By Emilee Edwards | Reporter
The Enneagram is a buzz word around Baylor because it is taught as a powerful tool for self-betterment. Baylor Wellness held the first meeting of their enneagram workshop Thursday morning at the Robinson Tower. The workshop will continue on through November every Thursday from 8:30 to 9:30 am.
The workshop is led by John Singletary, dean of the School of Social Work, and Megan Becker, senior case manager for student life. They want to educate faculty and staff on how to effectively use a personality test to find what motivates each person individually, called the the Enneagram in their daily life, as a tool for compassion and self-reflection. The event was not aimed towards students but they were welcoming to students. Both Singletary and Becker expressed their belief that the enneagram was like a mirror of the personality.
“Enneagram work is all about self-reflection and self-awareness. Sometimes people think, ‘well does that make it self-centered or selfish?’” said Singletary. “One of the things that we have learned about the Enneagram and this type of introspective work is that the more you become aware of yourself and how you interact with others, the less selfish you can act. It is usually when we are not paying attention to ourselves that we become selfish. Being aware of your interactions lets you know what you need from others, how to be more compassionate to others and self-forgiving.”
Becker said people can use their personality to shield parts of who they truly are, making the enneagram study challenging for some people. The goal is to truly see the true personality underneath a façade; therefore, people must approach this study in a certain way.
“This personality you have put on over the years and ways you have learned to protect yourself [is] the essence of who you are, so it requires some humility and vulnerability,” Becker said. “The Enneagram holds up a mirror to you and says, this is who you are, and this is what you have put on — and that is not always fun.”
Randall Brown, chair of the Baylor Wellbeing committee, said offers many other aspects of support through workout classes, and workshops aimed at faculty mental health and wellness. The group is rooted in making faculty who lead young people should be sound in all other ways as well.
“Baylor Wellbeing provides support to faculty, staff and their families to create a culture of wellbeing in five different categories” Brown said. “The five dimensions of wellbeing are physical, financial, spiritual, emotional, social and professional.”
The sole focus of the workshop is to use the Enneagram test, to look at who God wants each individual to be as a whole.
“Your personality is not who you are. It is who you have presented to the world, how you have shown yourself, but it is not truly who God has created you to be” Singletary said. “Sometimes it’s easier to say ‘God just made me this way.’ Personality works the other way, God created [you] knowing [you] have a sense of value as a child of God.”
