THE ROMANTIC INDIVIDUALIST
Enneagram Type 4: The Romantic Individualist © 2019 by Beth McCord All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other— except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. Published in association with Alive Literary Agency. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® ), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Any Internet addresses, phone numbers, or company or product information printed in this book are offered as a resource and are not intended in any way to be or to imply an endorsement by Thomas Nelson, nor does Thomas Nelson vouch for the existence, content, or services of these sites, phone numbers, companies, or products beyond the life of this book. Graphic Designer: Jane Butler, Well Refined Creative Director, wellrefined.co Interior Designer: Emily Ghattas Cover Designer: Greg Jackson at Thinkpen Design ISBN-13: 978-1-4002-1571-3 Printed in China 19 20 21 22 23 GRI 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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DAY 4
Core Fear
Understanding your Core Fear is the first step in identifying your motivations. Your personality believes it’s vital to your well-being that you constantly spend time and energy avoiding this thing you fear. It is the lens through which you see the world, the “reality” you believe. You assume others do, or should, see the world through this lens, and you may become confused and dismayed when they don’t. Your Core Fear as a Type 4 is being inadequate, emotionally cut off, plain, mundane, defective, flawed, or insignificant. You don’t want to be ordinary, normal, or
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restricted in expressing your most authentic self throughout all facets of life. You don’t want your individual tastes, creativity, or aesthetics to be questioned, and you’d rather not be with those who don’t appreciate emotional depth and beauty. Even though you fear being plain, flawed, or inadequate, here’s what is true: God created you exactly the way He desires you to be— unique and special. He made no mistakes in designing you. He created you to experience deep emotions and love beauty and connection. He wants you to express your creativity, just as He has. He made you to stand out and bless others with your unique expression of yourself and your perspective on the world. When your Core Fears get activated, use them as a rumble strip to alert you. Then pause, become AWARE, and reorient yourself with what is true so your heart can rest in His passion for you.
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Going Deeper What comes to mind when you think about your Core Fear?
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CORE FEAR
Do any particular words in the Type 4 Core Fear description ring true for you?
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What strategies have you used in the past to protect yourself from your fears?
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