: @mjmunitaWeb: mjmunita.comSeth "Creek" Creekmore: IG: @_creekmorePod: Fathoms | An Enneagram PodcastPod: Delusional Optimism

In this episode of the Awareness to Action Enneagram podcast, Mario Sikora, María José Munita and Seth "Creek" Creekmore answer a listener's question on why they still use the Enneagram. They share how they use the Enneagram in their own lives and why they teach it and do things with it. Each host also discusses how the Enneagram has helped them evolve into the person they are today.“Look, I still have work to do, and the Enneagram is a really good tool for that. It’s not the only tool. And I think again, we really have to be careful about making a religion or a whole philosophy out of the Enneagram, because as we’ve been talking about it, it’s insufficient for that, but the things that it does really, really well are worth keeping around.” -Mario [21:05]“The better way to define a problem, the more useful or the easier it would be to find a good solution for it, and I think the Enneagram provides these good frameworks to define problems. Not every problem, but a lot of problems.” -María José [34:43]“Honestly, the Enneagram came into my life at a point where I really needed some structure of how to move about in reality. And admittedly, I probably clinged on to it a little too tightly, but when you’re in a desperate situation, you cling on to what works. So how the Enneagram has helped me is just constantly making me question my reality than what I perceive to be reality.” -Creek [23:30]TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Intro[02:51] Why continue to use the Enneagram[05:55] The overdoing of Navigating[11:02] How Enneagram helped MJ and Mario evolve[22:23] Creek’s story with the Enneagram[25:30] Using instinctual biases[34:59] Listener question on confirmation bias[46:53] OutroConnect with us:Awareness to ActionEnneagram on DemandIG: @ataenneagrampodMario Sikora: IG: @mariosikoraTikTok: @mariosikoraWeb: mariosikora.comPod: Enneagram in a MovieMaria Jose Munita: IG: @mjmunitaWeb: mjmunita.comSeth "Creek" Creekmore: IG: @_creekmorePod: Fathoms | An Enneagram PodcastPod: Delusional Optimism

In this episode of the Awareness to Action Enneagram podcast, Mario Sikora, María José Munita and Seth "Creek" Creekmore address listeners’ concerns and feedback on centers and provide a further explanation of what ATA teaches instead. They discuss how they address emotional intelligence with their clients and within their own understanding of human nature.“Now again, emotions and feelings are the data that we have to think about in the context of our environment.” -Mario [17:28]“My thinking skills allow me to not fool myself with a bad narrative. With those feelings, we will explain them somehow, that’s for sure. Now, those explanations, the better they are, the more effective we’ll be in moving forward. So we need to learn to interpret our feelings, to know ourselves the best way we can, to see how we’re fooling ourselves, and that we have to do through thinking.” -María José [18:46]“I do sense like this thing that I hear constantly, as if processing emotions has nothing to do with thinking or your brain. No, it has everything to do with your brain.” -Creek [20:54]TIMESTAMPS[00:01] Intro[02:09] A few responses to past episodes[04:34] A brief history of these concepts[10:40] Understanding & processing emotions[22:32] Books recommendations[24:57] Data vs experience[26:40] Another angle the centers are used[33:36] OutroHere is a list of some of our current favorite resources on thinking, sensing/feeling, and emotion:Clear Thinking Resources:“Mistakes were made… (but not by me)” by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson“The Wisest One in the Room: How You Can Benefit from Social Psychology's Most Powerful Insights” by Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross (also, “How We Know What Isn't So: The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life”)“Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better” by Woo-Kyoung Ahn“Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results” and the The Knowledge Project Podcast by Shane Parrish“How to Think Well, and Why: The Awareness to Action Guide to Clear Thinking” by Mario Sikora On emotion and the brain:“Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain” and “How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain” by Lisa Feldman BarrettSpeaking of Psychology : “Your Brain Is Not What You Think It Is, with Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD”The Knowledge Project Podcast: #92 Lisa Feldman Barrett: Balancing the Brain BudgetHuberman Lab: Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett: How to Understand Emotions“Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking” by Leonard Mlodinow“The Nature of the Beast: How Emotions Guide Us” by David J. Anderson Other:“Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst” by Robert M. Sapolsky“Intuition: Its Powers and Perils” by David G. Myers“The Experience Machine: How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality” by Andy ClarkConnect with us:Awareness to ActionEnneagram on DemandIG: @ataenneagrampodMario Sikora: IG: @mariosikoraTikTok: @mariosikoraWeb: mariosikora.comPod: Enneagram in a MovieMaria Jose Munita: IG: @mjmunitaWeb: mjmunita.comSeth "Creek" Creekmore: IG: @_creekmorePod: Fathoms | An Enneagram PodcastPod: Delusional Optimism

In this episode of the Awareness to Action Enneagram podcast, Mario Sikora, María José Munita and Seth "Creek" Creekmore discuss why we need to be careful when discussing other ideas and/or models linked to the Enneagram, such as the triads. The Enneagram is a model with every hypothesis and scientific theory providing the best existing explanation that will eventually upgrade or evolve. Some of these ideas make things more complex while some are problematic. As the three hosts seek to find the best explanations for certain phenomena to solve a particular problem, they explore the construction and framework of the triads and why they personally don’t include them in their training.“It’s always good to take a moment and imagine somehow that someone proved the Enneagram completely false. And those emotions will arise of like, Well, crap. I’ve invested so much time in this. I’m maybe making money from this. There’s so many different things, and what would you do if it was false? And if you’re clinging on to it, then that’s a sign of something. It’s a sign of some level of attachment that isn’t allowing you to see clearly. If it’s just a tool, then yeah, when it ceases to be useful, you can let it go.” -Creek [14:18]“I would like to see Enneagram teachers question their concepts more. And be more open to the idea that maybe some ideas are not as robust as we think they are. Maybe some ideas are outdated. Maybe it’s time to start seeing some things in a different way.” -Mario [25:45]“We don’t see a problem in the model itself, I think. It’s just when we make some kind of simplistic correlations with the Enneagram, which applies to some people, but not to everyone and not all the time.” -María José [33:57]TIMESTAMPS[00:01] Intro[01:08] Two kinds of explanations[07:42] 27 different versions of people[11:57] The Enneagram doesn’t explain everything[17:31] Is this a tool or an identity?[21:01] The more scrutiny, the less utility[25:02] It’s time to see things in a different way[34:13] These models start to break after a while[37:09] The Hornevian Triad aka social styles[43:55] The Harmony Triad aka object relations[49:35] Enneagram Tritype[55:53] OutroConnect with us:Awareness to ActionEnneagram on DemandIG: @ataenneagrampodMario Sikora: IG: @mariosikoraTikTok: @mariosikoraWeb: mariosikora.comPod: Enneagram in a MovieMaria Jose Munita: IG: @mjmunitaWeb: mjmunita.comSeth "Creek" Creekmore: IG: @_creekmorePod: Fathoms | An Enneagram PodcastPod: Delusional Optimism

In this episode of the Awareness to Action Enneagram podcast, Mario Sikora, María José Munita and Seth "Creek" Creekmore continue their discussion on topics they don’t teach and talk about the Enneagram’s three Centers. They explain why they feel there are easier and more modern ways to talk about human nature and how this could also lead to mistyping.“To reiterate, just because we don’t teach something, doesn’t mean that it’s quote-unquote wrong. It’s about the degree of utility that it brings corresponding to the degree of complexity that it adds. Does it answer more questions than it raises? And for me, the Centers, as they’re taught generally, raise more questions upon pressure than they answer.” -Mario [04:31]“It’s just a contortion in that it only feels good when you’re talking to Enneagram enthusiasts. And if you try to explain that to reasonable people who are not familiar with the Enneagram, it looks like a crazy idea.” -María José [11:13]“I think the thing we can all agree on is there’s both maladaptive and adaptive ways to think, act and feel.” -Creek [24:39]TIMESTAMPS[00:01] Intro[01:30] What Creek likes about the Centers[05:06] Centers and the Enneagram[10:29] Centers can cause mistyping[14:58] Can it be helpful?[23:27] Maladaptive and adaptive ways[25:05] The wisdom is still there[32:31] OutroConnect with us:Awareness to ActionEnneagram on DemandIG: @ataenneagrampodMario Sikora: IG: @mariosikoraTikTok: @mariosikoraWeb: mariosikora.comPod: Enneagram in a MovieMaria Jose Munita: IG: @mjmunitaWeb: mjmunita.comSeth "Creek" Creekmore: IG: @_creekmorePod: Fathoms | An Enneagram PodcastPod: Delusional Optimism

In this episode of the Awareness to Action Enneagram podcast, Mario Sikora, María José Munita and Seth "Creek" Creekmore talk about the commonly used things they don’t teach in the Enneagram, including the ideas of the wings, centers and triads. They start this series with the wings, which are two passions on either side of the Enneagram Type on the diagram that are folded in like wings to create another passion. The three hosts discuss why they don’t teach it and instead focus on instinctual biases and subtypes.“And this is the key: When we say we don’t teach things, it’s not because we necessarily think they’re wrong. Because we know that we’re wrong too. But we don’t teach them because the amount of complexity and the amount of distraction they add is not overweight by the benefit that they bring. They create more confusion than clarity in our view, so we don’t teach them.” -Mario [17:27]“In my mind, the Enneagram is just a drawing that it’s trying to portray the dynamics of personality, like different specifications and the dynamics between each point, but it’s a drawing. It’s like when you’re trying to create a mental map of an idea that you have. You just draw something, connect with arrows and things like that. It doesn’t mean that that drawing exists out there. It means that that’s your way to show how you see it working, but it’s your way to describe it. -María José [21:18]“Now that doesn’t mean that people can’t try things out, can’t push on the system or add things to the system. But if you believe in your idea enough, then you’re going to be patient before you start presenting it.” -Creek [28:42]TIMESTAMPS[00:01] Intro[01:34] An Enneagram history lesson[06:34] Passions, not fixations[09:29] Teaching Enneagram in 10 sessions[12:39] Different theories on wings[18:00] These are redundancies[24:41] The Barnum effect[29:29] It doesn’t cover the whole spectrum[32:58] OutroConnect with us:Awareness to ActionEnneagram on DemandIG: @ataenneagrampodMario Sikora: IG: @mariosikoraTikTok: @mariosikoraWeb: mariosikora.comPod: Enneagram in a MovieMaria Jose Munita: IG: @mjmunitaWeb: mjmunita.comSeth "Creek" Creekmore: IG: @_creekmorePod: Fathoms | An Enneagram PodcastPod: Delusional Optimism

The podcast discusses the subtypes of Enneagram Type Nine, highlighting common mistypings and nuances. It explores the challenges faced by preserving nines, their tendency towards routines and self-deprecation, and the contrasting traits of navigating nines. The conversation delves into the paradox of nines craving recognition but shying away from the spotlight, and examines the complexities and contradictions within this subtype. It also explores the presence of transmitting nines in the media industry, focusing on their likable nature and leadership qualities.

In this episode of the Awareness to Action Enneagram podcast, Mario Sikora and Seth "Creek" Creekmore talk about first principles that guide the way we frame problems. The two hosts share why understanding them is a great way to solve problems and discuss the 12 first principles Mario presents as they relate to the ATA approach.“If you want to change the way you feel, change how you think first.” -Mario [28:14]“There’s some level of I need to feel those sensations, but that’s not going to change it necessarily ultimately. It’s just going to make it more manageable so that I can address the change.” -Creek [31:48]TIMESTAMPS[00:01] Intro[01:40] What’s important about first principles[02:53] What are first principles[05:14] The four bedrocks of the ATA approach[07:27] Six first principles[18:41] Why you want to feel unique[21:10] The other six first principles[38:57] OutroConnect with us:Awareness to ActionEnneagram on DemandIG: @ataenneagrampodMario Sikora: IG: @mariosikoraWeb: mariosikora.comPod: Enneagram in a MovieMaria Jose Munita: IG: @mjmunitaWeb: mjmunita.comSeth "Creek" Creekmore: IG: @_creekmorePod: Fathoms | An Enneagram PodcastPod: Delusional Optimism

In this episode of the Awareness to Action Enneagram podcast, Mario Sikora and Seth "Creek" Creekmore explore trends that they’ve noticed in the Enneagram community, trying to better understand this question – what is the Enneagram for?“What we’re talking about when we’re talking about the Enneagram is a shared concept or structure, a system that helps identify and explain, conceptualize these patterns that we’ve observed over time.” -Creek [09:29]“Every explanation is a start, even if it’s incomplete, even if it contains inaccuracies. And we have to remember that our own explanations are a start, and the process is to continue to evolve those explanations as we look for errors in them and correct them.” -Mario [22:35]TIMESTAMPS[00:01] Intro[00:51] What’s the Enneagram for?[06:02] What is a materialist[09:23] Fixed or evolving body of knowledge?[13:53] Which Enneagram application?[17:42] Different teachers and different versions[23:35] Alternative hypothesis[27:54] The Euthyphro dilemma[31:03] The use of religious faith[34:40] Enneagram becoming more a religion[38:49] Similarities in every tradition[42:02] OutroConnect with us:Awareness to ActionEnneagram on DemandIG: @ataenneagrampodMario Sikora: IG: @mariosikoraWeb: mariosikora.comPod: Enneagram in a MovieMaria Jose Munita: IG: @mjmunitaWeb: mjmunita.comSeth "Creek" Creekmore: IG: @_creekmorePod: Fathoms | An Enneagram PodcastPod: Delusional Optimism

In this episode of the Awareness to Action Enneagram podcast, Mario Sikora, María José Munita and Seth "Creek" Creekmore talk about the subtypes of Enneagram Type Eight, “Striving to Feel Powerful.” While Mario thinks Type Eight is one of the easier types to figure out (as he’s a Type Eight), other types are commonly mistaken for this type. Listen as they draw from the film, The Godfather, which provides perfect examples of the three subtypes of the Eight.“I think that Eights are very visible. You can easily tell when somebody’s an Eight.” -María José [03:21]“What’s driving the Eight deep down inside is this need to feel alive. It’s not stimulation in the same sense of the Seven. It’s something deeper. It’s something more visceral. I just need to feel like I am engaged with the world in some way.” -Mario [30:25]“I think of my experience with–Not Mario, but another Navigating Eight–they assume they understand and have mastery until they don’t.” -Creek [24:46]TIMESTAMPS[00:01] Intro[00:29] Common misunderstandings[02:59] The Preserving Eight[08:17] Types mistaken for Preserving Eight[10:48] The Godfather, the perfect example[12:18] Pattern of Expression for Preserving Eight[17:37] The Navigating Eight[19:44] Eights assume leadership[25:36] Pattern of Expression for Navigating Eight[30:17] This need to feel alive[32:10] The Transmitting Eight[38:46] Pattern of Expression for Transmitting Eight[45:45] Mario’s word of wisdom[46:39] OutroConnect with us:Awareness to ActionEnneagram on DemandIG: @ataenneagrampodMario Sikora: IG: @mariosikoraWeb: mariosikora.comPod: Enneagram in a MovieMaria Jose Munita: IG: @mjmunitaWeb: mjmunita.comSeth "Creek" Creekmore: IG: @_creekmorePod: Fathoms | An Enneagram PodcastPod: Delusional Optimism