Last year I began hearing some of my favourite authors and podcasters mention something called the Enneagram and how it had impacted their lives and the ways they understand themselves and others and how they find their way through the world. So, I got a bunch of books from the library about it, expecting to have a beautiful revelation about my personality and how to better understand myself as I work through my days. A few of the books were a little dry, some felt more like a Cosmopolitan quiz than an in-depth analysis of self, and some were confusing. Little by little, though, I began to glean the basics, and then I most recently fell upon a book called “The Road Back To You” and it was my favourite Enneagram piece thus far. It really tied all the loose ends of the Enneagram together for me in a way that was relatable, funny, and introspective. I would recommend it as a starting point for anyone curious about the Enneagram.

For those who have already dabbled in the Enneagram, I am a Two (with a strong Three wing). Steve is an Eight. The EIGHT-est Eight you will ever meet.

(Super grainy photo taken in a dark theatre when we went out for our bi-annual Date Night to see CBC’s This is That perform live in Kelowna. It was hilarious and fantastic.)

“The Road Back To You” closes with the following quote by Thomas Merton:

The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not love what they are, but only their potential likeness to ourselves, then we do not love them: we only love the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”

Mind? BLOWN. The Enneagram can help reveal the lens through which we see the world, and can open our eyes to the personal shortcomings and tendencies that often accompany that lens. It also works to help us better understand other people, realizing that they might see the world through a different lens. Ultimately, it can lead to greater compassion for others and for ourselves. Which, hey, that sounds pretty good right now given current events on this crazy globe.

Happy weekend, all!