From Awareness to Action: What the Enneagram (and AI) Can Teach Us About Living Awake
Micheal teaching in one of his live coaching sessions.
When we first started exploring the Enneagram years ago, we didn’t expect it to shape so much of how we see the world. What began as curiosity, something to help us understand ourselves and each other, has become one of the most meaningful tools in our marriage, parenting, and leadership.
After two conversations with Michael Burditt Norton, a certified Enneagram teacher and conscious leadership coach, one truth stands out: self-awareness only matters if it changes how we show up.
The Enneagram doesn’t just name your patterns, it helps you notice them. It reveals why you react, retreat, or repeat certain stories in your life. It’s not about fixing who you are. It’s about being present enough to grow into who you’re meant to be.
And that’s the same spirit behind something else we’ve been building, our Running Ahrens AI Hub.
What the Enneagram Teaches Us About Awareness
The Enneagram reminds us that real growth happens in the space between recognition and response. It helps us move from reactivity to reflection, from blame to curiosity.
Here’s what we’ve learned from this journey:
1. Awareness is the starting line, not the finish line.
Seeing your patterns is powerful, but change comes when you choose to respond differently.
2. Compassion follows understanding.
When you begin to see what drives you, it’s easier to offer that same grace to others.
3. Leadership begins with self-leadership.
You can’t lead others well until you understand how you show up under pressure.
4. Parenting is about attention, not control.
The Enneagram teaches us that our kids already have their own way of seeing the world—our role is to listen, not define.
5. Growth doesn’t happen alone.
Awareness thrives in community. It’s in conversation, reflection, and the willingness to be honest together.
How the AI Hub Fits In
The Running Ahrens AI Hub was built from the same belief that drives our love for the Enneagram: That self-awareness, curiosity, and connection can change everything.
It’s your central space for practical AI tools, conversation apps, and resources inspired by the podcast. Built by us, this hub helps you bring reflection and presence into daily life, at work, at home, and everywhere in between.
Built for you—to make reflection practical and growth possible. We’ll keep creating new ways to help you learn, lead, and live awake.
Each tool is designed not to replace reflection, but to invite it. Not to tell you who you are, but to help you notice how you live.
Here’s what you’ll find right now:
🌀 EnneaQuest — An interactive way to explore your Enneagram and see your patterns with curiosity, not judgment.
💬 TalkFull — Conversation starters that help you connect deeply with your partner, family, or friends.
🎯 Your AI Coach — A friendly guide for those curious about using AI intentionally and creatively.
🛒 SmartCart — A meal and grocery planner that helps free up time for what really matters—your people.
The AI Hub isn’t about adding more noise to your life. It’s about creating small moments of awareness, curiosity, and connection, the same values at the heart of the Enneagram.
👉 Visit the Running Ahrens AI Hub
Keep Learning
If you’re new to the Enneagram, start with our first post:
👉 The Enneagram and Us: Learning to See, Lead, and Love Better
It lays the foundation for what the Enneagram is and how it can bring clarity to your relationships, work, and inner life.
We’d love your feedback, too.
Tell us what’s been most helpful in these episodes or thoughts around AI tools , or what topics and challenges you’d want us to explore on the show.
Your stories and ideas shape where this community goes next.
Keep Running,
Justin & Sarah
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