Getting to know the ‘Gram – The Enneagram!
The Enneagram is a navigational tool for understanding the various “art forms” humans have created in order to “get through this little thing called life”. Sidenote: Prince was likely an Enneagram 4, amiright? An SX 4 with a strong 3 wing, yes?
Those art forms, or Enneagram types, are commonly thought of as personality.
But the Enneagram is more than a party trick used to show off insight we have into other people’s psyches. And yes, I did just indulge in that behavior. Apologies to The Purple One – sometimes it’s just too fun.
The Enneagram’s real wisdom and usefulness is in helping us understand the underlying motivations that drive those personality styles. Really knowing your type is like uncovering those “big assumptions” you have made about the world and your place in it.
When we can see our core motivations – those “big assumptions” more clearly, it’s easier to make intentional, conscious choices that reflect the wisest, most integrated version of ourself. In short: knowing the Enneagram – and applying it’s wisdom – can help you to transform your life.
Instead of reverting to autopilot and taking the same tried and true path, the Enneagram gives you a field guide for human experience so you can try out new routes to getting where you want to go. As an added benefit: it makes managing all our relationships a little easier – as we work with the Enneagram and begin to understand core motivations, we tend to grow in compassion for our fellow sojourners.
So, is the IEQ9 an astromech droid, then?
Sounds like the IEQ9 should be hanging out with BB8 and R2D2, right?
That’s actually not too far off! The iEQ9 is a tool that brilliantly captures the wisdom from several schools of Enneagram thought through an online assessment that has been carefully designed and thoughtfully evaluated to give reliable results.
The IEQ9 report gives detailed insight on the many useful layers of the Enneagram – including subtype, wing influence, centers of expression, lines of stretch and release (often referred to as lines of disintegration and integration) and level of integration. (And if you aren’t already familiar with the Enneagram, those credentials probably mean nothing to you – but that’s why I’m here. Does that make ME the Astromech Droid? Dreams do come true. Bee doop boop.)
Don’t get me wrong – the IEQ9 is not like plugging your destination into a GPS and simply arriving. It takes work – like road trips in the 90s that required a beat up old Rand McNally atlas plus 10 pages of Mapquest printouts plus a conversation with the Qwiktrip owner plus some good old fashioned trial and error in order to reach the goal.
But doesn’t that sound like fun?
As a Certified IEQ9 practitioner (and an Iowan with incredible sense of direction, just ask my husband) I’m up for being your co-pilot on the journey of self-awareness and transformation. If you are in, let’s talk!
Or, if your style is a little more reserved and you need some more time to process (oh, you withdrawn types are so so so good for me) – join my mailing list to stay in touch and learn more.
Nota bene: about the use of the term “art form”. My friend and Enneagram teacher Doug Scott uses this phrase to capture the power our Enneagram type can have over us. He’s a great teacher and I have always loved this way of thinking about our Enneagram types. I hope you’ll follow him or reach out to him! Tell him I say “Dooooouuuuggglasssss!”