The Wisdom of the Enneagram

by Don Richard Riso

As a first exercise in your Inner Work Journal, we suggest you write a biography of yourself—not an autobiography. Write about yourself in third person—that is, as “he” or “she” rather than “I.” Tell your life story, beginning from your earliest years (or earlier, from what you know of your family history) up to the present time as if you were describing someone else. You may also wish to dedicate a page in your Inner Work Journal to each decade, leaving room to add relevant thoughts and observations as you recall more. Do not worry about being literary or “correct.” The important thing is to see your life as a whole, as if told by someone else. What have been the defining moments of your life—your traumas and triumphs—those times when you knew that, for better or worse, your life would never be the same? Who have been the most significant people in your life—those who have acted as “witnesses” to your struggles and growth, those who have hurt you, and those who have been your understanding mentors and friends? Be as detailed as possible. Come back to your biography whenever you wish to add something and as you move through this book and gain more insight into yourself. Your story will become richer and more meaningful as you understand yourself more deeply.

“What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves?” THOMAS MERTON

“If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn’t part of ourselves doesn’t disturb us.” Herman Hesse

Not everything in the description of your basic type will apply to you all the time.

Remember, the Enneagram does not put us in a box, it shows us the box we are already in—and the way out.

“Man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible.” ST. AUGUSTINE

“The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness.” DOSTOYEVSKY

Read the following Lost Messages and observe their impact on you. What message did you most need to hear? How does acknowledging that need affect you now? Type One: “You are good.” Type Two: “You are wanted.” Type Three: “You are loved for yourself.” Type Four: “You are seen for who you are.” Type Five: “Your needs are not a problem.” Type Six: “You are safe.” Type Seven: “You will be taken care of.” Type Eight: “You will not be betrayed.” Type Nine: “Your presence matters.”

FINDING THE GIFT Notice how the anticipation and desire for other experiences and things prevents you from savoring what you are experiencing right now. To explore this, you can play a game: take a moment to find something of wonder in your immediate experience. What is the gift you are receiving right now?