2005-07-30
The last two days I have been doing professional development with my work colleagues. I had not wanted to go because they were going to be doing Enneagram Types. Basically I thought because they were going to give you this number that I would be pigeon holed and I did not want to do that. How can a number describe you?�.Rolls eyes.Well I went and they slowly went through the description of each number and showed a video of a typical type of personality discussing their attributes. Before we even started I had decided that I would not be slotted into a number. There was one number that made me absolutely cringe with similarities; still I resisted being pigeon holed. It came to the end and they were all looking at me cause I had not declared myself into any number. They all smiled at me and had a sense of what I might be.
I went home that night and they said if you were having doubts to come back early the next morning and discuss with one of the consultants and they might be able to help you. I had stayed up really late the night before and was extremely tired and didn�t give myself enough time to get ready. I rushed around and had a coffee and toast and showered and flung some clothes on and rushed off for the day.
I spoke with the consultant and I said I think I�m either one of these two numbers. She was patient and eventually she told me what she thought I was and again I cringed. I really hadn�t liked that number at all. I did very much identify with it though. Still I didn�t want to be pigeon holed. She did tell me though that she thought I was highly developed in that number and that I drew from other numbers beside me and I agreed with that.
So the Enneagram (according to the booklet) is a nine-pointed star, each point represents a specific personality profile. It describes 9 possible pathways through life: outlining natural gifts, distinctive ways of thinking, acting and being, limitations and blind spots and likely obstacles/ pitfalls along the way.
So I guess what they are trying to bring forward with the enneagram is being able to understand the deep motivation from where someone comes from within. Being able to read that a bit better in someone else and yourself to open up those pathways that have blocked us. It was a really interesting exercise and I did learn a lot about others and myself.
There were probably about 30 people in the group so everyone fell into one of those numbers so you could actually see the difference in people and how some where very much that number and others had developed and were drawing from the number next to them and thus being more evolved. It was very interesting and for me it did open more communication to those people I would not normally speak to�smile
Anyway as the second day progressed I was feeling ok about this number that I was being called. I had two other younger women that were the same number as me. I could see them as where I had come from. It was interesting. Ok so my number, do you want to know it? Ok going to tell you anyway I�m a FOUR yes number 4.
TYPE FOUR
The Connoisseur, The Romantic
RULES FOR LIFE
Don�t throw your pearls before swine�s. (there is no point, and why would you?)
The glass is half empty �
The other side of the hill is greener.
APPROACH
I offer depth, grace, and insight.
Mood, elegance, passion and panache
Never settle for less! (This little statement I make all the time especially when dating�.�I�m not settling for second best�, hence still alone�.smile)
DEVELOPMENT
Felt abandoned, so feels important aspects are missing, resulting in envy and longing.
A never-ending searches for love, or situation that is unique, special, missing and believed to be fulfilling. (think this came from the death of my Dad at age 8!)
ULTIMATE FEAR
Abandoned, a �nobody�, totally deficient.
STRENGTHS
Great creative flair, constant searching for exceptional quality, ability to realize passionately held ideals, appreciative of the unique, idealistic, sensitive attuned to feelings, deep compassion for others, empathetic (specially with suffering), individualistic, intense, romantic.
Look this list and attributes for a 4 just goes on and on well not just for a 4 but all the numbers. They did say that 4�s hate being pigeon holed because they believe they are SPECIAL!!!
Ok that�s enough about that. Yes I am a freaking 4. I was really tired so I was just going through the hoops of what had to be done. Just before lunch for some reason I was bent over and looking down at my shoes. They came into focus, an oddness about them registered. Yes one was brown and one was black. I had somehow put on a black boot that comes up to my calf and then a brown one that is knee high one of the heels is slightly higher than the other. I was wearing jeans so it wasn�t that visible. I must have said out loud�.�oh holy shit how on earth did I do that?� The consultant had come over to me asked what was the problem and I showed her my shoes. She just smiled at me and said �they are very different, aren�t they?� It became a running joke for the rest of the day look at that 4 and her shoes�.smile. Socks I understand, odd socks are fine, forgetting anything is ok but I must say two odd shoes, one black round toed and calf high and a brown boot with square toes and knee high I have difficulty with. I was very tired and in a rush when I left though so really I�m ok with that, dumb mistake and odd but hey really by the end of the day I couldn�t have cared less.
Next update will be about a colleague at work. I told him last night that I had a diary and that I had written about him when I had thought he was an arrogant arsehole. That was when I first started there. Me calling him an arrogant arsehole didn�t phase him because he knew that I thought much more of him. He asked me as I was about to go would I mind writing and entry about him now. He did not want me to re edit the old entry �because you can�t rewrite history� (his words) but could I please update. So with respect to �S� I will do that for him but tomorrow, because that red wine from last night is making my head ache�.
Enjoy your weekends.
all text is the � of Ms Do