Extroverts and Introverts - How has God made you?

We have all heard that there are two basic types of personalities: Introvert or Extrovert. As I was riding my mountain bike this morning this blog came to me.  Out of those two types flow the four different profiles: Drivers, Inspirational, Supportive, Competent. 

For the purpose of this blog the definitions I will use are these:
Extrovert - Gets inspired by being around people or doing things for people.
Introvert - Gets inspired by being a lone or by being reflective.

There is nothing wrong with being an Introvert or an Extrovert unless you have taken on that personality for the wrong reason.

I will use my life for an example. When I was a child between the ages of three and seven I was an outgoing and spontaneous kid. I was always being the center of attention in a natural and childish way. I was a jokester from the beginning.

When I was seven and in the second grade I had a teacher humiliate me in front of the class. I went from being an extrovert to an introvert to hide from being the center of attention. Now 52 years later I feed off of being around other people see Proverbs 27: 17 As iron sharpens iron,so one man sharpens another.

I believe we operate in a certain personality but at times move into the other. For example I am an Extrovert but I also enjoy the solitude of a bike ride in the country. I am 75% Extrovert and 25% Introvert. When I am an Introvert I hear God speaking to me and when I am an Extrovert I am pouring out into the lives of others what God shared with me. This post is an example of that.

Now do I believe that being 75% Introvert and 25% Extrovert a liability or wrong? NO! These folks bring us the great writings and other material that motivates us to make changes that fit God's plan for our lives.

What we need is for the Extroverts and Introverts to join together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to represent the Kingdom of God to those who have never experienced it.

As an Extrovert I struggle to sometimes grasp what God is saying in the Bible but when an Introvert can sit with me and share their insight to what God is saying I can then apply it to my life.

Sometimes we become what other people drive us to be instead of being who God made us to be. This is when I think it is wrong to be either an extrovert or introvert.  I encourage you to discover your foundational personality type and then use that to discover your strengths.  Your life is either fueled by being around and doing things for people or by reflecting on God's word and writing stuff that motivates people to take action.  Both are a vital part of increasing God's Kingdom.  

 

I recommend the following two books for you to read, "Positive Personality Profiles" by Robert A. Rohm and "Personality Plus" by Florance Littauer.

What happens at the beginning of each new year? Many people make a New Year's Resolution and most end up giving up on it within the first month. With this post I am going to encourage you to try something different.

Let me begin by sharing something I read on page 54 of John Maxwell's book, "The Winning Attitude". A set of attitudes accompanies each personality. Generally people with certain temperaments develop specific attitudes common to that temperament. A few years ago, pastor and counselor Tim LaHaye made us aware of four basic temperaments. Through observation, I have noticed that a person with what he calls a Choleric personality often exhibits attitudes of perseverance and aggressiveness. A Sanguine person will be generally positive and look on the bright side of life. The introspective Melancholy can be negatives at times while the Phlegmatic says, "Easy come, easy go." An individuals personality is composed of a mixture of these temperaments, and there are exceptions to these examples. However, a temperament follows a track that can be identified by tracing a person's attitude.

Each of you reading this have a dominate personality type and one you operate in now and then. For example, I am a Sanguine who occasionally operates as a Choleric. My wife, my daughter and I vacationed in Miami, FL and attended a conference where we heard Dr. Robert Rohm speak on personality types. Dr. Rohn labels a Choleric "D" for Drivers or Doers, a Sanguine "I" for Inspirational, a Melancholy "S" for Steady or Stable and Phlegmatic "C" for Competent. I took, my wife and daughter to the conference when Dr. Rohm spoke and the next day we were driving to the airport and as we pulled up to the terminal my daughter said, "Mom, did you see that!", "Dad went from an "I" to a "D" just like that.

Here is my suggestion: Get one of the books listed below either at your local library or purchase it at one of the online stores listed below or at your local book store. Discover your personality type and then set a goal for next year considering your personality type. Make it a goal that moves you forward in your personal life but with steps that take into account your personality type.

For me I would set a goal of having a more consist ant exercise workout by listing the positive things about doing so and then making it something I can use to inspire other guys to do the same thing. I would also find someone to challenge me by holding me accountable to my efforts.

Personality Plus by Florence Littauer at ChristianBook.com $10.00
Positive Personality Profiles by Robert A. Rohm at Amazon.com $18.00

A caution about setting goals: "You will struggle at first in achieving your goals but I want to encourage you to get back up with the help of God and move forward in achieving your goal." I believe if you will try this you can achieve the goal you set and then use the experience to set another goal which might be a little harder.

Please share a goal you would like to accomplish in 2009 and keep us informed how you did.