Growing as an Enneagram Eight: The Challengerናሙና

Growing in Vulnerability

Vulnerability can be a scary thing. You may have experienced past hurts in the moments you were brave enough to share deep parts of yourself. You may have felt misunderstood or had someone insist you said something that you did not say. You may have told yourself, “Never again.” You may have had seasons in your life when your strength was a mask for that vulnerability. 

As an Eight, when you move toward Two in seasons of growth, you grow toward seeing your vulnerability as a strength. In these times, you truly believe that people do not have the power to destroy you and you recognize that you are safe and protected in Christ. You embrace that divine protection, which means that even when others let you down or betray you, you know that God never will. He will not forsake or abandon you, and He delights in you as you rest in His strength and count it as your own. 

Growing in vulnerability does not necessarily mean sharing your deepest self with everyone. There is wisdom in trusting your gut when it comes to knowing who or what is a safe and healthy relationship or situation. Growing in vulnerability does not mean throwing boundaries out the window; it does mean learning how to steward those boundaries and your vulnerability in relationships. 

Vulnerability isn’t an all or nothing state of being. You can choose the areas where you can take steps toward vulnerability, not sharing your full story but small snippets at a time when it feels safe to do so. It can feel hard to have another person not know the full context to your story, and there also can be a delight in the slow unraveling of your life experiences in friendship as another person becomes safe and trusted.  

The vulnerability of trusting others and letting them care for you brings glory to God. He delights in seeing you share your story, whether that be all of it or small snippets, so that, as Paul tells the Corinthians, “the power of Christ may rest” upon us.

We hope this plan encouraged you. Explore other resources at 

https://www.whitakerhouse.com/book-authors/elisabeth-bennett.