Long before I discovered the Enneagram, I embodied the traits of a type nine, the peacemaker. I sought balance above all things, pretended to sleep to avoid conflict, got lost in comfort and vices, and studied others, quickly empathizing and emulating them. Unaware of these identifying traits, I even wrote an autobiographical story in my twenties aptly called “Under the Influence.”  

As I matured (in other words, suffered through restlessness and heartbreak), I became more self-aware. Instead of letting life wash over me, especially with respect to my faith and culture, I began to live with more intention. 

When I did discover the Enneagram Institute several years ago, I learned this:

“We have sometimes called the Nine the crown of the Enneagram…because it seems to include the whole of it. Nines can have the strength of Eights, the sense of fun and adventure of Sevens, the dutifulness of Sixes, the intellectualism of Fives, the creativity of Fours, the attractiveness of Threes, the generosity of Twos, and the idealism of Ones. However, what they generally do not have is a sense of really inhabiting themselves—a strong sense of their own identity.” 

In deciding to live with intention, I am now building a strong sense of my own identity, but it is a work in progress. This blog is an attempt to share that ongoing awakening with you. 

You do not have to be a type nine or even know much about the Enneagram to connect with my stories though. Now more than ever, I see that people are interested in exploring life, faith and culture with open minds and open hearts. I want to share what I am learning and wrestling with, so that hopefully, we can figure out how to live with intention together.

If you are not familiar with the Enneagram – this is a website to learn more and to take a test to see what type you resonate with most. For more suggested resources, feel free to contact me directly.

“You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” Film Footnote: When naming this site, my list of potential names included a peacemaker, the soulful peacemaker, enter the peacemaker, or The Peacemaker, which led me to the Nicole Kidman movie, which reminded me of The Hours, in which Nicole Kidman plays Virginia Woolf. In my favorite scene of the film, she says, “You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” What a perfect line to capture the peacemaker journey! (I just discovered that this line is not an actual quote from Woolf, but it’s still so good.)