Personality labels are personality indicators. Labels can be positive and negative at the same time. Understanding ourselves and what motivates each of us can be a powerful tool towards meeting life’s challenges and personal dreams.

The Changemaker Test, which is meant as a vehicle for self-discovery, includes the labels used in NLP (neurolinguistic programming), birth order, family roles, emotional energies, and MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator).

From Andi Ashworth (The Rabbit Room): “Release Date for Andi Ashworth,, author of Real Love for Real People”:

For many years, because we were a self-employed music business family, I did a lot of work that was necessary–accounting and administrative stuff–but that I had no natural ability for. As time went on I was increasingly frustrated spending my days working in an area I was not drawn to, not gifted for, and would never have chosen had it not been connected to my husband and our family income. At the point of my highest frustration, about sixteen years ago, I took a class from a counselor that changed my whole way of thinking and living.

For the first time ever, I considered my personality type, my gifts, the settings I preferred to work in, the tools I like to use, fields of knowledge I already had, and others I would like to pursue. I thought about the things I love to do and will always do in some capacity because they are integral to who I am. I began to understand that those things are inside me because God has put them there and I’d be wise to pay attention.

For one thing, I realized I’m a writer and began to pursue that seriously. And I started looking at my life in other ways to see what it was telling me. My journals helped me see that caregiving was huge and continual. We had a constant stream of people coming through our home, the Art House, and I was taking care of them all in one way or another, so the caregiving included our children and family but it was much more than that. Once I had the tools I to think about vocation, I could see that I was good at caring for people and that I’d been inclined that way since I was a young girl. I was naturally nurturing, but I’d also learned through response, experience, and study. I had skill in cooking, listening and staying at the table with people who needed to talk, giving counsel and speaking honestly about my own life, anticipating need, creating beauty in our environment–really all kinds of things I’d never thought of as being anything special–but in fact they were. They were exactly what was needed in the life God had given us.

2.  From Scott H. Young (Get More Out of Life): “Personality Evolution”:

So now I’m going to ask the real question you’ve been waiting for: How can you change your personality? That question itself requires a little bit of exploration because changing your personality is a lot different than changing a tire. Your personality is a huge portion of your life and unlike habit trials and skill building, personality changes can’t be an isolated technique or endeavor.

Instead of changing your personality, evolve it. I think this verb is far more accurate in describing what will actually happen. You can’t specify an end product for your personality because as you evolve it, your own perceptions will change drastically. Instead all you can do is specify a direction and slowly sculpt the changes into what you desire.

Personality evolutions are a huge investment. In fact, it will be the biggest investment you ever make in your life. Evolving your personality will be a long and arduous process. That is why so few people ever successfully achieve it. The good news is that, coming from someone who has and is evolving his personality, it is probably one of the most fulfilling things you will ever do.

Is it simply better to just accept who you are and live your life? I would have to say no it isn’t. Evolution isn’t just for desperate people with horrible personalities, but I think it is truly the most comprehensive form of growth. Unlike setting a goal or mastering a single skill which offers a bit of growth, a complete evolution of who you are makes quantum leaps in the quality of your life no matter where you currently are.

Photo credit.