UBInShape2: You Be In SHAPE Too

Rick Warren's SHAPE Framework

Rick Warren, founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church and author of "The Purpose Driven Life"—one of the best-selling non-fiction books in history with over 50 million copies sold—developed the SHAPE framework to help individuals discover their unique design for service and impact. The acronym SHAPE represents five dimensions that combine to create each person's distinctive contribution to the world.

Integrative Foundation: While rooted in biblical teaching, the SHAPE framework integrates insights from multiple disciplines—positive psychology's research on strengths and calling, personality theory from psychology, vocational development research, and centuries of wisdom about human flourishing. The model provides a holistic approach to understanding personal identity and purpose.

Key Research Connections:

• Strengths-Based Development: Aligns with Gallup's research showing people thrive when working from their strengths rather than fixing weaknesses
• Flow Theory: Connects to Csikszentmihalyi's findings that optimal experience occurs when challenges match abilities
• Person-Environment Fit: Supported by decades of vocational psychology research on matching people to roles
• Calling Research: Echoes findings from purpose psychology that meaningful work requires alignment with identity

Why It Works: The SHAPE framework succeeds because it addresses the whole person—spiritual, emotional, cognitive, and experiential dimensions. Rather than focusing on a single assessment or personality type, it provides a comprehensive inventory that helps individuals understand the unique combination of factors that make them who they are. This holistic approach enables more authentic self-discovery and more targeted personal development.

Each letter in SHAPE represents a distinct dimension of your unique design. UBInShape2 provides Inspire-U-2 modules for each dimension, offering diverse entry points to explore and develop your full potential.

What exactly is an "Inspire-U-2" module, and how does it work?

An Inspire-U-2 module is a curated collection of 100+ inspirational quotes focused on a specific character trait, skill, or life dimension. The name breaks down grammatically as "Inspire-You-To" followed by an action or quality—for example, "Inspire-U-2-B-Spiritual" means "Inspire You To Be Spiritual."

🎯 How Do Modules Work?

Each module functions as a digital card deck in the InspireWell4Life platform. When you select a module like "Inspire-U-2-Dream," you can:

1. Draw random quotes one at a time, allowing serendipity to bring you the message you need today
2. Reflect on each quote in the context of your current life situation
3. Return repeatedly to the same module, discovering new wisdom with each visit
4. Track your favorites to build a personal collection of meaningful insights

🔄 Why Multiple Modules Per Dimension?

UBInShape2 contains 20 unique modules spread across 5 SHAPE dimensions. Some dimensions have multiple modules because personal design is multifaceted—for example, "Heart" includes modules for Inspire-U-2-B-Enthusiastic, Inspire-U-2-B-Purposeful, Inspire-U-2-B-Visionary, Inspire-U-2-Desire, and Inspire-U-2-Dream. This diversity allows you to:

• Find your personal entry point into each dimension based on what resonates most
• Explore different angles on the same SHAPE principle
• Prevent habituation by varying your practice across related but distinct modules
• Tailor your journey to your unique personality, values, and current life circumstances

UBInShape2 provides a comprehensive personal design discovery system with focused depth across all five dimensions:

Wisdom Tradition Distribution

Each module contains approximately 100 quotes carefully curated from six distinct wisdom traditions, ensuring cultural diversity and philosophical breadth:

• Universal/Eclectic: ~40% - Contemporary insights and cross-cultural wisdom
• Positive Psychology: ~25% - Research-backed perspectives from scientific literature
• Christian Tradition: ~15% - Biblical and theological insights
• Stoic Philosophy: ~10% - Ancient wisdom on character and virtue
• Buddhist/Mindfulness: ~5% - Eastern contemplative practices
• Other Traditions: ~5% - Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Indigenous, and additional sources

UBInShape2 is designed for anyone seeking to understand their unique design and align their life with their purpose.

Multiple Pathways to Discovery

UBInShape2 offers flexible approaches to fit your learning style and life situation:

Maximizing Your Discovery

Based on the SHAPE framework's widespread use in churches and organizations worldwide, users can anticipate meaningful growth in self-understanding and purposeful living:

Short-Term Impact (Weeks 1-4)

Medium-Term Impact (Weeks 5-12)

Long-Term Transformation (3-12 Months)

Individual Variation

Results vary based on several factors:

• Starting point: Those with less prior self-reflection often experience more dramatic insights
• Engagement depth: Regular, reflective practice produces better outcomes than surface engagement
• Honesty level: Willingness to see yourself accurately (both strengths and limitations) enhances discovery
• Life stage: Different dimensions may become clearer at different life stages
• Community support: Having others to process with deepens understanding

UBInShape2 integrates biblical wisdom with insights from multiple research traditions:

Supporting Research by Dimension

Each SHAPE dimension connects to established research traditions:

• Spiritual Gifts: C. Peter Wagner's spiritual gifts research; Fortune & Fortune's work on charisms
• Heart (Passion): Csikszentmihalyi's flow research; Deci & Ryan's self-determination theory on intrinsic motivation
• Abilities: Buckingham & Clifton's strengths research (Gallup); Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences
• Personality: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator research; Big Five personality research; DISC assessments
• Experience: Narrative psychology; post-traumatic growth research; biographical learning studies

Practical Applications

The SHAPE framework has been successfully implemented in:

• Church ministry placement: Thousands of churches use SHAPE to help members find service roles
• Career counseling: Integration with vocational guidance and career transition coaching
• Leadership development: Helping leaders understand and leverage their unique design
• Team building: Creating complementary teams by understanding members' SHAPEs
• Personal development: Individual growth planning based on authentic design

UBInShape2 works beautifully alongside other InspireWell4Life products to create a comprehensive personal development system:

UBInShape2 draws from Rick Warren's influential work and integrates insights from psychology and personal development research. For those who wish to explore the foundations more deeply, we recommend these essential works: