Ok, I’m 1 chapter from the end but the honor of being the first to review this is too tempting. Maybe my immediate attachment to this work came from the author explaining that his work related to this book began at 48 when his father was dying. I’m 48 and my father just died, so that felt serendipitous. But for many other reasons, this book was so powerful for me. If you’re a student of the enneagram, and most especially if you’re a student of the enneagram looking to use it as a tool for self-improvement, this is an absolute must-read. Bruce beautifully ties in psychological theory (mostly Jung) and mindfulness practices to create something between a deep-dive on the enneagram and a practical self-help workbook. I no longer remember how I landed on this book, but I’m so glad I did. Insightful and deeply helpful. One of those books where every other page is dog-eared for future reference and hand-written notes and insights fill the margins. So thankful for Robert Bruce’s work on this. English
From back cover:
Most of us, at some time, have had experiences that touch into a much bigger experience of life. Often, they are moments of overwhelming beauty. It may be moments in nature such as the early morning song of a bird; it may be a piece of music; or it may be with people we love.
These experiences are profoundly important and hopeful. They are proof, that almost all of us, have already had, at some time, experiences which are beyond the limitations of our daily lives. We have already glimpsed the innocence of our true nature and the beauty of the Golden World. This gives us direction in our journey with the Enneagram. We are not aspiring to some unknown or esoteric experience; we simply want more of an experience that is already known to us.
Our access to the Golden World has been limited by the protective shells we have built around ourselves to keep away from the difficult experiences of life. They cut us off from the outside world and they also cut us off from what is happening within; we become strangers to our own souls. They are the unnecessary wrapping around the psyche. When the wrapping is taken away, we are simply left with the uncomplicated beauty and innocence of our true nature.
The protective shells are the habitual thinking and emotional patterns that are the basis of our Enneagram personality types. Our Enneagram-type behaviours protect us from pain and discomfort, but at enormous cost. As we become aware of these limiting behaviours, we can take the courageous steps to allow the protective shells to be dismantled. And with this we begin our return to the Golden World. This is the Way of the Enneagram. The Way of the Enneagram