*** The Enneagram: a system of personality typing that describes patterns in how people interpret the world and manage their emotions. There are nine types.
Often called the “Enneagram Godmother,” Enneagram expert Suzanne Stabile offers advice to Enneagram 8s like me: “An Enneagram #8 should engage in ‘contemplative prayer’ each morning for 20 minutes.”
Hahahahahaha!
I believe in prayer, but she lost me at “contemplative.”
CONTEMPLATE: “To look at attentively and thoughtfully. To consider carefully and at length; meditate on or ponder.”
It’s not that I don’t THINK; it’s just that I am far more likely to DO and then THINK about what I DID later. Trust me, this is an excellent strength ……. and a pretty big weakness.
My growth area has been learning to pause and consider an action BEFORE taking it. And I believe I’ve achieved that. Twentysomething me would not recognize sixtysomething me.
Truly, I have almost <completely> grown up. 😆
People today talk about “adulting,” which, of course, is a bit of an odd term. But let’s go with it. To become an adult, I must learn to —
Earn my own way
Make no excuses
Apologize when wrong
Become a giver, not a taker
Deny my human inner victim
Rise above the Blame Game
Resist being offended by words
Own my results and life situation
Solve problems versus complain
Reject the mantra that life is unfair
Do you need to address any of these? Not yet fully mature, I have some items on our list to work on.
In the QBQ! book, we state that “Learning equals change. If I have not changed, I have not learned.” So, I will start (continue?) changing today.
How ’bout you?
FOR DISCUSSION: What specific personal growth (in you) during your adult years can you point to? Said differently, how are you a better version of yourself today than your younger self? 😉
5 Responses
John – how do you balance your faith when you need to rely on not your own works but on Him?
yes, we can do all that we can do to solve issues but sometimes there aren’t fixes so we have to continue to have our faith and hope that He will take care of things.
I’ve always struggled with on doing too much and not resting in his abilities.
appreciate your thoughts.
Hey, Wayne. Deep question! As a Christian, I know He is in control, but I also know “faith without work is dead.” So, employing Matthew 7:1-5, I must continue to look in the mirror AT ME to change ME!
John, love your commitment to continued growth – while still reminding us of what we need to be, as well as be doing! Are you gonna’ ever update / rewrite QBQ to bring that great content up to date with who you are now & what you’ve learned?
John, love your commitment to continued growth – while still reminding us of what we need to be, as well as be doing! Are you gonna’ ever update / rewrite QBQ to bring that great content up to date with who you are now & what you’ve learned?
Thanks, Johnny! Honored you love that QBQ! And we already rewrote it! Of course, being about Personal Accountability, it is forever “current.” 🙂 Be well.