INFP Thrive for Enneagram 9s

“Putting things off is the biggest waste of life,” Seneca says, “it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today.” Seneca, On the Shortness of Life.Most of us don't follow through on our New Year's Resolutions because we treat them like wishes and not goals. Ideally, if we want to achieve a goal, we map out a plan to achieve it and follow through. Today's episode is about setting yourself up for success by focusing on your goals.❤️Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Quick reminder in case you need it…Even if you don't feel like a particularly courageous person, you've acted bravely at some point in your life. Maybe you stood up for someone. Traveled solo. Moved abroad. Said no. Admitted when you were wrong. Jumped out of a plane. Cried in front of someone. You have what it takes to show up courageously every day, but that doesn't just magically happen. Here are four daily practices you can do to build your courage (a core Stoic virtue)  and resiliency.❤️Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

We live in an age of cowards. Of people going along with the crowd because it's the easy thing to do. It feels safer to throw stones at the other side than it does to stand for something positive and hopeful. There's risk in questioning things and seeking other perspectives, whereas joining in the mob costs us nothing (except perhaps our character).Courage is about stretching out of your comfort zone and doing the right thing. You won't always get congratulated for that, but, when it comes to helping people out, they are almost always appreciative of kind gestures.This episode discusses what courage is and how Stoicism and the Enneagram can help us cultivate more of it. Part 2 will dive into specific practices you can do to boost your bravery and good human cred.https://sarahmikutel.com/freedom/live-courage-stoicism❤️Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Most of our suffering comes from thoughts that we let run wild in our brains. We spend a lot of time each day rehashing different conversations and situations in our mind, and we think that we're just reviewing facts. But we're not. We're reflecting on our own points of view, assuming what others think, worrying about the future, and ruminating about the past.The ancient Stoics understood that our thoughts are nothing more than stories we tell ourselves. And modern mental health professionals agree with them that we should challenge the thoughts that pop into our heads and not automatically accept them as reality. You might be thinking, “That's impossible. I have a million thoughts running through my mind. It's not in my control. I'm anxious. I'm overwhelmed.”In today's episode, I'll coach you on how to use a thought record to manage your mind so you can live a more resilient, calm, joyful, and compassionate life. I can't overstate how essential this work is to your wellbeing. If you're feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or frustrated that the changes you're trying to make aren't sticking, listen to this twice.I've also created a thought record worksheet for you.Full show notes can be found at sarahmikutel.comHello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Janus is the Roman god of beginnings and endings, transitions and passageways, doorways and duality, amongst several other things. And he was one of my favorite sculptures in my town's art Triennial this year, formally known as the Creative Folkestone Triennial 2021. High up on the East Cliff, in a little park overlooking the ocean, stood this massive head of Janus, who's typically portrayed with two faces, one facing toward the future and the other face looking toward the past. That's what this artwork looked like: a gleaming white, massive head of Janus with one face looking toward the harbour and the other face looking back toward the houses on the street.The sign next to Janus said, “It looks out to sea towards Europe and inland to England, contemplating what connects us as well as what divides us. It is made of plaster and chalk and will gradually degrade and disintegrate, reflecting the gradual erosion of the coastline as well as Folkestone's history as a fort of England.”And he did melt away, helped along by vandals, by the time the Triennial ended this month. A pile of white dust and plaster on the green grass. Memento mori, as the Stoics would say. We will all end up like Janus. And most of us live with that same duality: One part of us pondering the future, another replaying the past. And we're missing this moment. The present moment.Let's change that.❤️Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

A few months ago, I downloaded the Waking Up meditation app. Founder Sam Harris compares the average mind with a sky clouded with light pollution. He says that meditation is like building a telescope that can cut through that fogginess so you can access “the sky of the mind.” And that's what the Enneagram and Stoicism help us do, as well. Cut through the clouds to get more clarity and set us free from our patterns.But we can't change who we are by simply thinking about it, or passively reading a book on getting over anxiety or silencing your inner critic, or whatever patterns you're stuck in. You have to involve both the body and the mind to create new neural pathways and if you want to make change stick. Learn how in today's episode :)Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsessionWant to connect on Insta? Find me here

In my episode on Stoicism and the Art of Happiness, Donald Robertson offered some techniques we can use to manage our anger toward people who hold views that we strongly disagree with.Today I want to talk to you about becoming more aware of your anger style, and to share more practices you can use to conquer your anger and also to learn from it. And you might learn about your partner or parent's anger style, as well.Because we don't all experience anger in the same way. Some people think they never get angry.But anger is a human emotion that we all experience, whether we realize it or not, and how we experience it depends on several factors, including our Enneagram type, level of mental and emotional wellbeing, and our personal development work.Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

For several years I've been interviewing women like myself who packed up everything to start a new adventure in another part of the world.One of the core values that I talk about is that we will never have this day again -- make it matter. It's my softer way of saying 'If you died tomorrow, would you be satisfied with how you lived this day?'I knew I didn't invent this way of thinking but I didn't realize that Stoics have been talking about this for thousands of years until I learned about the greatest philosopher king, Marcus Aurelius, who ruled until 180 A.D.He said, “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” (Greg Hays translation).Marcus wrote down many words of wisdom, and I want to share his story today because he's an ideal example of how we can all live a good life, no matter what obstacles come our way. I'm joined again by Stoic expert Donald Robertson, author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, which explains the Stoic philosophy via Marcus' fascinating story. It's my favorite book on Stoicism! Get the audiobook for free if you're new to Audible by signing up for a trial at audibletrial.com/postcardHello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Even though I haven't lived in the U.S. for 10 years, I've been in Italy and England for most of this time, I still pay close attention to my home country.At the time of this recording, it's 2020. The U.S. just ended the most contentious and vitriolic political campaign season I've seen in my lifetime.I see the divisiveness and bitter partisanship. People are becoming more tribal. Canceling out opposing views. At the same time people seem desperate for connection and to be part of something greater than themselves.And then I look around and see what they're gravitating toward. If they're not religious, it seems social media and YouTube are sucking them into extremist groups, gangs, and conspiracy theories.I wondered what it would it look like if we could offer them a peaceful, compassionate, hopeful alternative idea to believe in.  Then I realized this idea already exists in Stoicism, a 2,300-year old philosophy that essentially says: Live your values. Don't worry about things that are beyond your control. Be a person of good character who looks out for other people.It's a practical philosophy on how to live a good life and will be one of the primary ideas I'll discuss on this show. Because like the Enneagram, Stoicism gives us the tools we need to increase our self awareness, be more present, and to respond to life in a mindful way and not out of emotion or habit.Consider this episode Stoicism 101.I couldn't think of a better person to talk to about this than Donald Robertson, a Stoic expert and a cognitive behavioral therapist. He's written my favorite books on modern Stoicism, including Stoicism and the Art of Happiness and How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. AND, he's an expat/world wanderer: a Scotsman who moved in Canada but has been appropriately hanging out in Athens for a good part of this year.Enjoy the show!Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

[UPDATE: I've since changed the name of my newest podcast to LIVE Without Borders, merging it with my original travel and wellbeing podcast. The purpose: Freedom is about more than getting on a plane. It's about becoming the most heroic version of yourself. I want to help you live your best life without literal or self-imposed borders.]Why hello there. The holiday season has just about come to an end, but I hope you are still finding time to relax this weekend.If you're looking for something to listen to, I wanted to let you know about my new personal transformation podcast, Part of Something Greater, a show for peacefully ambitious people who are ready for more peace, happiness, and connection in their life.I'll be talking a lot about raising self awareness through Stoicism and the Enneagram and while all 9 types can benefit from this show, I think it will be especially helpful for you, and you are who I had in mind when I created it.I'm sharing one of the first few episodes of Part of Something Greater here. If you like it, you can subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you love it, please share it with a friend and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.Alright, enjoy this episode and I hope your 2021 is off to a beautiful beginning.Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

What do you do when someone takes advantage of you or tells YOU how YOU'RE feeling? You might want to cozy up in bed with a pillow on your head. But advocating for yourself and tackling the problem head on will make you feel better. You deserve to be your biggest advocate :)Xo SarahHello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Are you treating yourself as well as you treat your best friend?The next time you find yourself holding back when you want to ask for help, consider how you'd respond if a friend asked the same of you.Xo SarahHello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Do you feel like you matter?When I first learned about the Enneagram, I resonated with almost everything there was to say about 9s, except the idea that we think we're not important, that we don't matter."That doesn't resonate with me. Of course I matter," I thought. But this weekend I've been reflecting on how I've actually lived my life and had some real moments of clarity that might help you, too.Xo Sarah MikutelHello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Last year around this time, I went to the beach with my mom. She was flipping through Real Simple magazine, which is our favorite beach read, and one of the articles posed this question:“What book has had the greatest impact on your life?”I immediately knew that the book that changed my life the most was Mindset by Carol Dweck, who is a psychologist, Stamford professor, and one of the world's leading researchers on motivation.You heard me reference this book in the last episode.Mindset is all about the power of believing that we can improve and the foundation of this book is that we all have either a growth mindset or a fixed mindset.People with a growth mindset love to learn. They're up for a challenge and know they'll get better at something the more they work at it. They like to stretch themselves and experience new things and are open to feedback.People with a fixed mindset think they're born with certain abilities. They don't want to try new things because they worry they won't be good at them. They're afraid to fail or that people will judge them.Most of us have a fixed mindset! I know I did before reading this book.But here's the thing…you can actually change your mindset and become more open to growth and trying new things.This is such an important message that I want to share Carol Dweck's short Ted Talk from 2014. I hope you enjoy it.Xo SarahHello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Are you having a hard time getting things done?Maybe you're a daydreamer. Maybe something is going on with your family. Maybe you're devastated at the state of the world. Maybe you're happy and hopeful and jumping around from thing to thing because you're so excited. Maybe you have ADHD like today's guest.I'm speaking with my friend Emily Prokop, podcast editor, host of the Story Behind, and co-host of the Hate to Weight podcast.Emily and I have a lot in common, including being recovering research-obsessed perfectionists. That doesn't mean we're natural planners. We definitely fall in the daydreamer category. That doesn't mean we don't have big goals we want to accomplish.Lack of focus doesn't mean lack of ambition or lack of interest.Today, Emily and I are sharing our favorite routines and resources to make your day more peacefully productive. We recorded this a few months ago, but the tools and tips we share are timeless. Enjoy.Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Are you overthinking something right now and can't seem to move forward? I have a simple yet very powerful mindset mantra that will get you moving in the right direction: "Let Future You take care of it."Whoah! So simple yet such a powerful mindset shift. I heard this idea from one of my online business mentors, Elizabeth Goddard. Here's what she means by 'let future you take care of it': Have faith that Future You will have the experience and the context to make the right decisions.So often we tie ourselves in knots about whether we should try this or that. Should I start a podcast? Should I move to Paris?But Present You can't know the answers because you don't have the experience of trying yet.The job of Present You is to try, experiment, and play. To take action on something now and let Future You decide if it's working, if you love it, or if you want to try something else.Future You has more information and, therefore, more answers. Yes, Present You will help out Future You by putting in effort and doing the work. But save your worries and ‘what ifs' for Future You to figure out.The job for Present You is to make a decision and take the next step.So what's your next step? What are you excited about and what's one thing you can do to move it forward? Xo SarahHello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Over the last few weeks, I've been walking around coastal England and marveling at how nature just keeps going.The tulips here are so red and lush and full of life. The birds are singing, the sun is shining, the waves keep crashing as they always do.They don't pause when there's a pandemic or when there's any other type of crisis in the world.We can learn from them.Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Do you ever feel like you're a workaholic who never gets anything done? I felt like this for so long.When I started my own business, I really, really struggled with moving forward and taking action. I got stuck in rabbit holes and analysis paralysis and spent so many days and nights, including weekends when I could have been seeing my friends, staying home because I had to work.But then I would look at the clock. The entire day had passed and I couldn't point to anything that I had done that was super productive. And yet I felt burned out and like I had been working the whole time.  I thought, okay, I know what the problem is, but I don't know how to pull myself out of this.And that's when I really started to explore productivity. I watched a TED talk called How to Gain Control of Your Free Time by Laura Vanderkam, a time management expert. And I thought, wow, this woman really knows what she's talking about. Then I read her her book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think and I learned something that helped me save time by making decisions much faster.I interviewed Laura recently for my other podcasts, and today's episode is a clip from that conversation. We discuss maximizers and satisficers, the part of her book that I found so life-changing. Take a listen and let me know if you're a maximizer or satisficer. Find me @sarahmikutel***Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Today I'm sharing a podcast episode I did with my friend Caitlin Hawekotte, who is an MBTI® Certified Practitioner, which means that she administers and interprets the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® assessment to help people discover more about their personality types and preferences. I actually shared this episode on both of my other podcasts because I loved it so much and I thought you might get a lot out of it, as well.Learning how people think about and process our world, especially those who are NOT our personality type, has had a profound effect on my life, in a very positive way, and we get into that in our conversation.As you might already know, assessments like Myers Briggs make us more compassionate because we learn how we all see the world through a different lens. We start taking things less personally because we realize that people have diverse ways of learning and working, different ranges of how much alone time we need, different ways of organizing ourselves (or not).I asked Caitlin if she'd be up for doing some Myers Briggs coaching with us, and she said yes! I'll share more information about that in our Facebook Group, which has the same name as this podcast, or you can just go to sarahmikutel.com/fbgroup and you'll be directed there.Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Hello from lock down in the UK. I'm sending you a big virtual hug wherever you are waiting out the COVID-19 coronavirus.Do you feel like you're the only one not losing your mind grapes right now? Or maybe you were feeling really calm, but easing the anxiety of others is weighing on you and now you're freaking out? I imagine we'll feel a range of emotions while sheltering at home.As Enneagram 9s, our go-to feeling is calm, and the world needs this energy. Now is our time to step up as leaders.When life gives us lemons, we make lemonade. We ask why things happen ‘for' us instead of asking why things happen ‘to' us.To help us thrive creatively and professionally during this time, I've created a Facebook Group just for INFP Enneagram 9s.This is intended as an oasis of calm for us. A place to help each other and ask questions and share ideas to help further or creativity, business pursuits, or however we want to thrive. Maybe we can do some online events together, like virtual happy hour or co-working.You can find the group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/infpthriveforenneagram9s***Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

New to Myers Briggs and the Enneagram? I am. I've been digging in deeper with both these assessments this year, especially the Enneagram, and I'm obsessed!I believe personal development is essential to living a happy, meaningful life and that we should explore tools not only to understand ourselves better, but also those around us.In this episode, I share definitions of the INFP personality type from 16Personalities, and of the 9 Type from the Enneagram Institute.Resources16PersonalitiesEnneagram InstituteEclectic Energies***Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

As INFP Enneagram 9s, we don't always love putting ourselves out there publicly, but that doesn't mean we're not dream chasers.On this episode, I share how I, as an American, achieved my dream of living abroad. It all started with me scrubbing bathtubs as a chambermaid in England, where I lived in a converted stable. Humbling for sure, but an experience I wouldn't trade for the world.I also get into three big life lessons that I've learned as an expat/entrepreneur that can apply to anyone looking to achieve more in life.***Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession

Does this sound familiar?✔️ The weekend passed by in a blur of busyness, but you're not sure what you actually did and somehow your to-do list got longer.✔️ You're a rock star at helping others achieve their goals. But your dreams fall to the bottom of your priority list.Imagine how amazing it would feel if you fought as hard for yourself as you did for everyone else. Hi, I'm Sarah Mikutel, a clarity coach who helps Enneagram 9s replace anxiety, overwhelm, and procrastination with calm, confidence, and fast action. I especially love helping warm-hearted go-to gals step into the spotlight and prioritize their own dreams (like living abroad, transitioning careers, and launching podcasts!). Fun fact: I'm an American who, in 2010, moved to Italy on my own, obtained dual citizenship in two months, and have been living the expat / location independent dream ever since.Some people have said to me, “That doesn't seem like an Enneagram 9” (which I am). Well, surprise! Every Enneagram type is capable of living their best life when they do their inner growth work.So this podcast is for you if... ✔️ You focus on other people's happiness at the expense of your needs. ✔️ You're smart and have faith in yourself. But your lack of momentum is driving you crazy.✔️ You're a positive person with big plans for this world. You're looking for someone to compassionately challenge you to step up as the leader of your life and start making magic happen.I am here for the gentle souls who are ready to shine. I'll be sharing my own journey, as well as practical tips and deeper advice on how to interrupt the personality patterns holding you back so you can create a life that sets your soul on fire.Follow or subscribe to get episodes delivered to your favorite podcast player.P.S. I host two other podcasts you might be interested inPodcasting Step by StepLIVE Without Borders***Hello! I'm your host, Sarah Mikutel. But the real question is, who are you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Can I help you get there?Visit sarahmikutel.com to learn how we can work together to help you achieve more peace, happiness, and positive transformation in your life.Book your Enneagram typing session by going to sarahmikutel.com/typingsession