You’ve heard all about the Five Love Languages, and you probably have a pretty good idea of which one you speak by now. But what’s your LIFE language?
The Kendall LIFE Languages Profile was developed to help individuals improve their communication and conflict resolution skills, outlining seven different “languages” that we speak. These seven languages come from the motivational gifts listed in Romans 12 (We talked about these spiritual gifts last week, as well!) and each has its own unique traits.
As with the Love Languages, chances are you don’t speak the same primary language as most of the people around you. When two people are coming from different perspectives and hearing their conversations through two different filters, misunderstandings often abound. Knowing what Life Language you speak can help with that!
The seven Life Languages are as follows:
MOVER: action-oriented, assertive, bold, direct, innovative, persuasive, risk-taking
DOER: busy, dependable, detailed, diligent, efficient, helpful, practical
INFLUENCER: creative, encouraging, enthusiastic, optimistic, persuasive, playful, social
RESPONDER: caring, compassionate, merciful, passionate, protective, sensitive, warm
SHAPER: focused, future-oriented, leading, organized, patient, strategic, visionary
PRODUCER: giving, gracious, hospitable, philanthropic, resourceful, responsible, thoughtful
CONTEMPLATOR: calm, inquisitive, intelligent, loyal, philosophical, reflective, wise
Each of the seven Life Languages is associated with one of the spiritual gifts in Romans 12.
Mover = prophecy
Doer = service
Contemplator = teaching
Influencer = exhortation
Producer = giving
Shaper = administration/leadership
Responder = mercy
The seven Life Languages are also divided into three categories:
Movers and Doers are Kinetic.
Influencers and Responders are Emotive.
Shapers, Producers, and Contemplators are Cognitive.
Kinetic people tend to act first, then react with their hearts, and then think with their heads.
Emotive people tend to respond with their hearts first, then their heads and actions.
Cognitive people tend to think with their heads first, then their hearts and actions.
So which one do you think is your primary life language?
You can take the Life Languages profile here and find out for $55. It takes about 20 minutes to complete, and you might just be surprised by the results – I was! 😊 Being the overly analytical person that I am, I made a very well-thought-out list of what I thought my Life Languages would be, in order, before taking the assessment. I got them totally wrong. 😂 I didn’t even guess my lowest one correctly! (My weaknesses are usually my specialty. Ha!)
While the Life Languages profile does tie in the spiritual gifts and characteristics that other assessments cover, it truly is a unique assessment that stands out on its own. I’m a huge fan of the Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, and other tests because they each have something special to offer, and the Life Languages profile is no exception. In my opinion, you really do need to take each one to get an accurate picture of who you are! I know this one is a bit more expensive, but it’s worth the money (and no, this post is not sponsored!). The Life Languages profile also tells you what percentage you score in EACH of the seven areas, not just your top one.
Depending on where you live, there are also Life Languages seminars and workshops offered that go into more detail about each language and its associated traits. I took one of these classes a few years ago, and I loved every minute! The content was so interesting and I learned a ton about myself and others.
What about you? Have you taken the Life Languages profile before? Were you at all surprised like I was?
Hey! I'm Brianna and I'm a millennial. I'm also a reader, writer, God-lover, introvert, and recovering perfectionist. ☺️ I want to inspire millennials to retain their morality, hope, and faith as they transition into adulthood and full-fledged "adult."
