How's That Working For You?

Until they become more awakened the average enneagram type Nine finds subtle ways to steer clear of conflicts, especially in relationships. The avoidance of conflict is how Nine's unconsciously believe they will achieve peace for their soul but, ironically, this “solution" becomes their primary problem because the avoidance provides only a false peace for the ego. Sooner or later, type Nines must learn to embrace conflict in order to mature and become a powerful force for others and enjoy true inner peace. Today's guest on HOWS THAT WORKING FOR YOU?, Nanette Mudiam, has been learning the importance of facing conflict consciously, first by facing her own mistakes in life head-on, and then later through a timely introduction to the deeper enneagram path, just as conflict seemed overwhelming. Today, as the executive director of a non-profit that provides physical, mental and spiritual health care, Nanette is utilizing all of her life experience and her strengths as a Nine to pull communities and resources together to minister to a politically and often even religiously controversial population. Join our conversation as she shares how she has learned to "hold the tension" of conflict long enough for solutions to emerge.

Talk to almost anyone who is in long-term recovery - regardless what their recovery is from - and almost universally you hear that they had fierce resistance to going to their first meeting. Or once they got up the courage to actually attend, then how hard it was to open up and be vulnerable with the group, and then keep coming back. Let's face it, very few of us came into the rooms of recovery without a lot of anxiety about what in the world we were getting ourself into. But what if - in addition to that universal individual resistance to baring our soul in a recovery community - there are other barriers for many people of color who want and need a safe place for their recovery journey? What if a person of color in this country had good reason to question whether a predominantly white (or white male) recovery setting might not be safe for them? Unfortunately that is still a reality for many people of color seeking a recovery community. Join us on HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU? for a short conversation about this important issue in which we discuss a specific venue where the dialogue has started, the ongoing challenge of learning how to listen, and how the enneagram can aid in the work to be done in this crucial area.

Individuals who identify as ennea-type Four and have a heavy wing Three influence are often nicknamed Enthusiast or Aristocrat. As with all Fours, they carry the weightiness of feeling special, but at the same time their uniqueness is additionally shaped by a competitive drive to be the most popular of their peers and seen as the best at their chosen field. There is a genuine ache to be seen and understood by others, but, ironically, the Four cannot trust those connections from others are genuine because of the many masks they themselves have adapted. For Randy Hall those un-dealt with feelings eventually contributed to a maddening cycle of using multiple substances, both to provide the energy to succeed at super-human levels and then come down from that manic pace. Whether working as an attorney or a teacher, Randy's experience was one of incessant driving to be uniquely the best while hooked in the addictive cycle, which finally took its toll in dramatic fashion when he acquired Guillain Barre Syndrome.Join us as Randy shares the story of his recoveries from addiction and Guillain Barre Syndrome and explains how he found a path to healing through Buddhist-inspired practices and principles.

At the root of much of our addictive behavior is an intense felt sense of shame or sadness that arises from our feeling - at a deep level - our very self to be inherently “bad”. This in turn often drives the story of meaning we form very early in our life and can lead to a false belief that we do not deserve to belong anywhere or with anyone. Until we can find connection, community and caring to challenge that story in a thorough process over time, we will likely try to compensate with a mask or persona that serves to protect, promote or plan our way through life. Any personality type can unconsciously cope in this way from an early age and carry it into adulthood. But it appears that the master of this “program for happiness” is the ennea-type Three, many of whom keep an array of different masks ready to don at a moment's notice. Often experts at reading the room, Three's seem to intuitively know with who, how and where they want to fit in, so that success, value and acceptance follow. But being the best at something usually brings with it a false sense of the belonging they were made for but fear is not to be theirs without performance. Join us for this episode of HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU? as Kyle Berman shares a life of early ‘adulting' behaviors, including organizing a caper to steal his mom's Mothers Day present at age 9 to declaring he would be the most well-planned, efficient and successful homeless person in his city! And in between and along the way we visit military school, Brazil, overdoses, suicide ideation and psych wards, and, finally, a community of genuine belonging and ongoing healing that is bringing his true self into being and driving an innovative vision for others.

Make sure you check out this BEHIND THE SCENES convo between Art and his guest Dani Sims. What started off as a pre-recording conversation quickly changed to course into what organically became an interactive teaching with Art.

There is a “stubborn darkness” that sooner or later plagues most of us who have struggled with long-term addiction. As much as the addicted person's physical life might be in danger at any given moment, the competing voice of addiction can also lure us to leaning more-and-more into the darkness until darkness threatens to become our very identity. Over time that darkness takes on a voice that not only calls the sufferer back to their drug/behavior of choice but, perhaps in an even more insidious way, can become loud enough to drown out the voice of life-giving spirit. Dani Sims - ennea-type Two, person in long-term recovery, and compassionate ally of those seeking recovery resources (and their four-legged friends!) - has lived the story of the two loud voices. From a deeply traumatic start to life in semi-rural Alabama, through an adolescence of spiritual searching, obedience, achievement and helping, to the fateful first brush with substance as a sophomore in college, to the walking-dead existence of the notoriously dark streets of the Kensington section in Philadelphia, come along as Dani shares her journey back toward the light she had somehow always sensed was her birthright. We also get to hear about the boots-on-the-ground work she and others are doing to get recovery resources to those who have the least access, but also the self-care challenges brought on by her soul's design to feel other's needs so deeply. And Dani introduces us to Friends of Francis, a unique but sometimes crucial resource for many seeking treatment from substance use disorder or mental health challenges. All of that and Kundalini Yoga for recovery…in Alabama?!?! Join us on this episode of HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU?

Self-preservation dominant instinct Fives are often nicknamed “Ivory Tower” or “Castle”, representing metaphorically their tendency when un-conscious to wall themselves off from the world by way of over-using the mind. When healthy, our precious Fives can use the time inward and away from the rest of us to think and give back to the world in amazingly deep and wise ways, but when overdone this habit can shield them from the true abundance of life and relationship. Thus - just like in the insanity of addiction - what the Five comes to believe is the solution to their problem becomes the real problem. That dynamic describes much of the reality of our guest today on HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU before she took a chance by lowering the drawbridge and giving herself bit-by-bit to a recovery community and eventually to God. Jenner K - molecular biologist, recovering alcoholic, researcher and author of the incredibly human and amazingly insightful book, The Enneagram for Recovery - shares her struggle with alcoholism that got its start shockingly at the age of eight. In a fascinating interview we get to hear how the fearful “hoarding” dynamic of unconscious type Fives figured not only into the deepening of her alcoholism, but also delayed the surrender to healing community. Stick around, though, because we also get to enjoy the ongoing fruits of Jenner's deep dive into the powerful synergy of 12 Step work and the enneagram, as she continues to “carry the message to others”, through her book, her workshops, and her life.

If we have lived in addictive behavior for a significant period of time we have almost certainly ‘dimmed the light' of our created essence and replaced it with a pale imitation of who we were supposed to be. But, thankfully, from the base of sobriety we can also begin the journey back to who we were designed to be. One of the key ways we can use to enrich that journey is through the wisdom pathway of the Enneagram process. That journey usually starts with discovering our enneagram number or type but that is just the beginning. We are not our number; that is merely a description of how we have been in the world and not who we truly are. Join us as enneagram-type Two, John Bayles -- bookseller, newspaper editor, person with a substance use disorder and now a person not only living in long-term recovery but also a tireless helper for those in desperate need of recovery resources and connection in central Alabama - shares part of that process. We get to take a wild and winding addictive and geographical journey, from Birmingham to New Orleans to The Hamptons in New York to Bellevue Hospital and back home again. And John shares the slightly embarrassing but tender moment when he went to the ‘wrong' 12 Step group. Was it really the wrong group or divinely ordained? You decide!

If you enjoyed Art's interview with Steve and Pam Moore, make sure you take a few minutes to listen in on Art's post-interview Enneagram teaching.

It is often those who have experienced, endured and escaped the deepest ravages of substance use disorder who end up giving back the most to those who are still suffering. Whether it be by facilitating a recovery support group, sponsoring individuals through step-work, volunteering or working in prevention and recovery spaces, or just ‘showing up' for life, there is a long and rich history of grateful recovering people giving back. In today's episode of HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU? we get to go deeper with two of those folks in wife and husband team Pam and Steve Moore, recovering individuals, practicing therapists, cutting edge addiction researchers, and all-around allies of the recovering community in Birmingham, Alabama. Join us as we dive into their individual stories of addiction, their meeting and marriage while in recovery, their tracks toward becoming professionals in the field, and their latest book, Natural Pathways of Recovery. In a far-ranging discussion we talk about such things as the role of trauma in addiction and treatment, innovative developments and thinking in recovery support, ongoing research, and personalizing recovery through use of the enneagram. And in the midst of a very fresh and very personal tragedy, find out why this true ‘power couple' can still affirm that “Love and Compassion are going to win.”

Take a listen to this quick, post-interview Enneagram breakdown given by our host, Art Wimberly.

In both 12 Step and Enneagram growth-work a lot of attention is often paid to the 'three instincts of humanity', that is, the Self-Preservation, Sexual-Syntonic and Social-Adaptive instincts. Often our personality style is significantly shaped - even driven - by our mostly non-conscious fear revolving around the resources needed to satisfy one of the instincts. This would be our Dominant Instinct and certain ennea-types combined with certain Dominant Instincts form what are termed Counter Types. A Counter Type in simplest terms, is an individual whose outward behavior, mannerisms and habits appear counter in some core way to others who identify as the same type. For this reason those that are Counter Types often have more difficulty finding their ‘home' enneagram number. Sexual Instinct dominant type Ones are the counter type of One and on today's HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU? we go live (an up close!) with a Sexual One. Maggie Banger - addiction recovery and grief therapist with an enneagram informed practice - joins us in studio and gets all up in our space! Maggie shares about her (clearly Sexual Instinct-driven) daily coffee treat, her 'moody and broody' self and - like Alice in Wonderland - the challenge of finding the right balance in her ‘muchness'. We also discuss the unique and crucial role that deep grief work plays in recovery, for both the recovering addicted and their loved ones as well, and why she was moved to become one of the leading practitioners in that therapeutic space in Alabama.

Join us as Erika Jobes - ennea-type 8, cardiac nurse practitioner, and faculty instructor with The Institute for Conscious Being - shares about the crucial role integrative use of the enneagram is playing in her journey into a more conscious life AND the extraordinary enneagram learning opportunity coming to Birmingham. Whether you are new to the enneagram, already work with it on some level, or are a veteran with this ancient wisdom system, you will not want to miss this interactive presentation of the spiritual enneagram, led by Dr. Joe Howell, clinical psychologist, co-founder of The Institute for Conscious Being, International Enneagram Association (IEA) Accredited Professional Teacher, and author of Becoming Conscious: The Enneagram's Forgotten Passageway. Return to Essence: Dive Deeply Into The Spirituality Of The Enneagram will be hosted by Birmingham's historic downtown First Church United Methodist Church, August 12th and 13th, 2022. You can get more information and sign up for this event by going here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/return-to-essence-dive-deeply-into-the-spirituality-of-the-enneagram-tickets-319707322207?utm-campaign=social%2Cemail&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-source=strongmail&utm-term=listing

I was in a small group gathering recently where our teacher ended his lesson about the proper use of authority with this statement: “Nothing endears like unused power.” Now I don't know if the speaker had enneagram type Eights in mind when he came up with that phrase but those words contain keen insight into the journey most type Eights must undergo. Somewhere in life, for them to become their truest self, our beautiful Eights must learn how to lower their ‘power-shield', remember their own innocence, and become present to the vulnerability of life. Ironically, this movement to vulnerability makes them even more powerful on the behalf of others. In this episode you can come along as Birmingham businessman, family guy, part-time track coach, and enneagram Eight Josh Reidinger, reflects on his journey. From his natural bent toward early leading and fixing in the family system, his leadership and responsibility roles in business, through a painfully difficult fostering and adoption process - all amidst decades of trying to shield his family and save his beloved brother from the ravages of addiction - we can sense the tremendous burdens of both capacity and obligation beginning to take their inevitable toll. Join us as Josh gives us some insight into taking apart some of the silos and walls he had been unconsciously building throughout his life.

What are the forces and dynamics that shape and influence the patterns in which our particular personality thinks, emotes and acts? This inquiry is often framed as the question “Is it nature or nurture?” or “Is it my biology or my biography?” In other words, have the ways I've been consistently showing up in the world been primarily determined by the way I was designed (nature/biology), or, the experiences I have encountered in my life, whether good, bad or indifferent (nurture/biography)? Most have generally concluded that at the very least it is some combination of the two dynamics. But what if there is a third dynamic at play here, something in addition to the interweaving influence of the two dynamics mentioned above? What if each of us have also ‘forgotten‘ something essential about ourselves and the way we were uniquely designed to both bless the world and enjoy life? Join us on this episode to hear some of those dynamics playing out in the story Karen Nelson shares of her life so far. Even beginning with a childhood of severe sexual abuse and family violence, moving through the trauma of multiple cancer diagnoses, and on to a struggle with alcoholism, we begin to suspect there is something more at work in Karen's life than nature and nurture. And where else on the internet are you going to hear terms like ‘pokey', ‘gobsmacked' and ‘applecart' in one sitting!?

Take a listen to this quick Enneagram Teaching lesson given by our host, Art Wimberly.

“The Purpose Driven Life” , written by Rick Warren in 2002, quickly became and remains one of the best-selling non-fiction books of all time. Its' exploration of the triple interweaving themes of ‘Who am I?' ‘Do I matter?' And ‘Why am I here?' clearly struck a timely and universal nerve regarding the human search for significance.While finding and living out our purpose - our uniquely designed blessing for the world - is indeed a struggle we must each undergo, it seems that some of us might have personalities that are driven more early and often by that dynamic. For instance, enneagram archetype Three appears somehow more attuned in their soul to - and thus driven by - purpose. However, when living life unconsciously, their driving purpose is not always healthy and can actually cause great suffering for themselves and those around them. In this episode we get to hear how the seed of purpose keeps appearing in the life and story of Colin Harris, ennea-type Three, co-creator and partner at the Birmingham Recovery Center, husband, brand-new proud father, and recovering heroin addict. Listen in as Colin shares how his early drive for purpose almost got him killed and left him just short of prison, but also how redeemed purpose has changed/is changing the trajectory of his life AND others in his community. And if that's not enough to get you to listen we also get to take another shot at Auburn football!

A quick glance at the Enneagram symbol and you notice that the Type Nine sits at the top of the circle. So you might say that - graphically at least - Nines can easily ‘see' all the other types from their vantage point. What is true from a graphic perspective is actually also true in reality: Nines tend to naturally notice everyone, are curious about their needs and viewpoints, and deeply desire to create a peaceful space that draws and keeps everyone together to bring about a greater common good. Nines easily see the value in individuals, want to encourage that value, and want them to be confident in asserting their value outward to the world. The painful irony is that Nines often struggle mightily to recognize and believe in their own unique value enough to offer it boldly to the world. This generally leads to an unconscious pattern where Nines habitually subordinate their own needs, desires, dreams and value to others, much of which is driven by a deep fear of painful rejection if the Nine takes a chance and offers their true self to the world. While this unaware strategy might "work" in the short term and to some degree, it eventually creates enough suffering and inner anger that something needs to give. So how might a Nine become not only aware of the hidden personality pattern that is sabotaging relationships and dreams but also a pathway through to their essence? Join us on this episode as real estate marketing consultant, podcast producer AND podcast host, digital media techno-geek, husband and dad, hip-hop devotee, golfer and card-carrying Nine, my friend Ronnie Gatrey, switches chairs and mics to share his very valuable Nine journey. And tune in to see if we can impart any value to Ronnie even though he doesn't have a valuable addiction!

Tune in as Host Art Wimberly breaks down the Enneagram details contained in his recent interview with Jane Strong.

Chaos always accompanies addiction, regardless of the specific addictive behavior. Whether it's the inner turmoil of the addicted person or the outer craziness their behavior eventually brings to their life and to those who care about them, chaos is sooner or later a dynamic in the addictive lifestyle. You don't have to be an enneagram type Four to specialize in chaos but it sure seems to come with the territory. Chaos - whether of the inner or outer variety - often seems to make our beloved Fours feel more alive and, ironically, think they are more in control of life. When addictive behavior is layered in the chaos factor can get ramped up to extremes, can become an unconscious way of life even. That dynamic was a big part of Jane Strongs journey. Join us on this episode of How's That Working For You as Jane shares her struggle with multiple addictions, a timely ‘intervention' of enneagram insight at just the right time in her Step work, and her return to a childhood love of horses and how that is now helping so many burdened by trauma. In addition we get to hear how her fridge became an oracle!

Host Art Wimberly delicately dissects his interview with Enneagram 3, Marty.

The drive to perform, excel and be noticed - and thus to feel accepted and loved - is a trap for many of us. The underlying distress that without a successful image we could not possibly be worth loving has driven many to high levels of achievement but often at the expense of losing touch with their inherent belovedness. That dynamic played out in real life for today's guest, ennea-type Three Marty H., accomplished broadcaster, therapist, educator...and recovering alcoholic. Listen in as Marty recalls his early life on a farm in the Canadian Prairies, where even then he sensed he had to over-achieve in order to be accepted, how that drove him unconsciously for decades, and how he ironically found unconditional love and acceptance in the recovery community where he became authentic about his worst failures. All that and we also get to commemorate Bobby Orr's birthday ( a Canadian National Holiday, eh?) and relive the glory days of professional hockey (say what?) in Birmingham, Alabama!

Host Art Wimberly delicately dissects his interview with Enneagram 5, Kristi Fines.

Recovery has been described as “solitary work that is too important to do alone”. In other words, the hard work of recovery is on the interior self, but, the journey inward needs to be taken with compassionate, caring others. At the same time, one of the major drivers of addiction - both in its beginning and its prolonging - is shame, and shame often keeps us from being willing to enter healing community and relationships. So finding a community that can help absorb the shame is often a key to successful, long-term recovery. But imagine you struggle deeply with shame and alcoholism but also tend toward an introverted personality, one that would prefer to do life through an escape inward into the life of the mind, withholding much of your emotional life and your true self from those around you. That was the challenge that our Ennegram-type 5 guest faced both in her early attempts at recovery and in a later confusing and terrifying relapse. Join us as Kristi Fines shares with raw honesty and hopeful insight about the struggles of her personality type to seek out and 'give herself away' to a community that could help her move way from the grip shame and isolation had on her life.

Host Art Wimberly delicately dissects his interview with Enneagram 4, Shannon Reeves.

French philosopher, writer and mystic Simone Weil believed that “the soul's natural inclination to love beauty is the trap God most frequently uses” to draw us closer. All souls are designed to be attracted by beauty, and that “trap”, as she terms it, has the potential to draw each of us up to a deeper experience with the Divine. Allusions to this powerful truth abound in many sacred traditions, such as in the Hebrew scriptures in Psalm 27 where this primal yearning of the human heart is expressed: “This only do I seek…that I may gaze on the fair beauty of the LORD…”. Beloved ennea-type Fours seem to feel this heart-ache for beauty at the deepest of levels. Nicknamed The Holy Bringers of Beauty, when healthy, Fours are often unmatched in their ability to create and connect the world to beauty in many and various ways. Wired to be introspective, intuitive and keenly in touch with the hidden facets of soul, Fours can plumb the depths and heights of the human experience, seemingly at the same time. But when living life unconsciously, Fours can drift into over-sentimentality and overly dramatic states when they feel misunderstood, abandoned or disconnected from their true source. Their need to be unique like no other traps them into feeling like something essential to life and happiness is always missing, just beyond their reach, which can lead to them swimming in envy and melancholy. Now, imagine a sensitive, beauty-and-authenticity-seeking Four soul growing up in a home where alcoholism, image management and abuse were daily dynamics. And where the unspoken family motto was ‘Don't Talk, Don't Trust, Don't Feel', and that you were the crazy one if you tried to speak truth? Join us on this episode of Hows That Working For You as radiant Four Shannon Reeves shares about that childhood and reveals how early intervention in therapy, 12 Step communities and later enneagram depth-work helped expose and soften the unhealthy coping patterns she was living out. Plus, we learn about how cancer surgery led to an impromptu pajama party, how she and her husband brought their dancing styles into harmony, and her fave 12th step “giveback”: World Central Kitchen!

Host Art Wimberly takes a deep dive into his interview with Alison Robinson.

Enneagram type Fives often feel they did not get some of the instructions everyone else was handed about how to be human. Deep and cerebral, Fives sometimes become a bit bewildered about how to effectively bring their ‘inner world' outside to the rest of us, or, when, how and for how long to allow us access to their full self. As a result they can default to hoarding their time, space and energy in an unconscious manner and doing life and relationships primarily thorough their head space. This can result in them losing touch with the fullness of their heart and body centers, which can cause great anxiety and suffering for our beloved Fives and frustration for those of us who want to know and love them well. But when a Five has suffered enough, they can start the grace-journey of re-integrating all that they were created to be, beginning to re-collect the true, beautiful and good pieces of self they left behind in childhood. They can begin to understand - in a deeper, more precise way - how they were crafted by God and relax into their blessedness and live out their unique blessing and giftedness for the world. Join us as delightful ennea-type Five Alison Robinson - Shakespearean actress, therapist, Mom and pastor's wife - shares that ongoing journey back to her unique fullness, including dealing with mental health issues, cultural expectations and why she didn't get to “crush the pandemic” as she had hoped. Also: we get a tantalizing teaser on how we will all get deeper access to the inner life of Fives (and ourselves) in Alison's soon-to-be-published sci-fi / fantasy novel!

Art Wimberly delicately breaks down the Enneagram impact from his gripping interview with Adam Fines.

One of the strengths of beloved type Sixes is their built-in ability to forecast what might possibly go wrong in life or need special attention beforehand. In fact, one of the humorous conversations you often hear in enneagram communities is if you are going to parachute out of a plane or go on safari you really want a Six to be in charge! If something could go wrong their mental vigilance will anticipate it and alert the community to prevent it. However, the downside to this designed strength is that when less aware, a Six will often lapse into a hyper vigilant mental state, in an ongoing pattern, which can lead to a fearful emotional state and irritated body state. Then their 'super power' can become a crippling weakness, where the dynamic of projection of their shadow onto others and even the extreme of obsessive compulsive behavior (OCD) become an unaware way of doing life. This can cause incredible interior suffering for the Six and create unnecessary conflict and suffering in relationships. That was a large a part of Adam Fines experience of life and one of the unseen forces that eventually influenced a slide into substance use disorder and years of addiction. Listen in as Adam shares about starting innocently with the use of legally prescribed drugs that over time that relieved anxiety but became a secret dependency and then deepened in to full-blown addiction. His story includes very dark, lost years, hitting bottom, recovery to sobriety and music as healing force. And, the specific challenge to “live life on life's terms” that in his case meant learning to connect to the body in new ways in order to to relax the Sixes anxious mind.

Tune in with Host Art Wimberly for a brief teaching on our recording with David Ridley

The Basic Fear for the enneagram personality style 7 is to be restricted by boredom and the mundaneness of life, or feel trapped in negative emotional states with no options to move. Believe it or not this impingement of their freedom causes something like terror at deep levels in a type 7 personality, and when not aware at a conscious level they will do or try almost anything to remain up, moving and happy, in order to avoid that emotional state. When that dynamic is allowed to play out long enough the 7's natural attraction to ‘more' of anything can lead to deep addiction - whether to substances, behaviors or both. That story actually played out in the life of David Ridley, former jet-set fashion model, Bass Pro fisherman, subject of one of the most popular episodes of the HGTV/Magnolia mega-hit, Fixer-Upper, and enneagram-type 7. Join us on today's episode as David candidly shares his story of how the unconscious search for more-and-more happiness - played out in the over-the-top world of international fashion modeling - resulted in increasing levels of alcohol and other substance consumption, inappropriate relationships, and a spiral downward to the brink of suicide. Be sure to hang in for the rest of the story (so far!) and the spiritual intervention that changed David's life forever.

Someone once said that when you are surprised by encountering the same truth in what appear to be two completely unconnected sources you need to pay attention because the Divine is trying to tell you something important. That dynamic occurred in my life several years ago as I was part of an immersive enneagram training on the Dominant Instincts, how their stack order determines the various enneagram Subtypes and, thus, how our behavior is being unconsciously but dramatically shaped. As soon as the teacher named the three human instincts - Sexual/Self Preservation/Social - my mind connected to the moment years earlier when I first laid eyes on the opening lines about Step 4 in The 12 Steps and 12 Traditions: “Creation gave us instincts for a purpose…(but) our desires for sex, material and emotional security, and for an important place in society often tyrannize us.” Here were the same three instincts, almost word-for-word, being offered as a key to becoming self-aware at a level that offered the hope of transformative change, in both of these seemingly disparate and unconnected systems! That epiphany launched me on a search to see if this was mere coincidence or if the enneagram and 12 Steps had other touch-points, and to my delight, there were many. That led to discovering some mostly-obscured (and somewhat indirect but tangible) historical influences of enneagram principles on the development of the 12 Steps wisdom principles and practices. Which launched my next search: who out in the world of recovery and consciousness work had also noticed this, were ahead of me, and might guide me deeper in my own spiritual journey? The search led to the subject of our podcast interview today: author, poet, spiritual director, attorney and one of my mentors, Don Carroll. Join me on How's That Working for You for Part 1 of a beautifully wise and strong conversation with one of our generations gentle elders.

Someone once said that when you are surprised by encountering the same truth in what appear to be two completely unconnected sources you need to pay attention because the Divine is trying to tell you something important. That dynamic occurred in my life several years ago as I was part of an immersive enneagram training on the Dominant Instincts, how their stack order determines the various enneagram Subtypes and, thus, how our behavior is being unconsciously but dramatically shaped. As soon as the teacher named the three human instincts - Sexual/Self Preservation/Social - my mind connected to the moment years earlier when I first laid eyes on the opening lines about Step 4 in The 12 Steps and 12 Traditions: “Creation gave us instincts for a purpose…(but) our desires for sex, material and emotional security, and for an important place in society often tyrannize us.” Here were the same three instincts, almost word-for-word, being offered as a key to becoming self-aware at a level that offered the hope of transformative change, in both of these seemingly disparate and unconnected systems! That epiphany launched me on a search to see if this was mere coincidence or if the enneagram and 12 Steps had other touch-points, and to my delight, there were many. That led to discovering some mostly-obscured (and somewhat indirect but tangible) historical influences of enneagram principles on the development of the 12 Steps wisdom principles and practices. Which launched my next search: who out in the world of recovery and consciousness work had also noticed this, were ahead of me, and might guide me deeper in my own spiritual journey? The search led to the subject of our podcast interview today: author, poet, spiritual director, attorney and one of my mentors, Don Carroll. Join me on How's That Working for You for Part 1 of a beautifully wise and strong conversation with one of our generations gentle elders.

Join our podcast host Art Wimberly for a special home-for-the-holidays rendition of How's That Working For You? as he takes a break from the really serious stuff and has the pleasure of interviewing his son, Blake, in Birmingham from Chicago for Christmas. Blake, who is a member of the alt-rock trio band Wray, also works in the independent music industry, occasionally DJ's, and is often quite funny. We explore growing up in blended families, learning to cope with anxiety through music and running, and his angle on the pandemic and systemic issues facing this country through the lens of his adopted big-city home of Chicago. Listen in and send in your vote: Is Blake an enneagram-type 6 or 9? All correct answers get put into a drawing for tickets to attend the Cubs home-opener with Blake!

It is often said of enneagram type 9's that because they are perched “at the top of the world” they can easily see and relate to all other types. In fact, many who eventually identify as personality style 9 in the enneagram wisdom tradition say it took awhile to settle in as that type because they see so much of all the other types in themself. And while every type does contain some essence of all types, in a very real sense 9's are the “every-man” or “every-woman” on the enneagram spectrum of human archetypes. 9's naturally see all the sides to an issue, love harmony and can be incredibly strong mediators of peace and inclusivity. On today's episode listen in as local children's librarian, lover of poetry and killer bass player Justin Banger shares some of his journey as one of our beloved type 9's. We touch on a wide range of subjects as experienced through the type 9's experience and design, including many years of (ongoing) thoughtfully deconstructing and reconstructing faith, LBGTQ issues, embracing tough questions in church, finding the conviction and power of his own voice, and how poetry touches the deepest parts of our heart, minds and body. And maybe after listening in to this installment of How's That Working For You y'all can help Justin solve the mystery of his elusive enneagram sub-type!

Like any substance use disorder, opiate abuse can often start as an attempt to simply get high or find relief from an unwanted physical, relational or emotional state. For a significant number of people, though, their first experience with an opiate can induce a state that feels like life is now “just as it should be". Whether the first opiate is a legally prescribed painkiller or a hit of street heroin, the state is so intensely deep and satisfying for some individuals they are already on the road to opiate addiction. Such an addiction threatens to erode every part of what it means to be human - physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. This reality is part of the story of Edward Taylor, Birmingham native, Auburn University graduate and enneagram type 4 who is now grateful to be in lifetime recovery. In today's episode Edward recounts his emotional struggle - despite a great upbringing - to make life work as smoothly as he perceived his peers could, his early dabbling with substances as an escape from those feelings and to fit in, and his eventual slide into an opiate addiction that resulted in a desperate and daily existence focused only on avoiding dopesickness or the dark depression that made suicide look like the only way out. All that and poor Edward is an Auburn football fan, too! And their up and down 2021 football season is not good for anyone's serenity but can be especially challenging for an enneagram-type 4 in recovery and trying to learn to master their internal emotional roller-coaster. Join us on this edition of Hows That Working For You for a sometimes harrowing and sometimes hilarious conversation on life, addiction, college football and a surprising encounter with Wise Hope.

Some of the most seasoned, well-known and impactful teachers of enneagram wisdom in the world today have shared that they went for a significant period of time in their early enneagram journey thinking they were a different ennea-type than the one they eventually came to fully know as their home space. From Ginger Lapid-Bogda to Helen Palmer to Russ Hudson to you or someone you know, this dynamic occurs more than we might think. In some cases it has been because a teacher or authority figure (incorrectly) declared to a person that they were a specific type. Sometimes the incorrect type can come from an enneagram “test” result; the ability of tests and profiles as a whole to reveal correct type for a given test-taker is estimated to be perhaps no better than approximately 60%. In other cases mis-typing can result from any number of what are termed “contextual” or "overlay” factors. Contextual factors might include trying to discover one's type during a time of heavy stress, deep emotional turmoil or when an individual is immersed in a long-term caregiving role. Overlay factors might include family of origin influences, cultural norms, gender-based stereotypes, and even 'type-envy' or 'type-aversion' overlays where an individual either admires a person of a certain type (or the positive attributes of that type) so much they unconsciously make themselves be that type (admiration), or, they cannot stand an individual of that type (or the type's negative attributes) so much that refuse to believe they could be that type themselves (aversion). On this episode of How's That Working For You we get to hear one story of mis-typing as Cindy Barksdale shares a bit of her journey as a female ennea-type Eight and some of the factors that hid her beautifully powerful Eight-ness from her and those closest to her. We get to hear real-life examples of how some of those contextual and cultural overlays not only hid her type, but also shaped her persona and caused some suffering along the way. We also listen in as Cindy shares how learning to become vulnerable (huge for Eights) in the sanctuary of 12 Step groups and sponsorship opened her up for deeper work with the wisdom of the enneagram, deeper relationships, and, deeper blessing flowing to others from her life's passion. Plus some possible insight as to why some of you are hooked on Assassin's Creed! Make your guess now - before you listen to our interview with Cindy - which number our fabulous Eight was mis-typed as. (No cheating

When the worldwide pandemic-induced shutdown began in 2020 it was quickly described as the “biggest psychological experiment in history.” And regardless of the specific toll Covid-19 and the shutdowns may have had on you or your loved ones - from virus death to lingering illness to economic ruin to mental health struggles to rising SUD and overdoes deaths - everyone has experienced trauma at some level. But the pandemic and the shutdowns also seemed to have helped bring about or expose some dynamics in our culture, politics and relationships. As we enter Black History Month in 2022 we hope you'll listen in on a timely interview with sociologist/demographer Dr. Nyesha Black. Dr. Black shares a personal snapshot of her early life in rural Alabama, dealing with family mental health issues, her burgeoning passion for asking questions that would lead to solutions, academic life at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) and on to her doctoral research at Penn State University. We also get to benefit from Dr. Black's candid sharing about her own struggle with mental health challenges brought on by pandemic isolation and the weight of the dark political and cultural struggles leading up to January 6th, 2021. We share in her excitement at the purchase of a beautiful, historic home in ‘old Birmingham', but then are sobered by how the history of that same property simply but dramatically exposes the evil of embedded, legal racism. BONUS! Podcast Producer (and co-host of his own podcast, Tha Tipping Point) Ronnie Gatrey engages with Dr. Black in a masterful and meandering conversation on the history, sociology and appreciation of Hip Hop as an extrinsically American music genre.

Evolving Female Leadership, Self-Awareness, the Three Instincts of Humanity, and How to Survive Four Decades with a Seven Join us for the second half of our far-ranging interview with Carie Wimberly, Executive Director of The Addiction Prevention Coalition, 12 Step proponent, and wife of Hows That Working For You pod host, Art Wimberly. In this wrap-up segment we talk about the evolving cultural dynamic of females in expanding leadership roles, the importance of ongoing self-awareness practice in life, and, how our personalities - and thus our relationships - are influenced by our mostly unconscious attention to what are known as the Three Instincts of Humanity, in the Big Book of AA and, interestingly, in Enneagram and consciousness work. And Carie gives us an inside look at how type Ones and Sevens can actually survive and even thrive in long-term relationship!

Regular listeners to the How's That Working For You podcast have been asking who is this ubiquitous ‘Carie' person that keeps being referred to by guests and the host throughout Season One? And what is this enigmatic 'THE Apc' organization that regularly pops up in many of the conversations? Inquiring listeners will be relieved to hear that Season Two's opening episode finally solves the mystery of both as Enneagram and Recovery Coach Art Wimberly shares the mic with his favorite Ennea-Type One in the whole world. Join us for this special two-part episode (We couldn't help it; Carie talks a lot!) as Art and his wife share their story of a marriage and family system threatened to the breaking point by multiple addiction issues over two decades, and the ongoing storys of lives being re-purposed. We also try to address the eternal enneagram question: Would a type One be crazy to even consider a long-term relationship with a type Seven? Wait! Maybe it's the other way around?

Recovering addict, author and non-profit exec Glennon Doyle famously said that by the time she hit bottom in her addiction her loved ones had come to view her essentially as an “insensitive liar”, and with good reason. But, Doyle adds, she felt like she started life as an “ultra-sensitive truth teller”, someone who struggled intensely with the deep and painful mysteries of life. Thats how far down the scale substance use disorder can take a fearfully and wonderfully made human being. And Drew Callner, Birmingham filmmaker and recovering heroin addict, experienced that (almost) total shift away from his created essence into a nightmarish existence where his loved ones - and even he himself - could barely recognize the shy, sensitive and caring boy he had been. Join us on this episode of How's That Been Working For You as Drew recounts some of his and his families' journey through years of heroin addiction, rehab stints, sobriety, depression and relapse, The End Heroin Bham Walk, and, back to a little boy with a camera and a vision.

In today's episode we are joined by Tyler Currier, an Ennegram type 7 who is also in long-term recovery from drugs and alcohol. Sevens are often ‘life-of-the-party' personalities, constantly filling their days and nights with new and exciting experiences. Often this over-planning can become emotionally gluttonous in nature, where if a little is good then more has to be better This overuse of their mental space tends to keep unconscious Sevens in the future and thus disconnected from being fully present. As a result they rarely process life's experiences effectively or deeply which limits their emotional and relational growth. When you then add substance use as an option to instantly change the way you feel with that personality style it can easily lead to serious addiction. But Sevens can prolong addiction because they are natural masters of the mental energy required to stay in denial, which allows them to fool others along with themselves over long periods. That was Tyler's journey for many years until he faced a shock-point in his life, was welcomed into a Narcotics Anonymous (NA) fellowship, found sobriety and eventually a timely and powerful intersection of his Christian faith and the promises of the 12 Steps in the world-wide ministry of Celebrate Recovery. Join us for some help, hope and humor as Tyler shares part of his story of addiction, redemption and giving back.

The very well-known Serenity Prayer contains a less well-know line which claims we must become willing to “accept hardship as a pathway to peace” in order to mature into a life that is both powerful and serene at the same time. But while most any of us would say we desire peace, we often go through life unconsciously resisting the healthy integration of hard things - such as conflict or tough questions - as a necessary element of a deep inner peace that can then powerfully impact the world around us. And probably nowhere is that resistance more ingrained than it is in the ennea-type 9. Most type 9's can easily and naturally relate to all other types, yet struggle throughout life to relate to the deep power in their self. As a result they often only produce a faux peace internally that restricts the powerful role they are designed to play in their outer world. In today's episode you and I get to hear how circumstances - and Providence - conspire to awaken a particular 9 to this pattern, and the effective, loving power that is being released.

The inside joke about type 3's is that they were all "dropped in a box of glitter when they were babies and its not their fault they've been shining ever since!” Glittering 3's just naturally attract people. But underneath their ‘I am successful' inner belief, 3's are deeply starved for the affection or esteem those connections seem to promise. This week's episode explores the contours of 3-ness through an interview with Birmingham local Brent Bonham. Brent seems to always succeed and perform at high levels, whether as a sober wine-tasting expert (Huh?), server of haute cuisine, homeless heroin addict, or leading voice and effective connector within the recovery community. Could Brent be an enneagram type 3? Join us for a fascinating - and at times jaw-dropping - conversation.

In today's episode we talk with the Reverend John Adams, who was introduced to the Enneagram wisdom tradition late in his life and identifies as a type Two. In a long life of helping others John, now in his seventies, serves on the faculty at the Institute For Conscious Being, headquartered in Anniston, Alabama, by teaching and training deeper levels of consciousness through combining work in the enneagram and spiritual practices. Additionally, John uses his enneagram experience and his training as a certified coach, to help guide individuals, couples and teams in his private practice, Coaching Thru the Gaps. But there was a long and winding road that brought John to this stage of life, and a pivotal turn on the way was the enneagram ‘finding' him and revealing some of the hidden unhealthiness behind his helping. Join us as John discusses his pathway of reconnecting to his created self and how that has deepened his ability to give to others.

Ennegram type Fours are some of the deepest, most beautiful souls on the planet. In fact, Fours have been described by some as the ‘Bringers of Holy Beauty' and Fours are often incredibly and distinctively creative. Members of the Heart Triad of the enneagram, they can display a seemingly unlimited range of emotions, ranging from deep melancholy and darkness to fantastically bright and beautiful and everywhere in between. Fours deeply feel they are somehow different from everyone else, and while they might love being different that dynamic can also be quite frustrating for them as they regularly wrestle with a sense that there is always something essential ‘missing', that they may even be disconnected from their Source. In this episode I get to catch up with Lauren Taylor, who identifies as an Ennegram ego-type Four. Speaking of ‘identity' , Lauren also identifies as wife, mother, counselor, Auburn football fan and - most significantly for her - Christ-follower. Listen in as Lauren recounts some of her life journey as a Four and how God has been tenderly revealing a unique plan.

Dr. Joel Bennett - founder and president of Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems, one of the world's premier consulting firms in evidence-based wellness and e-learning technologies promoting organizational health and employee well-being - joins Art on today's episode. Dr. Bennett, benefitting from an unusually deep and varied combination of life experiences, academic rigor, spiritual work and travel, has trained hundreds of thousands in prevention and wellness lifestyles for over 35 years. Not surprisingly, in the podcast we cover a lot of ground and an ecclectic variety of topics, ranging from poetry to science-based wellness issues, to the relationship of Time and Presence in a person's life, to 12 Step revelations, to a personality system that shall remain nameless, and all the way to the Attractions that are hidden within each of us as part of our design and destiny. Join us for a roller-coaster ride as Dr. Bennett sets out to prove that ennea-type Twos don't have to play nice!

At a time in human history where it seems nothing is needed more than for people who are different from each other to find ways of forming deeper fellowship and understanding, we also seem to be going in the opposite direction, focusing on what we perceive makes us different and divides rather than what we share in common that can unite. Given the cultural, political and emotional climate we find ourselves in, how do we reverse that trend? Is the biggest change in forming deeper fellowship that brings greater understanding and empathy likely to come from the top-down, from the ground-up or is it a both/and dynamic? Join us in this episode as Art interviews best friend and ennea-type 3, Tim Clay, and they recall meeting, building an unexpectedly deep relationship, the role enneagram and 12 Step work has played and is playing in their growing consciousness, systemic racism, as well as two old-timers just talking some smack and ancient basketball trivia!

Listen in as Art Wimberly shares a bit of his story and how it led him to start this podcast.

A struggle for many of us - but especially ennea-type 3's - is with being deceitful. Yes, there is a type of deceitfulness where we are all quite aware that we are deliberately not telling or living the “truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”, but the type of deceit we are speaking of here is actually deeper and is hidden from our consciousness, often until we are ‘shocked' into an awareness of it. And for most personality style 3's the deceit is fundamentally one of fooling themselves about their deep need to appear to be the best at whatever they do, to be the achiever/performer par excellence in order to believe they have value and are worthy of true love And 3's can often keep this pattern going for many years, all the while damaging their physical, emotional, relational and spiritual health. Listen in as John Steakley, founder of the non-profit Unbound Grace, shares what shocked him into an awareness of just how deeply and dangerously the deceit dynamic was running the show in his life and his gift of getting caught.