Empowering Creative Success and Security

The Secondary Creative Expression typically shows up in our late teenage years and becomes the main way we validate our choice of career. This is because we have a tendency to put our Secondary Creative Expressions on the line and develop them so they will add value to others. Some would say that our Creative Secondaries are driven by the need to be successful so we are more willing to risk being made wrong. We tend to vacillate between underdoing and overdoing this expression; trying to find a point of balance where we will be accepted by the most people. When we are acting in alignment with our true Secondary Expression, we experience greater Wisdom and little or no Intensity.

The Secondary Creative Expression is the easiest to see in most individuals. Since individuals want to be seen as valuable by others, we put more effort into relating on this level so that we seem more accessible. One example of this is when others do not seem to see us, we push forward more, and when they are overwhelmed, we pull back this Expression. This is why we vacillate between underdoing and overdoing this Expression. The Secondary Expression is also one that tries to ‘get along’ with everyone. It spends a considerable amount of time making sure that others are receiving the value we wish to deliver. This makes us successful and secure at this level.

Higher Alignment uses descriptive names to talk about each of the seven Creative Expressions. The Alice Bailey work numbers these Expressions and calls them Rays. The Michael system has another set of names. Individuals such as Howard Gardner at Harvard, has pioneered other general intelligence names. In an attempt to standardize these naming conventions, we are providing an Intelligence Key so everyone can be on the same page. This key will provide individuals with different backgrounds an ability to relate to different intelligence archetypes from their own discipline. It is important to remember that these seven creative types have three levels of expression: primary, secondary, and mental body. Each level of Creative Expression performs a different function and purpose, which creates subtle differences between each level. The mental body is responsible for doing, the secondary is responsible for relating, and the primary is responsible for being.

Our seven Secondary Expressions

• Orchestrator Secondaries manifest their creative power through stark directness; taking action before others even talk about it. We prove ourselves by manifesting clear and unambiguous results. Our power can be intimidating, so we may learn to turn it up or down depending on our goals or the impact we wish to make. It is important that we do not get caught up in negative defensive expressions of power, which could be self-destructive. Our primary focus becomes how to build an expert team that can implement as well as problem solve.


• Compassionate Secondaries manifest their creative power by seeing the needs of others energetically. We automatically know the feelings and fears of others, and can empathize with them. We prove ourselves as trusted intermediaries, committed to appropriate projects that support the greater good. We seek to neutralize conflict and teach others to love themselves. Compassionates accomplish this by reflecting others’ nature and characteristics back to them. It is important that we do not take on a victim role or get caught in self-pity and martyrdom, this would limit our capacity to bring light and love to others.


• Implementer Secondaries manifest their creative power by doing things with greater energetic integrity. We prove ourselves as loyal co-workers by standing with our commitments to particular outcomes. We enjoy organizing and designing processes that provide certainty that the best product or service will emerge. Usually this involves documentation and training so that everyone knows what is expected of them. We need leaders that have the common interest of the group in mind, which is why we volunteer. It is important that we do not become too isolated or believe that no one appreciates our productivity, for we tend to become rigid, angry and less responsive.


• Inventor Secondaries manifest their creative power by being adventurous, internally and externally, always encouraging change by providing multiple options. We are the most environmentally sensitive type of individual (space, noise, color, beauty, etc.), which shows up as a need to travel in order to relax. We get immersed in larger systems such as Artificial intelligence or healing modalities. Our gift is seeing how things could be, which irritates us when the status quo prevents possibilities. We are particularly upset when others do not consider fully our suggestions, but instead disregard the power of the ideas we present. This is why we are known for our rebellious or anti-authoritarian positions.


• Investigator Secondaries manifest their creative power by being an auditor around what is being done and why it is being done in a particular way. We act as a repository of the reasoning and thought that goes into intellectual problem solving. We want to bring together various structures of thought and make them available on demand to others. It is important for us to integrate and use our emotions to empower our thinking. This creates more unity, self-reflection, and increases our ability to think on a deeper level.  We seek to bring together resources so others will not repeat the mistakes of the past.


• Visionary Secondaries manifest their creative power by awakening the aspirations and desires of others. We prove ourselves by knowing what others need before they even know it. We want what is best so we invest ourselves in inspiring and cheerleading others. We accomplish this by encouraging others to declare their mission or gifts. This supports others’ growth and increases their ability to take action. When others take action we respond by emotionally unifying and banding groups together to pursue the challenges they have declared. It is important not to be sidetracked by distractions, false assumptions and non-growth people.


• Storyteller Secondaries manifest their creative power by building groups that bond others through activities. We prove ourselves by engaging and communicating with people on all levels. We use common interests and the desire to engage lessons so we can learn from each other. We learn to put ourselves out and do whatever we can to bring together the stories of people. We like to keep things light and carefree, even when they are critical and challenging in the moment. What is important to remember is that our influence over others needs to be positive and without coercion, or it will have a detrimental impact on us. 

Secondary Expressions bring out our Aliveness while Defensive patterns bring out our Intensity. We struggle between these internal experiences because we have not chosen what is in alignment within us. Each of our Primaries, Secondaries, and Mental Bodies help us to express certain values when we actualize them in our lives. The irony is that each of us actually has certain values that we are perfecting for the larger benefit of humankind. This allows for a sharing of values among people that would further integrate our creative purposes. Unfortunately, Subjectification tries to impose a set of values on others, which ends up increasing the resistance to adopt values. When our values are denied we feel empty and are unable to find our way.

When we use our truth and affirm our values, we start building an internal knowing of our contribution. This contribution is often very different from what others perceive it to be. It would be better to use our Primary Creative Expression as a guide for what would be a fulfilling course of action rather than our Secondaries. Unfortunately, many of us get caught up in our Secondaries and therefore, it is an Anxiety-producing event to actually engage our Primaries. We fear that we may not make the right choice, which creates more opportunities to make the wrong choice. Even challenging ourselves to identify our Secondary Expression can be painful. When we are limited in seeing the full potential of our Secondary Expression, just stepping into the power of a larger vision could be very disorienting. The truth is always validated by us internally. When aligned, we discover great joy, along with Aliveness, Wisdom and Awareness. We confirm these experiences by taking the next steps to expressing our truth. This self-validation process is a virtuous circle, where the more we do, and the more we accept ourselves, the more we naturally contribute. What makes this a virtuous circle is that we are supported in the process of supporting others.

When we know our Secondary Expression, it allows us to express our Content or career-focus easily. Content is the ability to think beyond our box. It is the capacity to make sense of our circumstances. When we are unified in our Thoughts and Emotions, we are able to reflect on our experience, allowing us to make sense of our truth. When we are aligned in our Intent, it puts pressure on us to know what we are doing. This drives us to define our Secondary Expression, most of us actually succeed in this. We could imagine our Defenses as part of the training wheels that guide us to establishing our ability to ride a bike. The problem is that we still do not have a map of where we are going. This is why we will ultimately need to engage our Primary Creative Expression and take ownership of making a contribution that matters to us.

Progress, therefore, is conscious engagement, growth and evolution (rather than fixed rules). If we take the time, we can use Solitude (where we learn to recreate the whole universe in our minds) to see the many reflections of possibilities. Solitude is a way to expand our experiences by creating an internal model of all the interactions and connections. With a model of Solitude we begin to collect different experiences or perspectives about everything we engage. We bring together experiences so the truth becomes more flexible and less polarized—we build Wisdom. Solitude increases the ability to see our truth because we are not attached to a part of the experience at the cost of the whole. What transforms our perceptions is the inclusivity and completeness of our model. Being able to see what could work, and what might not, allows us to predict outcomes more effectively.

Over time, we realize that we are no longer carrying around that defensive burden. Instead, we can nurture and take care of ourselves because we know we deserve it. This is not about entitlement because it is not a defensive pattern. It is a declaration of our Creative Nature and an acknowledgment that we have a contribution to make and a gift to give to the world. By the time we discover what this gift is, the pain will be greatly mitigated and our acts of service will be fulfilling, helping us to put more energy into positive expressions in our life. It is important to realize that creating this space around our heart is one of the main ways we shift out of Subjectification of others or ourselves. This is because as long as we take on the Subjectification of others, we feel justified paying others back for the pain we received. Forgiveness of others and ourselves is the final way we clear out Subjectification. Until this happens, we still have the temptation to fall back into Defensive pattern where Intensity rules. Intensity will impact us until we go into the pain and understand the driving principles of it so that we are no longer caught or attracted to Intense situations. If we are still drawn to Intense situations, we are still operating from this Defensive pain and we have not transformed it.

We strengthen every relationship by making commitments to it, whether these are business, romantic or personal friendships. If we are not growing in a relationship, we are slowly dying in it. This growth process is all about affirming that we could have more forms of connection. Building Relationship Skills is the best way to expand our capacity to be there for other people. Over time, we develop the natural muscles to make commitments to people that they not only can count on, but that they, in turn, can do the same for us. Athena Staik, PhD at PsychCentral.com has written about 15 statements of commitment that can strengthen our relationships.

Communication Process

Communication is usually seen as one of the key aspirations in creating great relationships. In Higher Alignment, it is the primary intellectual aspiration that helps us get on the same page with our partners. The four basic aspirations for great relationships are Connection (Level 1), Communication (Level 2), Co-Measurement (Level 3) and Co-Creativity (Level 4). While most individuals make the false assumption that how others communicate should be how we communicate. In reality, there are seven different patterns of the Communication Process. Each pattern is based on a different sequence of Thinking, Feeling and Acting. Thinking relates to Content. Feeling relates to Context and Acting relates to Intent. We abbreviate these sequences into three-character designations, such as TFA for Think, Feel, Act. There is also a rare situation where all three options are done simultaneously and equally. This is abbreviated SAE. It is also called being intellectually polarized in the Alice Bailey work because it is about being a knower, transcending personality knowledge.

Individuals with the same Communication Process find it easier to engage each other. This is because those who share a sequence spend the same amount of time proportionally in each of the three frameworks. When individuals match up in their sequence, they share the same motivations and fears of not being heard and problems transferring their insights to others. What makes communication difficult is not having the same Sequence, so we do not address the communication issues in the same way and with the same degree of engagement (using Intent, Content and Context). What further confuses us is when we are either repressed or imprinted to express ourselves as our parents did. These patterns not only make it more difficult to communicate, but actually frustrate others when they cannot effectively communicate with us.

Each sequence can be validated by what motivates it. For example, Think First individuals are motivated by others sharing their Truth allowing the process to move forward. Think First individuals are precise and prefer to know what they are talking about before being put in a situation. Feel First individuals are motivated by Harmony and friendly interactions. They frequently say whatever comes to mind, believing that the tonality of how something is said will modify or mitigate any inaccuracies in communication. Act First individuals have a gut knowing about what works and what does not. They are most easily identified by their lack of comments or interest in upfront explanations. Our primary sequence is where we place the majority of our attention, which makes it appear (to us) more transparent.

The secondary sequence is usually what we protect. Think Second individuals protect their Thoughts by reviewing them for inaccuracies before saying anything. They seek the validation of others to help them establish the details of their interactions. Feel Second individuals attempt to create an inner group where they can safely express their emotions. Anyone else gets relegated to an outer group that does not get their full expression. Act Second individuals need movement to process their experience. When told to sit still (as children) this reduces their ability to express this center and often results in becoming more impulsive, because they cannot delay their expression (acting) indefinitely. Since most of us move quickly in and out of our secondary sequence under stress, we become more adept at protecting ourselves in this way.

The tertiary sequence is what we use to complete our Communication Process so we can reflect and relax. Think Last individuals are not understood in the United States, because they store their knowing in their bodies. The priority for them is to Feel and Act, which means they need time to reflect upon and regenerate their focus on the third level. Feel Last individuals are typically misunderstood as not having an emotional nature. This is because they need to complete a process before they feel safe enough to express how they feel about the experience. Act Last individuals are the most common in the United States. Most individuals in the U.S. have difficulty taking clear and clean action without second-guessing their experience.

Individuals who are more Simultaneous & Equal operate in a state of equanimity with little or no reactions to anyone. These people can shift to meet others no matter how they are configured. This Communication Process is ultimately the goal for everyone as we become more conscious. We can see examples of this in many spiritual or thought leaders. We can validate that someone is operating at this level when they demonstrate balance under adversity and particularly when presented with shocking news. Another indicator is that they can fit into many situations and mirror others without becoming attached to the way others discuss their process. Less than 1% of the population operates in Simultaneous & Equal. In the United States, the largest group is Think, Feel, Act (TFA), the second largest are the Feel, Think, Act (FTA), which means that most educational systems primarily deal with the first two sequences (and not much else).

There are seven Communication Processes Which one are you?

• Think, Feel, Act (TFA) — We Think first, generating different ideas, then we Feel into each option until we are sure what Action makes sense to complete the cycle. We usually amplify Thoughts, hide our Feelings and use Actions to punctuate our forward momentum. When under stress, we become highly emotional, which leads to breakdowns or breakthroughs as we become clear.


• Think, Act, Feel (TAF) — We Think first, generating different ideas, then we explore various activities, determining what flows best, thereby committing ourselves. When the process is complete, we Feel into it to determine how much we accomplished and how we can improve things in the next sequence (which gets stored in our bodies). We usually amplify our Thoughts, minimize our visibility to others about what we are doing (so they cannot object), giving us room to evaluate our actions independently by then Feeling them completely. When under stress, we judge ourselves based on our Actions (or lack thereof).


• Feel, Think, Act (FTA) — We Feel into possibilities, intuitively sensing which ones appeal to us. We explore these options intellectually to see if there are any we can eliminate as not meeting our standards or objectives. This allows us to choose the best options, not just for us but also for those around us who may be critical of our choices. The Action unfolds and we determine if our choice was fulfilling or not. When under stress, we do not share our Thoughts or we selectively edit our Thoughts until we have worked out all the details.


• Feel, Act, Think (FAT) — We Feel into possibilities, intuitively sensing which ones appeal to us. We explore potential activities and try them out a little at a time to see how others respond. If we feel good about the activity and it gets a good response, we commit to it. This allows us to evaluate how and why it worked (or not). We automatically, at the end of a process, rank it compared to other activities of a similar nature, storing the experience in our bodies so it becomes an accessible response when it has a high rating. When under stress, we become quiet and introspective.


• Act, Think, Feel (ATF) — We say little or nothing to others at first to determine if we can see what is needed in a situation and act on it. If no one is paying attention, we take action as a way of exploring the opportunities around us. We are often amazed that no one sees things the way we do. What is obvious to us does not seem obvious to others. In particular, we see how Actions correspond to Thoughts. This allows us to quickly formulate solutions. The big issue is to determine when an issue is complete and how we feel about what we have accomplished. This reflects how we need to shift gears to get into our Feelings and create a prioritized list in our bodies about what we like. When under stress, we get concerned we are making a mistake that could sabotage our ability to move forward in that moment.


• Act, Feel, Think (AFT) — We say little or nothing to others at first to determine if they can see what is needed in a situation and act on it. The most others notice about us is the subtle movements or moods that permeate our presence. These moods tell others everything they need to know about us. We mostly operate from an instinct about what will work. We care little about the structures and beliefs of others, perhaps because we seldom think about these issues ourselves. When we are ready to complete a task it is because we do not believe we can get anything more from the Actions and Feelings. At this point, we attempt to understand how this experience is different from others we have had. When under stress, we can seem agitated because conflicts can arise between our Actions and Feelings.


• Simultaneous & Equal (SAE) — We respond to others, meeting them (initially) in their primary sequence. This allows us to settle into the process with them and deal with their reactions to their issues. By mirroring others, they get clear about what can be done to become more unified. Most of the time, we are also dealing with shifts between the big picture (Context) and the details necessary (Content) to be aligned with an outcome. Until these things are lined up, the Intent cannot move forward, which means a SAE individual will hold space and listen more intently to what is actually being said.

For some of us it is hard to grasp that individuals can have such an altered perception of reality. For example, the Think First individuals, with their Content framework, need details first in order to generate Context or Feelings. Feel First individuals do the opposite by focusing on the big picture so they can see what details would align with it. Each sequence difference contributes uniquely in the world in a way unrealized by the common population. For example, all the great ballet dancers are Feel, Act, Think. Ironically, this same sequence makes great paramedics or fire-fighters. Almost all pro football players are Act First. Most musicians are either FTA or TFA. Recognizing these communication differences promotes a deeper connection with others. The more we engage in relationships where the first two sequences are reversed, the more likely we will be defined in a co-dependent way. Communication Process, therefore, sheds light on differences that are not purely defensive.