secrets of the life cycle
Warning: A little too deep for the average visitor!
Objective:
To explain - what the LIfe Cycle is and how we play within it’s game.
What is the Life Cycle? -
Good luck (you might want to stop now!)
Holy Books speak of two Eternal Pricinples: Justice & Mercy.
The Life Cycle brings these principles into union.
The core of Justice is Thinking.
The core of Mercy is Feeling.
The LIfe Cycle refers to the growth and union of these two eternal cores.
There are three basic stages to growth: Seek, Obtain, Give
These can be seen in the growth of a plant and the life of a human.
Plant:
Seeking - as guided by instructions in seed: water, sun, soil
Obtainment - demonstrated by the plants maturity
Giving - demonstrated by the producing seeds
Human:
Seeking - Child / Teenager
Obtainment - Adult
Giving - Giving back as demonstrated by the instinctive
desire to create a legacy, etc.
Applying these three basic stages of growth to both Thinking and Feeling demonstrates their dance of union.
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Stages of Growth applied to Feeling
Stages of Growth applied to Thinking
Stages of Growth applied to Feelings
Everyone has Feelings
Feelings come from the Heart Center
Feelings differentiate humans from robots
Feelings allow for heart-felt relationships with: yourself, others and God
1 - Seeking Feelings - Seeking personal identity / relationship
2 - Obtainment of Identity / Relationship
3 - Giving of Feelings
Stages of Growth applied to Thinking
Everyone has Thinking
Thinking comes from the Thinking Center / Brain
Thinking allows for the knowledge for concrete Decision Making.
1 - Seeking Thinking - Seeking Knowledge
2 - Obtainment of knowledge
3 - Giving of Knowledge
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First Let’s put simple names to these Stages of Growth for Identification Purpose
Stages of Growth applied to Feelings
1 - Feeling Seeker
2 - Feeling Guide
3 - Feeling Giver
Stages of Growth applied to Thinking
1 - Knowledge Seeker
2 - Knowledge Guide
3 - Knowledge Giver
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But how do they intertwine?
The key is the transitional Stage! - the 3rd Stage.
The Feeling Giver & The Knowledge Giver
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To answer the dynamics of the transitional stage their must first be another understanding to be built upon. So I must quickly diverge just to come back.
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The Three Centers of Intelligence
The Gut, Heart and Mind
Animals have a Gut / Body Instinct. We do too. Instinctive intelligence.
The Heart has an intelligence of it’s own. Emotional Intelligence.
The Mind has its intelligence. I.Q.
Essentially - Humans have three basic Intelligence Centers:
Mind, Heart, Body
The innate intelligence of each of these centers produces instinctive strategies to achieve it’s purpose. Purpose????
Does the heart, mind, body have a purpose? Yes.
The purpose of life: in a general sense - to have a Good Life.
What is a Good Life? To each the answer might differ.
But in general let’s state the agreed upon statement of the purpose of life:
Life is Good.
That as a baseline - we should agree that the purpose of the Intelligence Centers are to support the overall mission of the person - to have a Good Life.
Now. What is the purpose of each Center?
Heart Center: Good Relationships
Note: The heart is the differentiating factor that allows for us to be different than a robot (think of Data and Spock in StarTrek). The heart allows for a relationship with yourself, others, and God.
Seeking Feelings, Seeking Identity - for what? for Good Relationships.
People say - the quality of your life is dependent upon the quality of your relationships
Thinking Center: Good Decisions
Note: many books are written on this subject
Let’s just say - the moment of decision!
The purpose of the Thinking Center is to have Good Decisions!
Gut Center: Good Works
Note: Good Feelings and Good Thinking leads to Good Works.
The purpose of the body or Gut Center is to support the overal mission of a Good Life. This can be done by providing Good Works.
Recap
Life is Good:
Good Relationships
Good Decisions
Good Works
The Intelligence Centers of the Heart, Mind and Body produce instinctive strategies to achieve their purpose.
The Heart Center produces strategies to achieve it’s purpose of Good Relationships.
The Mind Center produces strategies to achieve it’s purpose of Good Decisions.
The Body Center produces strategies to achieve it’s purpose of Good Works.
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So we come back! from our divergence with a new foundation to include and build upon.
But how do they intertwine?
The key is the transitional Stage! - the 3rd Stage.
The Feeling Giver & The Knowledge Giver
Remember:
Stages of Growth applied to Feelings
1 - Feeling Seeker
2 - Feeling Guide
3 - Feeling Giver
Stages of Growth applied to Thinking
1 - Knowledge Seeker
2 - Knowledge Guide
3 - Knowledge Giver
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1 - Feeling Seeker - Relationship Center
2 - Feeling Guide - Works Center
3 - Feeling Giver - Decision Center (transitional!!)
1 - Knowledge Seeker - Decision Center
2 - Knowledge Guide - Works Center
3 - Knowledge Giver - Relationship Center (transitional!!)
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Why are these 3rd Phases transitional???
Because . . . notice they are both in the Centers of the other’s 1st Phase!!!
Wow! but what does this mean??
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First of all - if you really want to understand this - a good understanding of the Enneagram would help with understanding the Centers and then these theories with the aid of the Enneagram diagram will come into use. But it is all worth it. One could understand this without it, but it sure would help. In Eneagram theory the transitional personalities are the 7 and 2. Now with that aid, it should all make sense.
So. .. . THE LIFE CYCLE repeats in a continuous circle: Feeling 1, 2, 3 - Thinking 1, 2, 3 - Feeling 1, 2, 3, - Thinking 1, 2, 3, - Feeling 1, 2, 3 - Thinking 1, 2,3 . . . . .repeat, repeat
So the Life Cycle is as such, but now let’s move on to the Centers a little deeper.
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Let’s put these Stages of Growth into the Centers!!
Relationships Center
1 - Feeling Seeker
3 - Knowledge Giver
Decision Center
1 - Knowledge Seeker
3 - Feeling Giver
Works Center
2 - Feeling Guide
2 - Knowledge Guide
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Question: When referring to the Enneagram, this all explains the dynamics of the 4, 1, 7, 5, 8, 2,
but it does not explain the 9, 3, 6 (referred to as the primary triad)
Okay - this is how it works - the Primary Triad deals with essentially an External Locus of Control in relationship with the Intelligence Centers.
So what does that mean?
The purpose of the heart is for Good Relationships.
There are 2 strategies indicated above to accomplish this.
One is the 1st phase in the feeling Life Cycle. The other is the 3rd in the Thinking Life Cycle.
But there is a third! It is neither from the Thinking or Feeling Life Cycles. It is Others oriented - An external Locus of Control - the Enneagram 3 type.
Now take this same concept and apply it for the 6 and 9 types (Enneagram)
So Each Center has 1 strategy from the Thinking Life Cycle, 1 from the Feeling LIfe Cycle and one from the neither - an external orientation. So let’s look.
Let’s put these Stages of Growth into the Centers!!
The numbers I’ll put from the enneagram.
Relationships Center
Feeling Seeker - 4
External Feeling Seeker - 3
Knowledge Giver - 2
Decision Center
Knowledge Seeker - 5
External Knowledge Seeker - 6
Feeling Giver - 7
Works Center
Feeling Guide - 1
External Guide - 9
Knowledge Guide - 8
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So each center has 3 distinct strategies coming from 3 distinct point of views for the same purpose!!!
So 3 distinct personalities with 3 distinct strategies to achieve lets say Good Works!! People sure are different aren’t they!
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The Centers that Everyone Has
Each person has a heart, a mind and a body.
As a result each person has three intelligences.
These intelligences are all working at the same time.
However, it is is clear by human nature that one of these intelligences is more pronounced.
So for example. One person’s personality might have more emphasis on Works than Relationship or Decision. But in reality, all three are present.
But remember each Center has 3 main sources to produce strategies from!
If more info would like to be culled on this subject - one might study - Enneagram Tritypes. (look it up on the internet)
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But where do Enneagram wings come from?
Answer: the intersection of the Life Cycle
Each person’s main personality has a secondary personality called a wing as described in traditional Enneagram theory.
This wing comes from. Wait for it. . .!! well I already said it.. . the intersection of the Life Cycle.
Okay.
Each personality does have an element of their personality from each center! But wings are fundamental in this as well.
For example. If a person’s main personality is from the Feeling LIfe Cycle, his wing must either be from the Thinking Life Cycle or the External Triad (Primary Triad). Note: the External personalities (3, 6, 9) are not in the LIfe Cycle(s). They are external oriented. They do remain in the Centers.
Some say that each has two wings. Possibly, but regardless - the wing is either external or from the other Life Cycle. And why? Because this is the intersection of the Life Cycles.
Again! The wings are the Intersection of the LIfe Cycles in in balance. !!!!!
Note: An external personality (3,6, 9) either has a wing from either 1 or the other of the Life Cycles! Their literally is balance in all this!!!
Note: wings - Seekers and Seekers play nice.
Guides and Givers play nice
and of course the Externals play nice only in there respective Center. (refer to Enneagram symbol)
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So. .. . .
The Life Cycle of the Feelings and Thinking are entertined because
they are literally linked together at the Giver and Seeking types
and the wings are obvious demonstration of this constant harmony play of the two.
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Now do you want a power punch? The Transition personalities are neat!!
The Givers - have lot’s of Faith and are foundational to their respective Centers in amazing ways.
Think about it. . .
The Knowledge Giver - Gives knowledge and substantive gifts (based on the practicality of the 5 and 8) but fully expect and assume that by giving from the Thinking Growth Cycle they will achieve the results of the Relationship Center.
Same thing with the Feeling Giver but in reverse!
No seeking needed! just giving of either feeling or thinking and walah!! result acheived.
Now if you talk faith, Attractor Factor, or The Secret, etc, etc. it becomes very obvious that the Giver personalities are playing this game quite nicely - that is to say if they are in the Inspired Trust Reality!!!
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And now for the Realities - - -
There are 3
Inspired Trust Reality (Win / Win)
Competitive Reality (Win / Lose)
Destructive Reality (Lose / Lose)
Now there are many ways to describe these:
Whether Healthy, Average, Unhealthy,
Love, Pride, Hate,
Yes, the Enneagram Personality Types, Don Riso, Russ Hudson, breakes each of the three into three more. They are right and genius in there one right! Read all there books!!
But to put it simply. How does one move from prideful competitive beliefs to Win / Win beliefs?
Here’s a key word - SUPPORT.
What is the key objective of the personality?
Now support it and you are aiding this person to have TRUST and portray loving qualities.
Children need this Support from their kids.
How do we have Love when others don’t support us?
Well the name Inspired Trust refers to:
- As we discipline ourselves to enjoy frequent moments of quiet serenity, Inspiration will enter the soul. Trusting and acting upon this guidance from God, leads to both fulfillment and peace (jdm)
Literally the teachings of Jesus - especially turning the other cheek. (maybe not especially but it’s a good one that applies here).
The Do’s and Don’ts help demonstrate support for the purpose of the individual. The Do’s support and aid in trust. The Don’ts literally do not support and if the other is not committed and living and Inspired Trust life, there is a big possibility they will go to the Competitive Reality.
As parents, with friends, at work, in sales, everywhere. . .Trust is critical. Supporting and demonstrating to the other that you support them so they trust you and that you are on the same team goes a long way.
The different strategies that people have to accomplish the ultimate goal of a Good LIfe are diverse to say the least. The strategies are coming where they are as they relate to the life cycle and the Centers of Intelligence. Each person has three and then a dominate one. And of course there dominate one is tied to a wing from an external or the other Life Cycle.
Justice and Mercy - Thinking and Feeling.
They are combined within us and as we learn to utilize them optimally to accomplish having a Good Life we will will have a Good Life. A lot of this comes down to Inspired Trust and the attitude that ‘everything works out for our good. Win / Win. Supporting others. The Golden Rule. The teachings of Jesus. Accepting others that they are different and supporting them and their strategies that come form their unique view of the wold based on their unique strategies from there centers of Intelligence. And these writings haven’t event talked about the three Instincts!!! so far.
But the Do’s and Don’ts are powerful in there own right! Do this and the other person’s ego will be supported and Don’t do this or they will not be supported.
9/1/11
Jonathan Manning
