"Freedom is knowing who you really are."
~Linda Thomson
"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."
~Michelangelo
I'm very excited to be learning about the Enneagram, an ancient tool of psychological and spiritual growth and transformation, and grateful for new insights that are helping me release old patterns of behavior.
Have you ever felt like there's more of you hidden inside than meets the eye, other songs your heart would sing if they were allowed air time? Have you noticed automatic ways of reacting in life, patterns and circumstances that repeat over and over (the names and faces change but the relationship patterns are strangely similar)—and have you ever wanted to unravel the mystery of what gets in the way of achieving your goals and ideals? Those are some of the gifts of studying the Enneagram.
The Enneagram is a circle graph with 9 points that describes nine basic personality types, each style having different ways of being in the world, with different motivations, perspectives, ways of thinking and feeling and relating to others. The premise is that we all come into the world with essential qualities such as Love, Goodness, Wisdom, Power, Peace, Joy, etc. and with unique gifts and talents. Over time, however, certain personality traits can develop in reaction to family and environmental influences, and as the personality overlay grows stronger, we lose connection to our essence, to our authentic self. We become identified with the personality, and for better or worse can become fixated in ways of thinking and relating to others.
Studying the Enneagram and learning about who we really are in essence beneath the outer shell of the personality, to borrow the picture from Michelangelo, we 'chip away at the marble' of the personality to reveal the authentic being inside and we 'set the angel free'. For me, the revelations have been profound. I have discovered that I'm a 9-point. Nines are the Peacemakers and Mediators, as they can understand multiple points of view. Accommodating to others, they often have difficulty knowing what THEY think and feel, what THEIR needs and desires are...and they can get distracted with trivial pursuits rather than doing what is really important to them or following their true path.
The 'virtue' for the 9-point is ACTION—taking authentic action that honors their essential nature. So, being consciously aware now of my tendency to procrastinate, lose focus, or become distracted, I am beginning to make different choices—taking action that honors my gifts and talents, and committing to walking my true life path. Like honoring my commitment to writing rather than watching TV tonight, for instance :-)
There is indeed freedom in knowing who you really are, and great joy in 'chipping away all that is not David' (to borrow another metaphor from Michelangelo) to free the angel in the marble!
If you are interested in learning more about the Enneagram, here are some websites to visit: www.enneagram.com; www.enneagramspectrum.com; and www.internationalenneagram.org. If you send me an email, I'd be happy to send book recommendations as well: joannelefferts@gmail.com.
~Michelangelo
I'm very excited to be learning about the Enneagram, an ancient tool of psychological and spiritual growth and transformation, and grateful for new insights that are helping me release old patterns of behavior.
Have you ever felt like there's more of you hidden inside than meets the eye, other songs your heart would sing if they were allowed air time? Have you noticed automatic ways of reacting in life, patterns and circumstances that repeat over and over (the names and faces change but the relationship patterns are strangely similar)—and have you ever wanted to unravel the mystery of what gets in the way of achieving your goals and ideals? Those are some of the gifts of studying the Enneagram.
The Enneagram is a circle graph with 9 points that describes nine basic personality types, each style having different ways of being in the world, with different motivations, perspectives, ways of thinking and feeling and relating to others. The premise is that we all come into the world with essential qualities such as Love, Goodness, Wisdom, Power, Peace, Joy, etc. and with unique gifts and talents. Over time, however, certain personality traits can develop in reaction to family and environmental influences, and as the personality overlay grows stronger, we lose connection to our essence, to our authentic self. We become identified with the personality, and for better or worse can become fixated in ways of thinking and relating to others.
Studying the Enneagram and learning about who we really are in essence beneath the outer shell of the personality, to borrow the picture from Michelangelo, we 'chip away at the marble' of the personality to reveal the authentic being inside and we 'set the angel free'. For me, the revelations have been profound. I have discovered that I'm a 9-point. Nines are the Peacemakers and Mediators, as they can understand multiple points of view. Accommodating to others, they often have difficulty knowing what THEY think and feel, what THEIR needs and desires are...and they can get distracted with trivial pursuits rather than doing what is really important to them or following their true path.
The 'virtue' for the 9-point is ACTION—taking authentic action that honors their essential nature. So, being consciously aware now of my tendency to procrastinate, lose focus, or become distracted, I am beginning to make different choices—taking action that honors my gifts and talents, and committing to walking my true life path. Like honoring my commitment to writing rather than watching TV tonight, for instance :-)
There is indeed freedom in knowing who you really are, and great joy in 'chipping away all that is not David' (to borrow another metaphor from Michelangelo) to free the angel in the marble!
If you are interested in learning more about the Enneagram, here are some websites to visit: www.enneagram.com; www.enneagramspectrum.com; and www.internationalenneagram.org. If you send me an email, I'd be happy to send book recommendations as well: joannelefferts@gmail.com.
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