At our womenâs retreat this past February, there was a lot of âbuzzâ about the Enneagram. It seemed that as groups of women gathered together to chat, the topic kept coming up. Jane Wilkinson mentioned that she had a friend, Laurie Wunder, who is a certified Enneagram coach, so we invited her to come do a workshop for the women of Kairos this week.
In case you donât know much about the Enneagram, Laurie described it as âA powerful tool for understanding ourselves and the different ways we think and behave. Itâs also a tool for awareness and compassion by giving us insight into the unique, God-designed inner wiring of every individual. With this understanding we can grow in self-awareness, enhance our communication, and strengthen our relational bonds.â
Wednesday night, twenty-four eager women gathered to listen to Laurie explain each type, and then she facilitated a time for women who identified with that type to share from their experiences. While I expected to leave the workshop with greater self-awareness, I was surprised to discover my favorite part of the workshop was learning more about the women in our community through this experience. Some of us with similar types could relate to one anotherâs struggles, and hearing women who identified with different types, helped me understand them better. Laurie talked about how the Enneagram helps us develop compassion for one another. Learning about how people are wired, or how they perceive the world and others, leads to greater understanding of their actions and behaviors. Instead of being irritated or frustrated by our differences, or the way other people behave, we can cultivate greater compassion for them as a result of seeing the uniqueness of their type.
While we all absorbed some great content last night, the Enneagram is a bit like a well that you can keep coming back to for deeper understanding about yourself and others. It helps you grow in self-awareness as you identify your strengths, weaknesses, desires, and core emotions. For those who would like to learn more about the Enneagram, click here for the free assessment that will help you identify your type. In addition, there are numerous books, podcasts and resources that can help you dive deeper. I highly recommend this tool for small groups, or anyone who desires a greater understanding of the people in your communities. As we seek to love God and the people he has placed in our lives, the Enneagram is a powerful tool to help us recognize the beautiful, unique ways he has wired each of us, so that we can come together to be the body of Christ.
– Miriam