My Journey, Part 3

I’m grateful for the Enneagram for showing me some things about myself that I always knew, but didn’t always know how to put to words. This blog series isn’t as much of a teaching series about the Enneagram (there are plenty of resources for that) as it is a glimpse into others’ lives–people who have been impacted by the Enneagram. People who are on the path of self-discovery and self-growth in order to make their world and relationships better. And I’m starting with my personal journey.

Yesterday I shared that “I’m slowly learning to loosen my grip on perfectionism, and to embrace messiness, mistakes, and growth.” Today I want to share a little more about the path to messiness, mistakes, and growth.

Ones fear being wrong or blamed. They care deeply about doing the right thing and having integrity. The path for growth in my own life has looked like allowing myself to embrace messiness, spontaneity, and mistakes. To quiet the inner critic when I am misunderstood by someone else, and to let things go. Leave the bed unmade. Leave the dishes in the sink. Be present with the people in front of me. To offer kindness and compassion when someone does something a little differently than I would have.

My husband reminds me to look at the growth of where I’ve come from, rather than the gap of where I wish I could be. He also reminds me to look at (what I perceive as) failure as feedback. These are very important messages for a One. I’m learning, and growing, one day at a time…

This is part of a 31-day series: The Enneagram. To read all posts, head here.