The Enneagram: What it's like to be a One

I woke this morning to another chilly autumn day on the coast and, after brewing a cup of hot Peet's coffee, settled down with my Cavalier Spaniels Gracie and Jazz and opened my laptop. I like to review my recent blog posts and think about if I have anything that I'd like to write about and today several past posts on the Enneagram jumped out at me. I wouldn't consider myself an expert on this but I do appreciate the system that gives us insight into how we respond under stress, showing us the roots of our fear based responses as well as how we can bring more joy into our lives.

So today Im going to talk about being a One on the Enneagram but would first like to give you a link where you can read about the system including it's history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enneagram_of_Personality

Years ago when I was first introduced to the Enneagram I studied it to determine where I fit in. It is a very complex system, and I didn't find it easy to see my place in it although I understood the concepts. Finally I decided to ask my friend Jach Purcel, the Lazaris channel, if Lazaris could shed any light on it for me and they were happy to oblige: "You, Victoria, are a One." I could see that this was true! I then set out to understand the nature of the One archetype and realized soon that the glaring signal that allowed me to validate this piece of channeling was that it is true, I always look at what is out of place in any situation first. If I walk into a room, I will notice if the flowers are wilting, if the carpet needs vacuuming, or if there is dust on the tabletop. But, this is true only if it is MY room, not someone else's. My perfectionistic viewpoint applies (usually) only to that which I am in control of, and not of someone else. I look for error because the ideal of the One is perfection. Let me tell you this is a lot of work to keep everything perfect!  I'm kidding of course, but the desire or perhaps the compulsion of the One is to control his or her environment. And when this isn't possible, when others don't live up to this perfection ideal then resentment builds.

Once I understood the nature of the One in myself, then I could validate how I respond to stress and how I respond when in joy. The One disintegrates to the number Four when under stress, withdrawing into melancholy. I am not a depressed person in general, but under stressful situations I do see this tendency in myself. In fact, when people look at the Enneagram for the first time, sometimes they see the number of disintegration first as it is a powerful influence in their life. Also useful here is noticing the Enneagram number which is demonstrated when a person is healthy, which in the case of the number One is Seven.  When I am experiencing the energy of seven, I feel social and outgoing, fun loving and enthusiastic, not looking for perfection or noticing error. What a relief! Noticing the stress and health points are very useful and can help you to move out of fear responses and toward integrated health.

Take a moment or two today to look at the Enneagram, it may bring new insights into your day.