Release time: 2021-08-30 16:29
This month has been extraordinary in every way. The biggest highlight, among many, was the totally virtual International Enneagram Association (IEA) conference. It was an ambitious undertaking, and they did a magnificent job. With over 100 presenters – some sessions pre-recorded and some live – and over 700 participants from 40+ countries, it was an amazing experience. Sessions were high quality, and the enthusiasm was even more so!
The mini-big event was my co-leading a session with my son, Tres Bogda, on how to use metaphor when teaching the Enneagram. The co-author of our latest Enneagram book, the Art of the Enneagram, Tres did a great job and even enjoyed himself, as did I. Tres enjoying himself is mentioned simply because it was his first major presentation anywhere, and he is an Enneagram Three, so he can put a great deal of pressure on himself. And he still enjoyed himself.
The big conference event was the Endnote, an honoring of Helen Palmer’s retirement and also an appreciation of the role the IEA has played in promoting widespread, high-quality use of the Enneagram worldwide. I was asked to be the Endnote “host,” a role clearly needed and totally unclear, at least in the beginning, in terms to what I was supposed to do. In the end, and after a lot of hard work and clear intentions on the part of many people, it included three wonderful videos of Helen speaking in both clarity and sweetness, followed by individuals responding in real-time from their hearts. Then came Terry Saracino sharing concepts and practices central to Helen’s legacy work, followed by three very active IEA founders or honorary founders being themselves, talking among themselves, and asking one another meaningful and surprising questions. These included Pat O’Leary, Jerry Wagner and Russ Hudson. Peter O’Harahan ended the session with a provocative, reflection question. My role was to be a bit of director, somewhat a co-producer, a bit of scriptwriter but for an improv event, and mostly the glue at the beginning, the end and places in between. Like glue, I tried to be as invisible as possible. It all worked!
Other than that, I completed leading two online certificate programs, completed some delightful work with the senior executives of a Europe-based multi-national company, and am now in the process of converting all four of our office computers to the newest iMacs. Each new iMac is in a different color, of course! The only thing I didn't have time for is rest!
