I compare the feeling you get when you start internalizing the teachings of the Enneagram to the lights suddenly switching on in a dark room. Here’s a beautiful quote from 2 Enneagram masters, Don Richard Riso & Russ Hudson from their book Discovering Your Personality Type: “It is as if they had been born color blind and were suddenly able to comprehend the world in all its subtle hues for the first time.”
You’ll have your own revelations & AHA moments as you dive deeper & deeper into this miraculous Gift called the Enneagram.
The Enneagram is one of the most powerful Self-Discovery & Transformation tools available to us for personal growth & development.
The Enneagram system also has very real-world value as organizations and corporations world-wide have benefitted from it’s clear & accurate results in identifying strengths, weaknesses, & core motivations that boost productivity & marketing.
“Ennea” is Greek for the number 9 & “gram” means a drawing, as the enneagram has 9 points of reference. What a boring world it would be if we would all be the same. How wonderful it is to live in such a multifaceted world where we can not only learn from each other – but finally figure ourselves out!
Are we putting ourselves into 9 restrictive boxes when we categorize ourselves into the 9 Types? Actually, it’s the exactly opposite: we’re freeing ourselves from all the painful restrictions that our Personality Type imposes on us…that consistently pull us down.
The Enneagram is a numerical system which categorizes people into nine unique & distinct personality types. As human beings, we actually embody all nine Types, but one of them is our dominant Type – & represents the triggers that control our passions, needs, communication styles, goals & perceptions.
Throughout a person’s lifetime, his or her basic personality type does not change. Certain traits may soften or become more dominant depending on circumstances, heredity or childhood issues.
Now, this is very important! – No personality type is superior to the other – I know… some of you, who are already familiar with the Enneagram, might be thinking ….“I don’t want to be an 8” or “anything but a 4.”/or” Just don’t tell me I’m a 6.” I know, I’ve been there – which I’ll share with you another time. J But actually, each Type has its own
assets and limitations. People from each one of the Types can either save the world with their Gifts or destroy it with their ignorance!
This brings us to what you’ll need to do to discover your Type!
A great start is to, of course, take an online Enneagram Personality test, there’s many all over the Internet – I recommend taking it more than once over a period of time & take a couple of other ones, as well, as you start immersing yourself in the Enneagram.
Why can’t you just take 1 test & be finished with it? Well, one test is sometimes conclusive, but very often people fall into a very Human trap: We’re trapped by our own self-image, which may not be congruent with who we really are or who we imagine ourselves to be! Self-esteem issues might be blinding us to our inner grace & strengths / or on the other hand we might have a habit of avoiding coming face to face with some of the “darker sides” of our personality.
For example: Sarah may not want to acknowledge that she gets moody & overly dramatic sometimes. /or Lisa’s low self-acceptance level may block her from seeing her authentic kindness & sensitivity./ Or Cathy’s is not interested in modifying any of the idiosyncrasies that might slow down her perceived need to be super-efficient. *And like we just mentioned, if people are familiar with the Types, but are prejudiced against a certain Type, they can subconsciously rig the answers! The best way to know your Type is to take the tests, plant the seeds, & as your knowledge grows, wait patiently for your Eureka moment.
Each Type functions on 3 levels: Ideal, Average & Unhealthy or stuck. How do we know where we are on the spectrum? We definitely fluctuate between all 3 levels – but you’ll have a pretty good idea where you are because that’s where you are most of the time. That’s your current level. If that’s not at the Ideal mark, not to worry…..because you are a masterpiece in progress!
Interestingly, western Society rewards certain Enneagram Types, for example the Over Achiever Type 3 employee or the aggressive Type 8 boss, or the risk-taking, adventurous 7. This just reinforces all the negativity, and delays the growth that we’re all here for on this planet to accomplish.
Your new awareness of yourself & of those around you will create incredible personal growth in all areas of your life! Now we’re going to take a brief look at how the Types are labeled, & the basic description of each type, ranging from ideal to the painful & unhealthy:
Type Ones are called: The Perfectionist, The Reformer, The Critic. They can be principled, purposeful, self-controlled, they can also be critics & perfectionists towards themselves & others.
Type Twos are called: The Helper, The Giver. They can be demonstrative, generous, kind, they can also be people-pleasing, and possessive.
Type Threes are called: The Achiever, The Performer, The Motivator. They can be is adaptive, excelling, driven, they can also be workaholics and image-conscious.
Type Fours are called: The Romantic, The Artist, The Individualist. They can be is expressive, empathetic & creative, they can also be self-absorbed, temperamental & moody.
Type Fives are called: The Observer, The Investigator, The Innovator or The Sage. They can be wise, perceptive, and innovative, they can also secretive, and isolated.
Type Sixes are called: The Loyalist, The Trouble-shooter. They can be loyal, engaging, responsible, they can also be anxious, and suspicious.
Type Sevens are called: The Adventurer, The Enthusiast, The Optimist. They can be spontaneous, versatile & fun, they can also be distractible, uncommitted & scattered.
Type Eights are called: The Challenger or The Leader. They can be self-confident, decisive, & protective, they can also be wilful, angry and confrontational.
Type Nines are called: The Peacemaker, The Mediator. They can be receptive, reassuring, agreeable, they can also be overly complacent, neglectful & passive aggressive.
What Can the Enneagram do for you?
Here is a very partial list of 9 spiritual surprises that will start sprouting in your life:
- Build your self-confidence to the level that is the real you.
- Rejuvenate your old relationships with the art of Forgiveness– now you finally know why Uncle Herman has been so critical at every family reunion. It’s nothing personal: He’s a one!
- Attract healthy, meaningful new relationships both personally & professionally!
- Finally start loving & accepting yourself as you slowly become non-judgmental towards yourself.
- Relax! & melt away the tension as you become non-judgmental towards others. And what an amazing step that is towards raising your vibrations for attracting abundance into your life.
- Once you become acquainted with your true self it will be a breeze to get reacquainted with your authenticity & purpose.
- Freedom to take total control & responsibility for your life as all the victim stuff disintegrates into thin air.
- Expand & refine those inner qualities & characteristics that make you shine, but you had rarely noticed.
- Look at the world with a new freshness & vitality! And that’s priceless!
Are you beginning to see the awesome possibilities here?
