You’re sitting in your first major interview after college.
“Who are you? How do you see yourself?”
If we’re being honest, we never know how to answer that question confidently. You could go with something short and sweet during a job interview, though at the end of that meeting were you ever left with the subconscious question of, “Who am I, really?”
Finding yourself is an adventure that may happen at any point in your life. For me, it was my Sophomore year of college.
Along with a few other self-help books, which I will recommend throughout this 11-week series, the one thing that truly helped me begin the process of finding myself were the nine enneagram types.
Now I know how it sounds. Just another five-minute BuzzFeed personality quiz telling you which ice cream flavor best matches your personality. But the enneagram isn’t that at all. And throughout the next several weeks, I’m going to prove it to you.
Bring ice cream along if you’d like, though. In fact, it’s highly recommended.
The difference between BuzzFeed quizzes and the enneagram is simple. One is for entertainment; one is to help you find a better understanding of yourself.
For starters, I should clarify what exactly ‘enneagram types’ are. The enneagram itself is a model of the human psyche. The contents of the model, the Nine Personality Types, are what we will be exploring these next eleven weeks. Each number will have a label that explains the overall type. For example, next week we’re going to explore what it means to be a Type One, or “the reformer.”
Each type, most of the time, also has a wing. Some even have multiple wings, and you have to figure out for yourself which wing fits your personality best. A wing is a subtype; another personality that you have characteristics with.
You may be asking yourself how exactly do you find out your enneagram type? It’s as simple as taking a short quiz from the link provided (https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test). After you find your type, I suggest reading and exploring your type! There are many sources I will reference from frequently, such as Sleeping At Last’s enneagram podcast and type songs. (don’t worry, I will provide each song written for each type in their designated post!)
Now for my part. During these future weeks I will cover one type a week. On top of exploring the type of the week, I’ll provide songs and books suggestions, as well as quotes that help these following types in everyday life.
One of the best parts of enneagram exploring is the fact that I get to understand each type, which really helps with relationships in everyday life. Grab a friend, take your test and begin your road to self-discovery.
I’ll catch you next week with a deep dive into Type One: The Reformer.
Until then, happy exploring!