Close your eyes for a moment. Picture where you live. Let's say there are nine houses on the block. Think about the doors. Can you picture all of them clearly? Probably not. Perhaps there are one or two that have something you noticed - whether it's the lovely paint color, a torn screen or a Christmas wreath that has been there for a few months.

Now, instead of trying to picture all nine doors, just think about your own front door. Can you see it? What color is it? Is there a window? How does the doorknob feel under your hand? Does the key turn easily in the lock or does it stick a bit?

Open your eyes. What happened?

I'm guessing you can see your own front door much more clearly than those of your neighbors. You go in and out of it frequently, you periodically clean off the dog slobber and grubby handprints, you make sure it is locked when you leave the house. You know it - it is yours.

In the world of the Enneagram, your front door is your type, represented by the numbers 1 through 9. Your type - or personality - serves you well much of the time. It guides you through daily life as you encounter people different from you and challenging situations. It becomes the basis for who you believe you are. Because you always act in a particular way, you start to believe that's the only way you can act.

But what if you discovered you don't always have to act in that way? Just as the front door is only the entrance to your home, the type is only the facade which conceals your whole, entire self. The Enneagram is a fascinating, centuries-old tool that helps us realize this by understanding the motivation behind our behavior and personality.

At 9 Open Doors Coaching and Consulting, I help you identify your type, understand the benefits and challenges associated with it and help you loosen its hold on your life. I believe in sharing the Enneagram in a practical, down-to-earth way that applies to you every day, in ways both small and large.

Using the Enneagram, I will teach you that, while you may prefer one door, all nine of them are available to you.

So come on in. The door is open!