Unlock Your True Self: A Beginners Guide To Human Design
Human Design is in my top 5 favorite things I’ve ever learned about!
I had heard about it years ago from a client but paid no attention to it.
A while back I was on Instagram and I came across a friend’s instagram story about human design. It peaked my interest.
And when I transported myself to the profile highlighting Human Design I was intrigued even more.
In order to find out your design type you must have your exact birth time and location - once you enter this information in the assesment box it will populate your energy type.
I was pretty sure I thought I knew what I was.
But, when I found out my true design type, projector, I was flabbergasted.
I had been presenting myself in the wrong design type as early as I can remember.
I was like an egg cracked on the side of a bowl.. everything spilled out! It was the most validating assessment I’ve ever taken! I finally felt understood. It was like giving a permission slip to be myself.
I learned that I had been operating in the wrong design my whole life based on conditioning.
As I dove deep into researching more about my operating system I learned that through conditioning both by events that actually occurred and by society I became something I wasn’t.
With this new found knowledge of how I actually work I began to employ it.
And what I found: less resistance, more joy, more ease, more intuitive decisions (that were right), and more confidence in myself.
Understanding our operating system (our human design type) is essential to our personal development and growth.
We keep trying all these things in order to better ourselves— things like podcasts, courses, reading, writing, exercise, etc. But many struggle to sustain them..why?
Because we don’t build a relationship with ourselves and understand who we are preconditioning.
We need to understand our how operating system works in order to instill it’s software programming…aka we need to know how we are designed so we can choose things that energetically align because in turn it will create fulfillment and sustainability.
For example, I always wondered why it was so hard for me to keep up or stay consistent among other things and when I learned about my operating system it all made sense.
I wasn’t suppose to.
My non-energy type of design was meant to ebb and flow. I learned that I have a non defined center meaning most of my energy is borrowed- most likely from my energy type (generator) husband and when mine runs out, it runs out.
I use to not refill by resting — I use to just believe I was lazy.
Now that I know how I best work I can take breaks and give myself grace when I rest and what I find when I actually do that I sprint forward faster.
With this knowledge in hand I have been able to be more efficient, effective, and most of all kind to myself.
Furthermore it supported me even more with the unraveling of limiting beliefs and conditioning from my childhood.
Let’s talk about conditioning.
As children we subconsciously absorbed thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and beliefs from friends, family members, teachers, and the environment.
This conditioned lens is how we start to see the world. It becomes our automatic default mode.
The conditioned ideas then become your belief system and your behaviors.
Have you ever asked yourself, who were you before conditioning?
Last year I led a workshop on conditioning & human design to a group of women.
At first, no one had an answer.
Then slowly one by one they began to share, “I loved xyz” or “I use to xyz” and the realization that they stopped doing these deeply aligned things came to the surface for the first time in years since they packed them away.
Most of us millennials are living out of alignment.
It’s not that we don’t want to be in alignment it’s just because there is not enough time, support, money to provide us a life that allows us to feel energetically free.
Now, I will say that it’s not impossible to change this.
The key to finding a more energetically aligned life is to be curious and lean into what is not working.
Some signs that show up when you’re not operating in alignment:
Burn out
Mental health challenges such as anxiety/depression
Pressure
Tension/stress
Feeling overwhelmed
Lack of bandwidth or energy
Struggling to create boundaries
Self care non existence (you put yourself last)
The key here is interest.
That you’re interested in not only doing the work to break free from conditioning but also the interest to learn how you truly work.
The most powerful way to undo the doing?
Understand how you work and how experiences in your life have changed you from the person you were born to be.
The best way to unravel this?
In my opinion, therapy.
Finding a good therapist will open you up, see what they see, and begin to rewrite your story.
Now, in order to build a strong relationship with ourselves — we must know how we work.
Enter, Human Design.
Before I continue on in relationship to my own story I’d love to share more about Human Design in general. Additionally, I will be sharing more posts in the future to go more into detail.
Human Design is a unique energy blueprint made to help you uncover who you are, shed your mask who you thought you “had to” be.
“Human Design recognizes the uniqueness of individuals, acknowledging that what works for one person may not work for another. Each person has their own set of traits, energy levels, rest needs, ways of connecting with others and sources of fulfillment. Human Design acts as a guide to help you discover your own talents, gifts and unique qualities, and encourages you to live your life authentically. According to Human Design, this deep understanding of yourself will enable you to use your strengths and share them with the world.”
Developed in 1987 by Ra Uru Hu —Human Design also called the ,Science Of Differentiation, the New Astrology, or the Science of The Aura, is a system that combines the modern sciences of biochemistry, genetics, and theoretical and quantum physics with ancient modalities including Western Astrology, The I Ching, The Chakra System, and Kabbalah The Tree of Life.
Human Design is a system based on your exact time, date, and place of birth. However, this information doesn't just map where the planets were in the sky when you were born like a birth chart. Human Design also identifies your dominant chakras to create your personal body graph.
Human design supports us gaining insight into who we are at our deepest, most authentic levels, so we can identify limiting beliefs and damaging ways of being in order to release them and find our way back to the core versions of ourselves.
It is not a personality type assessment or a self assessment this system is based on calculator from your birth date, time, and place.
Human Design is the inherent qualities that you were born with and will have your entire life. Your design shows you who you are pre conditioning.
I bet you’re curious about your design type now aren’t you? Don’t worry I’ll be providing a ton of resources of you to go play with as the article continues.
Let’s break down the different design types:
First, the energy types:
Manifestors are here to inspire others and start something new. They are natural born leaders, initiators and trailblazers. Manifestors have a powerful and impactful energy and can benefit from having others to help them to bring their ideas to life rather than trying to do it all themselves. They make up 9% of the population.
Generators are here to use their energy to create, work on, or build what they love! To feel most satisfied and fulfilled, Generators need to be using their time and energy to the things that light them up and that spark joy. The generators true power lies in their ability to respond to the environment around them. When the respond- watch out! They are the most energetically powerful types of human beings! They make up 37% of the population.
Manifesting Generators combine the initiating power of manifestors and the sustaining energy of generators. They are here to inspire others as they use their a energy to create and build what they love in varied fashion aka they like to do different things! . MG’s are likely to move quickly to make things happen or see more efficient and effective ways to get things done. They make up 32% of the population.
And now the non energy types:
Projectors have a gift for deeply seeing others and are here to guide the energy types (manifestors/generators/manifesting generators) toward more efficiency and authenticity and ultimately clarity. They can often see innovative ways to re-working systems or processes, and improve the world around them. They make great guides and teachers and are natural studiers. They make up about 22% of the population.
Reflectors are here to empathetically feel the people around them to gauge the overall well-being of their environment. Think of them as shiny unicorns as they are the rarest human design archetype and are wise observers of life coupled with a great gift of reading other people. They make up 1% of the population.
Curious to know your design type? If you want to get your chart before finishing the article - follow this link here and then make your return here to learn more about your design!
I am a projector and now that I know what I am everything has just clicked.
"Projectors are here to guide and direct others, and they thrive when they can use their wisdom and insights in meaningful ways. However, they need to be selective and patient, aligning themselves with the right people and opportunities. Taking care of their energy is crucial for Projectors.”
As guides, Projectors are here to offer insights, wisdom, and direction to others. They are often able to see things that others miss, understand systems and patterns, and offer guidance that can lead to greater efficiency, clarity, and success. However, not everyone is open to a Projector’s guidance, which is why waiting for an invitation is crucial.”
I use to think I was a manifesting generator but instead I learned I’m actually the design who helps the manifesting generators grow.
I use to get annoyed that I was the “advice” friend. I was the friend people came to to get help but not always asking to go to dinner with.
But now I know why.
My role is to help people grow and shine.
My role is to help others find their gift by unlearning to relearn.
My role is to help people connect the dots to their purpose and encourage them to go after it.
“Projectors are known for their deep wisdom and their ability to guide and direct others. They have a unique ability to see and understand others in a way that can bring clarity and insight. This can make them excellent advisors, coaches, or consultants. Their aura is focused and absorbing, allowing them to penetrate deeply into the other’s energy.
In terms of energy, Projectors are not designed for long-term, consistent work. They need plenty of rest and downtime, and they thrive when they can work in short bursts and have ample time to recharge.”
I use to be so hard on myself about not being able to stay consistent with things.
What I know now is that I was burning through energy I didn’t have and it would cause a collapse which ultimately led to burn out and stopping.
I think this is important in two ways- first, is that I was not in my dharma - doing the thing I’m meant to do, so it depleted a lot of my energy and secondly, I worked myself thin.
Late nights creating courses, early mornings doing business development, recording and editing podcasts.
I use to compare myself to my spouse and other colleagues who seemed to have endless energy and would judge myself.
My gift is how I see the world, not how much I do.
Each of us have something called, a body graph. Mine was the first picture you saw at the top.
It includes several important pieces of information.
Which of our centers are open and which are closed
What design type we are and what our decision-making strategy is
Which authority we should defer to for guidance when making decisions (Mine is splenic authority)
Which gifts we’ve been given and which lessons we’re here to learn, as determined by our combination of gates and channels.
Our profile and incarnation cross, which give specific insight into our purpose and karma
These elements have been extremely cementing in how I make decisions and determining my life’s purpose.
Let’s start with Authority.
I am encouraged to go through my decision making process utilizing my “authority”.
Authority also known as your inner compass or intuition if used in alignment can be extremely supportive in designing your life in your best interest and ultimately encountering less resistance in your life.
Authority and strategy work together. We will get to strategy in just a bit.
When making a decision most of us are told things like, “sleep on it!” Or “take your time and weigh your options” or even things like “do your research”.
The interesting thing about this is that this approach will only work best for some energy types - for others it does a diservice.
Ultimately, “going with your gut” can also be the right choice for some.
Like me. A splenic authority.
Once labeled impulsive and quick I have now come to understand it is actually within my operating system to move like that.
Splenic authority is the oldest authority center. It runs on survival and fear. The main idea of this authority is to trust your initial instinct and gut intuition. Those with a defined spleen (like myself) have an inner voice that is constantly guiding the way.
Splenic authority types can feel the right decision almost instantaneously but can sometimes get derailed by the mind and external stimuli.
The inner voice is described as quiet, momentary, and will not repeat itself. So, if you’re too busy listening to someone say “sleep on it” you’ll miss the message that is running internally.
I am designed to not sleep on it. I am designed to know. Know immediately.
I think this is an important note to pause on for a moment.
I want you to think about where you get your information. In previous posts I’ve shared about decision making, labels, and rewiring old beliefs.
We live in a day and time where we are receiving thousands of messages (maybe more) per second.
We are inundated with images and captions on social media, millions of options of shows to watch on streaming services, and we have the capability to talk with 50+ friends all over the world just by pressing an upwards facing blue arrow on our iPhone messages.
Regardless of what your authority center is I want to remind you that regardless of how much information you absorb and try to make a decision you already know the right one.
Now, depending on the type of authority that is defined for you the speed at which you decide can be different.
Whether you are a waiting kind (emotional authority) or a how does this feel for me (sacral authority) or others we all need to practice quiet in order to hear what the heart and gut TRULY want without outside noise to taint your decision.
For me, the more information I gather (externally) before checking into my own thoughts about it impact my decision making.
I become overwhelmed, exhausted, and stressed.
Since learning how to trust myself and actually following through with it I have built more confidence in myself and feel empowered making decisions.
If you’re interested in learning more about your authority I thought this blog by wholeandunleashed was super informative. Remember you must take your human design quiz before determining “what you are”.
Now, we understand HOW we make decisions let’s now break down how we interact with the world and how that correlates with your authority.
All of the design types have a strategy. For example, generators strategy is to wait to respond and a projector like myself are suppose to wait for the invitation.
At first I didn’t understand what this meant but now I understand that instead of pushing for things to happen I just need to show up as my authentic self and invitations will arise.
Now, invitations are coming all the time.
We then use our authority to determine if the invitation is right for us or not.
Invitations aren’t just professional opportunities or birthday dinners — invitations also can stem from your deepest wisdom.
Things like, “Write this down” could come up from my spleen and in that moment I can choose how to respond to the invitation.
Furthermore, I am able to recognize when I am out of alignment or as they say, ‘not self’ theme is bitterness. I’ve definitely felt this before especially when depleted, unfulfilled, and unrecognized.
There is so much more about human design that I think is incredible and I plan on sharing more but for now I’ll leave you with these bullet points:
If you are to take anything away from today’s blog post it’s these 3 things right here:
1. What is your energetic blueprint (design type)?
2. How do you make decisions (authority)?
3. How do you interact with the world (strategy)
With these 3 parts in mind you can truly begin to unpack your operating system and begin building new software programming that unleashes your preconditioned state and ultimately, live your life by design.
And that’s (a little of) What Nik Knows…about human design and breaking free from conditioning.