A good friend recently began training to become an Enneagram facilitator. I was excited about this because I have found the Enneagram tool very helpful in my own life and know that it is a wonderful tool for growth and transformation. I won’t describe it here except to say that it is a tool that names 9 universal personality types. If you are unfamiliar with it, click on the link above to learn more. I have been inspired to re-discover it for myself and in doing some reading came across this quote which helps to put the journey of self-discovery in perspective.

“The Enneagram also helps us by giving us a direction in which to work, but only as long as we remember that it is not telling us who we are, but how we have limited who we are. Remember, the Enneagram does not put us in a box, it shows us the box we are already in – and the way out” (Wisdom of the Enneagram, Riso & Hudson, p. 28)

When we look at self discovery this way, we remember that it is not about narcissism or even potential, but recognition that we are more than meets the eye.

In a slow reading (lectio divina) of John 20:11-18, I found Mary’s tearful plea resonating with me, “They have taken him away and I do not know where they have put him”. Facing the empty tomb she cannot imagine any other explanation for where Jesus’ body has gone. Likewise, in life, we often fixate on what appears empty. Something is gone and someone else is to blame. When the risen Jesus calls her by name, she recognizes that what has taken place is far beyond her narrow comprehension. In a sense, her identity shifts in that moment from the woman who is grieving, lost and incomplete, to her truer, deeper self.

Do you hear your name? You are more than meets the eye.

Watch for future Enneagram opportunities at the Contemplative Studio – email me if you are interested in more information.