EnneaThought for the Day

I'm a skeptic.  A loyal skeptic according to my Type. Which is Six. (This is Shih Fu Catherine, btw, not Shih Fu Eileen, a Two.)

Trying to wrap my head around the Enneagram as a tool for understanding this human personality.  Because Shih Fu subscribes to the idea, I have tried to remain open to the possibilities.  In the Lotus Group I see a number of reactions to it: from whole-hearted embrace to a healthy skepticism.  I won't say who exhibits each response or exactly where on the continuum we all fall.

As a possible, probable, OK, I'm a Six, I though it wise to try out a daily email suggested by one of our members--the EnneaThought for the Day--before I recommended it here on the blog. If you are savvy to the Enneagram, I know you are laughing at how "six" this is...

I've been receiving these daily emails for a few weeks now. Confess that I've even read them occasionally.

Monday I got:

Healthy Sixes are endowed with tremendous endurance and achieve their objectives through steady and persistent efforts. They believe in the adage "Success is 10 per cent inspiration and 90 per cent perspiration." How can you express a healthy persistence today?

Saturday this resonated:

Growth does not come from either obeying or disobeying rules, from either doing as you are told or rebelling against it. Growth comes from allowing your ego's story to drop away.

For now, as I become more familiar with the tool, I treat these like a horoscope; intriguing, perhaps insightful.  Read 'em.  Sit with 'em for a minute. Then cheerfully put the email in the trash. Sometimes the message taps me on the shoulder later in the day to give me a wry smile or a thoughtful moment.

As my practice deepens, I welcome these opportunities for growth. Whether I rebel or obey, sometimes a message connects deeply to something beyond my ego.  And isn't that what many of us are looking for? Here's their spiel:

"There are 365 EnneaThoughts^sm for each type—all different, all insightful, and all right to the point for helping you work with the Enneagram to become more self-observant, present, and balanced. The EnneaThoughts^sm also reflect the rhythms and seasons of the year, to help you deal with the emotional challenges the year may bring.
Use the daily EnneaThought^sm to further your Inner Work and as an awareness practice throughout the day."

If you are interested, just be aware that these daily emails come with a lot of packaging--links to the main website, ads for workshops, online quizzes and more (Much More!).  You have to register for the site, but it's free. Here's where to subscribe: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/members/enneathought.asp