What is Freedom?

The surprising truth behind personal freedom.

Jan 25, 2026

What does it mean to be free?
Free to do whatever I want?
Feel whatever I want?
Think whatever I want?

Or what if freedom is being free from me?

You and I probably have very different ideas of freedom. Not just because we are different people, but because we have different personalities. And understanding your personality, really understanding it, can be a path to personal freedom.

For over twenty years, I searched for meaning and a deeper spiritual life. It wasn’t until I discovered the Enneagram about three years ago that something truly shifted for me.

The Enneagram is often described as a personality typology system, and yes, it can be used that way. But it’s much deeper. It’s a map of ego…. and a blueprint for personal freedom.

My dominant Enneagram pattern is Five. And in true Five form, I’ve taken classes, intensives, and even attended a retreat at Omega with two teachers I deeply admire. I am always looking for the next thing to learn. I’m a need-to-know person. I don’t need to be right, but I do need to understand.

I’m also not much of a people person. Sadly, people disappoint me. So I learned to protect my heart by protecting my resources: my time, my space, my energy. That story made sense to me. It felt like safety. This may not make sense to you. That’s ok.

Knowledge has always felt like safety. Distance from people did, too.

The Enneagram calls this a fixation, the mind’s autopilot when the heart doesn’t want to hurt. When things feel threatening, I detach, observe, gather information, and conserve resources.

But here’s the truth. That distance didn’t protect me. It added to my suffering. It kept me stuck in personality, in ego.

Learning the Enneagram and truly seeing my patterns has been deeply freeing. Not because it told me who I am, but because it showed me how I habitually protect myself. And more importantly, how I might respond differently.

Because what we think is protecting us often becomes the very thing that keeps us stuck.

For most of my life, my go-to strategy was to stay a little removed. Engagement can hurt. The Enneagram didn’t shame me for that. It simply helped me see it and then showed me a path out.

I can’t point to some dramatic childhood story that explains my personality. I had a fairly normal upbringing. And yet, personality still forms. Ego still forms. These patterns are simply ways we cope with being human.

And I’m not the only one with them. You have them too. They just look different.

So let me offer examples.

The Enneagram groups us by centers of intelligence.

The Body types, Points Eight, Nine, and One—often struggle with the psychology of anger. Not always obvious anger… sometimes it’s intensity, stubbornness, tension, or numbing. And their freedom comes through learning how to work with that anger, without letting it run the show.

Point Eight: You may confront quickly and lead with intensity. Freedom comes when you lead with your heart—strength with softness—so your power becomes protection, not destruction.

Point Nine: You may seek comfort and delay decisions. Freedom comes when you choose—one clear decision at a time—trusting yourself to move forward.

Point One: You may see the world as right and wrong and feel responsible for perfection. Freedom comes when you embrace the world as perfectly imperfect… and release the need to keep score.

The Heart types, Points Two, Three, and Four, often carry the psychology of shame. That tender question underneath it all: “Am I lovable as I am?” And their freedom comes when they stop performing for love, and start receiving it.

Point Two: You may rush to help everyone… while quietly neglecting yourself. Freedom comes when you include yourself—speak up, set boundaries, and let support flow both ways.

Point Three: You may live in achievement mode, adjusting yourself to fit the moment. Freedom comes when you shift from doing… to being—letting your worth exist without performance.

Point Four: You may feel deeply, see beauty others miss, and carry a quiet loneliness. Freedom comes when you stay true to your inner world and connect with others—without losing yourself.

And the Head types—Points Five, Six, and Seven—often struggle with the psychology of fear. Not always panic fear, often it shows up as overthinking, planning, scanning, or staying busy. And their freedom comes when they learn to trust life, rather than trying to outsmart it.

Point Five: You may acquire knowledge and live with a scarcity mindset. Freedom comes from being in the world—experiencing life, not just observing it—and trusting abundance.

Point Six: You may be fiercely loyal and always scanning for what could go wrong. Freedom comes when you practice courage and faith—meeting the moment as it arrives instead of living in worst-case scenarios.

Point Seven: You may chase options, fearing you’ll miss out… and end up scattered and overwhelmed. Freedom comes through right action—not every action—choosing what matters and letting the rest go.

Did you see yourself in any of these? Or maybe you saw someone you love.

If so, you may be seeing these patterns for the first time. This is the work I do. I help curious people bring awareness to unconscious behavior patterns so they can experience deeper and more fulfilling relationships.

These nine ego structures are everywhere. They don’t always look simple, because our patterns are shaped by our instincts and life experience. But if you choose to look, you will begin to see patterns. Your patterns.