If You're An Enneagram 7, Here Is The Self-Help Book You Should Read

The Enneagram is a personality typing system that is growing in popularity for its in-depth style and application to relationship building and compatibility between its types.

Per The Enneagram Institute, the nine personality types each have their own title and attributes — Type Seven is known as "The Enthusiast" for their adventurous attitude and positive outlook on life. It may be easier for more introspective types to turn toward self-help books or read with personal growth as the goal. The Peacemaker, Type Nine, may be more ready to study their gifts and challenges via traditional self-help avenues, while the energized Type Seven may need to activate their transformative journey through a more practical external approach.

Whether or not Type Seven is ready to recognize the ways they can grow through self-reflection, unexpected genres — like fiction and memoir — can also help Seven figure out how to broaden their perspective, reconnect to their long-term goals, and improve their relationship to the present moment.

Parade poses "The Power of Now" by Ekhart Tolle as the perfect activator for Enneagram Type Sevens looking to live in the moment rather than their dreamy futures. 

The future-oriented Seven has some advantages over Enneagram types who live in the past or lack long-term perspective in terms of their current struggles. Sevens can assure themselves that things will, indeed, get better, and that negative feelings or experiences won't last forever. However, Parade's recommendation tackles the downside of Seven's propensity toward escaping the current moment in lieu of future plans, including trips, great romances, and new or exceptional experiences. 

Ekhart Tolle's spiritually transformative work focuses on the importance of the moment we currently occupy, and our immense potential for joy and gratitude. Though at their best, Sevens are able to appreciate their lives' small joys. Living simply doesn't come easily to Sevens, who tend to be of the "more is more" mindset. This type can move forward at a million miles an hour, but their next great challenge will be observing the details of their lives as they are. Seven's sense of adventure and curiosity, when turned toward the current moment, can result in a deepened awareness, which will lead to an increased feeling of wonder toward their already magical lives. The never-bored Seven might also realize that they've already given themselves the resources to live out their extraordinary moments in subtler ways than their usual grand plans. "The Power of Now" may bring the busy-minded Seven into a rare moment of contentment and peace.

The staff of Short Grass Library System has also curated a helpful reading list based on Enneagram types. Their suggestions range from fiction to motivational works that challenge readers to transform their lives. They even have essay collections designed to sooth anxiety (perfect for the Loyalist Six to reconstruct their fears into insightful tools). 

Short Grass's first pick is "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens, which has been adapted into a film for 2022. The fictional novel centers on an entirely self-sufficient young woman surviving in a North Carolina marsh, who eventually builds a connection with two men from the local town. Type Sevens will appreciate the protagonist's ingenuity, bravery, and zest for life, while the novel's arc will reinforce that as strong as a person may be, they do not have to go through life without others' support. 

The next pick is "Wow, No Thank You" by Samantha Irby, a collection of witty and hilarious blogger-era essays that are engaging reads for the easily distractible Seven. Another selection is "The Happiness Project, Or, Why I Spent A Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle and Generally Have More Fun" by Gretchen Rubin. Type Seven can be a closeted perfectionist, always reaching for the next great thing or a catch-all solution to avoid negative emotions. This author embarks on a year-long journey to make her wonderful life a flawless one. However, her search finds that the key to lasting happiness may or may not exist.

Book Riot's Enneagram-based recommendations for Type Seven overlap with Short Grass' by one title: "Beach Read" by Emily Henry. The protagonist's go-for-it attitude and deep curiosity toward her neighbor — a fellow author facing major roadblocks in constructing his masterwork — will keep any Seven super engaged. They may even personally relate to the struggle of producing the creative works they know they're capable of. The characters challenge each other to see from the other's perspective, allowing the reader to learn that a single story or point of view can't encapsulate the fullness of the human experience. Broadening their horizons is especially relevant for these authors drawing from their own experiences, and it may inspire Sevens to check in with the narratives they've constructed about their own lives.

Book Riot also suggests "To Shake the Sleeping Self" by Jedidiah Jenkins, a perfect adventure memoir for Sevens ready to hit the road. The book approaches existential questions of what our lives' adventures mean, who we surround ourselves with, and when we might finally feel satisfied with what we have. Besides prompting deep thought on the purpose of Type Seven's life, the memoir may also inspire Sevens to head out on their own journey of self-discovery. This could mean quitting their jobs to self-reflect and globe-trot, or simply taking time to sit in nature with a journal and a good book.