Figuring out the Love Language of yourself and others.

Ever wondered how and why Love Languages work or how to figure out which Love Language you have? It's really simple. The entire goal of Love Languages and the reason why they work so well is because they make people feel valued. So ask yourself what makes you feel valued, and what makes those close to you feel valued? All five Love Languages really accomplish the same goal. Each language uses a different means of getting to the end goal, but they all achieve the same purpose: making someone feel valued.
Just in case you haven't heard of the five Love Languages or you've forgotten what they are, I'll list them here:

• Words of Affirmation (Encouraging or affirming comments that: build up the receiver, make the receiver feel good about his or herself, and reassure the receiver that the giver has a high opinion of him or her. "Words of Affirmation" people feel valued when someone audibly praises them in an honest way.)
• Quality Time (Time that is invested into the receiver, sometimes at the great personal cost of the giver. Quality time doesn't have to be spent doing high "quality" things either. Silly stuff is totally acceptable. The activity itself is not what matters. It's the investment of the giver's time and the engagement of the giver's attention that makes the receiver feel loved. "Quality Time" people feel valued when someone takes an interest in their interests.)
• Receiving Gifts (Gifts that are given to the receiver. Sometimes expensive ones. But mainly, the receiver feels loved when the giver knows what he or she likes. Being known and thought of is important to "Receiving Gifts" people.)
• Acts of Service (Simple deeds that are carried out for the receiver by the giver. "Acts of Service" people feel valued when someone knows what needs to be done and fixes the situation without being asked or prompted. They feel valued when someone cares for them.)
• Physical Touch (Physical attention that is given to the receiver. "Physical Touch" people feel loved by hugs, pats on the back, massages, or other forms of physical attention, as long as it's given to them with intentionality and respect. "Physical Touch" people feel loved when someone takes the initiative and puts effort into physically comforting them.)

It is absolutely critical that you know your Love Language and the Love Language of those close to you. Why? Because if you don't know your Love Language(s), you can't communicate it to those around you, and if you can't communicate it to those around you, they don't know what makes you feel loved, and if they don't know what makes you feel loved, then they can't show you love in a way you understand. And as a human being, created in the image of God, your purpose of existence is to love and be loved. Make sure that those closest to you know your Love Language and vice-versa so that you don't miss out on a huge purpose you were created for.
When it comes to figuring out your own Love Language, or someone else's, something that I've noticed is that many people's natural inclination is to show love in the way they want to be shown love. People sometimes express the Love Language toward others that they yearn to receive from others. For example, if a person's Love Language is Receiving Gifts, they might have a natural inclination to give lots of gifts to people. If you don't know someones Love Language, pay attention to the ways he or she shows love to others.
If you already know your Love Language, but you're still having trouble pin-pointing someone else's, you can flat out ask that person what their Love Language is! For some reason, we rarely do that because it might seem like an awkward conversational topic at first, but I encourage you to pursue the answer to that question. Expressing and receiving love is highly individualistic and showing somebody love through a Love Language that isn't theirs does not make that person feel valued. You have to communicate love to others through THEIR Love Language.