Overcoming fear with faith, mental health support, and anxiety relief strategies for individuals with mental health challenges.

From Fear to Faith: An Enneagram 6’s Guide to Letting Go of Worry

Last summer, I bought a truck and faced waves of anxiety—from debt worries to delivery fears. But by consciously choosing not to indulge my fear and practicing trust, I learned to quiet my mind and find peace. Here’s my personal journey as a Type 6 learning to let go and move toward calm.

Last summer, I bought a truck. I had all kinds of anxieties about it—being in debt, how to get it here from another state, and more. But I was also aware of those fears and often chose not to indulge them.

It felt almost disembodied, like anxious thoughts would come over me, I’d observe them for a moment, then say, “This is an irrational fear.”

Choosing the 9’s Path of Integration

A few times, I felt tempted to argue with those fears, to reason them away. But I realized that was just me trying to “fix my number as my number,” as Richard Rohr puts it.

Instead, I deliberately chose the 9’s path of integration. I told myself, “This isn’t worth fretting about. It’s all going to work out fine.”

And what do you know? It did.

When Fear Spiraled

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The biggest trigger came about four hours after wiring a large sum to the truck dealership. The bank teller asked me twice if I was sure because the money couldn’t be recovered if it was fraud.

At 7 pm, my anxiety spiraled. Was I sure? Was this a scam?

But in the middle of it, I stopped myself. I said, “Calm down, your truck is coming Tuesday.” I prayed for peace and it worked.

When fear popped up about meeting the delivery guy or the storm the transport truck had to go through, I refused to indulge those fears, even if it was five times in a row.

Rooting Out the Real Fear

I later dug into the real fear underneath: as an sp-6 living alone, I fear losing my support system once my parents are gone, and not being able to make our family business thrive.

My neurosis around money isn’t really about the truck. It’s about fear of the future. Spending money now means it might not be there when I need it. That fear can lead to a mental meltdown.

Accepting Reality Over Brain Fantasies

Eventually, I made peace with my truck. I was in love with it.

The key was accepting reality over my fearful brain fantasies:

  • Reality: I bought this truck. There’s no turning back. It’s a great truck that will last a long time.
  • Reality: My brain tortures me with thoughts that are optional. I don’t have to let them control me.

I’m allowed to make mistakes. Most won’t ruin my life.

Productive Thinking vs. Wheel-Spinning

I’ve been trying hard to both manage my fear and diffuse it quickly—reminding myself things like:

“The wind is loud, but tornadoes haven’t hit here in 45 years. You’d hear the siren. Go to bed.”

I’m learning to think productively instead of spinning my wheels:

  • Decide and stick with it once I’ve reached a conclusion.
  • Own that even if I’m wrong, it’s not the end of the world.
  • Say, “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”
  • Focus on solutions rather than problems.

Growing Toward the 9: Trust and Letting Go

I’m growing toward the 9’s mentality:

“This isn’t mine to do. Let it go. Stop trying to change people who are happy being who they are. Stop carrying responsibilities that aren’t yours. Believe it will turn out fine.”

For a 6, our biggest foe is often our own mind, but we don’t have to let it run our lives.

So, 6s, today as you move through your life, trust that things will turn out fine.

Learn how to grow as a 6 in my book 9 Kinds of Quirky, available on Amazon.com or digitally.

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