As I'm on break for Christmas 2023, I'm replaying episodes to cover the time. I've decided to replay all eight episodes on the Enneagram that Angie Arendt and I did on the PauseCast. I hope you enjoy these!
Episode one: The Enneagram. I laid the table at the end of January 2023 with my genesis story of the Enneagram and today, Angie shares hers… and a whole lot more. So what is this thing, the Enneagram? Is it a tool or a model to make me “better?” Is it a map, or an app? Is this an alone thing or do I need community? If it supports spiritual development, does that mean it is religious?
We meander all over the topic of what the Enneagram is, how it outlines types of personalities but so much more. When push comes to shove, Angie tells us, it really is a practice of presence. That is the ultimate purpose, and invitation: to be present to who we really are, in service of shining our own light into this world.
Understanding the Enneagram in this way, from a place of presence, makes it possible to feel with and for eachother. But, and here’s the rub: that’s uncomfortable; it may demand that we change who we think we are so we have room for others… and so, we don’t take up the invitation to ask the big questions about who we be, we allow ourselves to be defined by the behaviours of our type, excusing our challenging behaviour with an “that’s just what I was built to do”, and move on.
Yet the gift of insight and personal development offered by this model is astounding, if you tough it through the work, if you’d let your soul truly shine. There are few places in this world where we spend time asking the big questions of life anymore, but that’s what we’re trying to do here with this series of episodes about the Enneagram.
Episode links:
Comedian Rob Delaney’s interview on CBS, showing the power of human connection, of being seen
The quote Angie was trying to share was from Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
“Old Turtle and the Broken Truth” by Douglas Wood
“Start Close In” by David Whyte
Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma
Please send thoughts and comments to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com