The idols of our personality beckon us to security and happiness. But to reach their promised land, we must pledge our unwavering devotion and fealty to them.And should we disobey them and take another route, our most alarming fears will surely be realized.

On the other hand, our essence, or genuine self, invites us to a deeper sense of security and well-being. It is a gentle calling, doesn’t threaten, and so is not as easily noticed.

So what keeps us from being spiritual and prods us to go in a not-sospiritual direction? Coercion and fear. We’ll remember when we weren’t encouraged or allowed to be ourselves and explore how we stay connected to our idols — to the inner judges of our shoulds and to the outer judges of others’ expectations. Through personal reflection, dyad sharing, experiential exercises and discussion, we’ll consider what resources we can marshal to offset these fears and touch into what we are passionate about — what divine aspect God is calling out in us.

Jerry Wagner, Ph.D. is the author of the Enneagram Spectrum of Personality Styles: An Introductory Guide; the Wagner Enneagram Personality Style Scales (WEPSS); and Two Windows on the Self: The Enneagram and the Myers-Briggs. Jerry has been researching and teaching the Enneagram for over 30 years and has offered the Enneagram Spectrum Training and Certification Program nationally and internationally for the past 10 years. Jerry is a faculty member of the Department of Psychology and the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University, Chicago. He is a clinical psychologist with a psychotherapy practice in Evanston, IL, and is a founding member of Faith Based Consulting, a consulting group to not-for-profit organizations as well as Enneagram Spectrum Partners, an NLPEnneagram oriented partnership with Jim Armstrong, Ph.D. Email: , web site: www.enneagramspectrum.com