Why The Enneagram?
Speaking at Journey Church, presenting an Introduction to the Enneagram
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to present an Introduction to the Enneagram workshop at Journey Church in Southern California. Almost half of the church showed up with most of them having not been exposed to the Enneagram before that night. As it happens every time I present material about the Enneagram, there were so many "aha" moments for people. One person said "it's so strange how this tool knows me better than I know myself!"
I was first introduced to the Enneagram by my sister-in-law, Lisa, in the early 1990's. Since then, I dabbled with it some and then dug in seriously in the early 2000's and got trained and certified. This personality system is one of the best ways to help others gain insight about themselves and about others. The Enneagram helps us understand our basic desires, our motivators, our primary fears, blindspots and even exposes things we tend to avoid.
In our marriage, it has been a game-changer! Lora and I were able to discover the places where we got stuck in the shadow (or less-resourceful) side of our personalities that inevitably led us toward disconnection. Using the Enneagram, we were able to:
Gain greater awareness of why we did what we did
Understand how we respond in unhealthy ways, especially in times of stress
Embrace the truth and fullness of who God created each of us to be
Offer greater compassion, acceptance and grace to each other
And that's just the start! We are so grateful for the impact this ancient tool has had on us personally and in our marriage. That's why we spend share our learnings from the Enneagram with others in our coaching practice, in our work with teams and in our marriage events and retreats. The Enneagram truly is a door that we can step through to understand ourselves and others with deeper clarity, compassion and connection.
How can we help?
Don't hesitate to reach out if you're looking for someone to help you grow in self-awareness or to help your team better understand each other or to find a deeper connection in your marriage.
Click this image above for more info on our upcoming Enneagram Marriage Retreat.