Читать книгу Enneagram For Dummies - Jeanette van Stijn - Страница 76

When you travel, you choose a means of transportation that fits you and your travel plans. If your destination is a sunny island, you take a plane; when you travel to a beach, you probably take a train or car. In my opinion, people who embark on the great adventure of personal or professional development face a similar choice. For this, you also need a means of transportation that you hope will fit you and your journey perfectly. But it’s often not that easy to find. Information about biking or riding a train or a plane is generally accessible and the choice is usually easy. When it comes to a means of transportation that helps you with your personal development, however, this often turns into its own journey of discovery. The information isn’t as open or clearly available. I see people on this journey of discovery who rush from seminar to workshop, from one method to another, to find a means of transportation that is most suitable for them. I hope that the Enneagram and this book take you to the destination you’re aiming for.

From my own experience with others, I know that people like to take the path of least resistance and they prefer to find a quick solution — one that delivers fast and impressive results with little effort. But just like with diets, this is an illusion. Many diets and methods provide a fast, short-term result with low exertion, but this success rarely lasts long. Similar to miracle diets, people try out numerous workshops that often (but definitely not always!) promise effortless, fast results. Deep down, you may also be looking for a magic bullet. And so I want to be honest from the start: If you want to benefit from the true potential of the Enneagram, you won’t reach your goal the day after tomorrow.

Working with the Enneagram requires dedication, effort, and perseverance before it gives you what you’re looking for. That’s why I like the term internal work, because it doesn’t raise false expectations. But I can say sincerely that your efforts will be rewarded. Many people who took this path before you found out that it may not be the path of least resistance, though it is a lasting investment that has yielded a great return to many people — maybe a happy (or happier) relationship, to name just one example. If that’s not worth an investment, I'm not sure what is.