Hi again, Russ and Pamela,

I awoke this morning from a dream, in which I was a member of a class of your students, Russ, sitting around with you and asking questions. You suddenly asked: "Can anyone describe to me the process by which a student is awakened as an Enneagram?"

Like a first-class Fool Being, I raised my hand….
"OK, Ricky, start with describing the three forces!", you said.
Then I woke up!

I was very encouraged, as it means that at least some of my sleep time is now involved with the Work, and therefore my life is pushing towards that wonderful 51%…..

So I started musing about this question, and the following story popped into my head. Hoping you might enjoy it, I wrote it down. And here it is….

Merry Christmas!!, and Thank you for a Wonderful Year! I trust the New Year will be even more remarkable…

Love, Rick

A Christmas Story of a Student Awaking 12/24/17

OK, so the question is: how to describe the awakening process as an Enneagram. Start with the 3 forces…

Well, at LA, we must have the Student. He wanders into this 4th Way Restaurant, and says to the head Chef (at DO): “I hear you cook some good Work ideas here!?”

Russell A. Smith replies, “Well, I do have a few satisfied customers, that’s true.”

“Well,” says the Student, “that’s good, ‘cause I’ve been trying to eat this stuff for years – can’t seem to stop myself – but they must never have been cooked right, ‘cause I got indigestion every time. “

“Ahhh, “ says Russ, “ that’s because they’ve lacked my special Math-Based Sauce. I believe it contains some special enzymes which help break those indigestible pieces down into edible hunks.”

“Oh, really??” Asks the Student….”never heard of that before…”

“But,” continues Russ, “I warn you, you must be prepared for quite a feast. In fact, you’ll have to STUFF yourself for 7 days straight, At my expense, of course….”

“I’m UP for it,” the Student replies, “I’ve gotten so damned hungry over the years of eating those indigestible Work Stews, I think I could just do that!”

“Well, then, y’all just come on down to Sanger, and we’ll see what we can cook up.”

So…. the student arrives at Sanger…

”How do you like your Work Ideas cooked?” asks Russ.

“Well Done, of course,” answers the Student. “I’ve tried so many courses of Half-Baked, with no success at all….”

So what is the ‘denying’ force hanging out at FA, one may ask?? Why, all of the poor Student’s not-quite-fully-developed lower centers, of course, about to be cooked up and IRREVOCABLY TRANSFORMED FOREVER….(little does he suspect….)

“My favorite kitchen tools are all contained in this little Book,” says Russ. So you gotta climb on into it with me…..” And so they begin…. DO, RE, MI….

After a few days, the Student finds that his Minds have been rather thoroughly Tenderized…. and Russ informs him that he’s “Ready for the Oven!”

Uh-Oh! It’s called, of all things, ‘April Fools’, and the Student approaches it with fear and trembling, and a certain Anticipation as well.

“Good! “ says, Russ, “Then we’ll stick you in the Oven tomorrow!”

And then….he did!

“How’s it taste??”, he asks afterwards….

“Well Done!” says the Student, “To Perfection. Yummm…”

“Yeah, well you’re Cooked now,” says Russ. “No going back. And you’ll be digesting yourself for quite some time….”

“Ummm…yes…..I can see that…” says the Student. “Thank You, Russ… I think I’ll need to chew on myself for quite a while now….”

“You do that,” says Russ. “Good luck. You’ll find you keep on tasting better with time… Don’t forget to work on your memorizing….and call me if you have any questions or burps….”

“I’m ON it,” says the Student, as he heads off to board his plane home…. (“WOW,” he murmurs to himself in the airport..”.What just happened???”)

Have a wonderful Christmas, Russ. It was for me fun to receive this story, after having lived it….

Love, Rick