5 Soul Makeovers You Can Start Today

Johanna Stamps shares why it's important for each of us to engage in a soul makeover, and some ideas you can start immediately.

Through the years, I’ve undergone opportunities that had dramatically changed me — often when I wasn’t expecting it. I’ve come to refer to these experiences as “soul makeovers": activities that create profound spiritual growth. 

Whether or not we know it, we are hardwired to love a good makeover story. It’s the reason we are so attracted to movies like Cinderella, Pretty Woman, and My Fair Lady. We love to see a dramatic change in others and ourselves. It’s why we often can’t help but set New Year's resolutions. 

While we often focus on aesthetic changes, it’s the soul that frequently needs a makeover most urgently. Below, I’ve included a few that I’ve experienced personally. These ultimately gave me the soul makeover I needed. I’ve also included a level of commitment and the need the activity addresses.

Attend a Spiritual Retreat

Commitment Level: Medium

Soul Need: In-person spiritual care 

Before I became a Catholic, I would facilitate my own silent retreats. After a period of neglect, my soul would cry out for the silence and care that retreats offer. 

Around five years ago, I found retreat centers that offered a uniquely Christian approach. There was no self-facilitating necessary. There were four days of rich messaging, wisdom, beauty, delicious food, and as much spiritual direction as I wanted. I enjoyed that first day, looking at a book table and seeing what caught my eye. It was usually something unexpected and always perfect for what I needed spiritually. 

It’s incredible how much movement can happen in four short days. Sometimes I would need to move past a misguided idea or forgive a person I’ve been harboring resentment toward. Whatever it was, I always ended up leaving the retreat lighter and freer. There was often a euphoric feeling that led into the journey home and the weeks ahead.

Commit to a Year of Volunteering in a Community Garden

Commitment Level: High

Soul Need: Purpose-driven activity/working with others 

The benefits of gardening are quite profound, including working in the dirt, waiting for something to grow, harvesting, and reaping the rewards of constant care. The benefits of working with a group of volunteers in a community garden take these to the next level. 

The garden I worked on was originally a pile of rubble between a building and a train track. It was an extraordinary makeover to see something go from a wasteland to an idyllic garden fit for a magazine. 

As the months went on, the true makeover happened in the lives of the volunteers. There was something magical about being able to distribute healthy food to people who needed it the most. Often, we would work alongside the beneficiaries without even realizing it. The conversations and care deepened as the months went on. 

Since this first experience, I’ve seen many initiatives (new and established), which include a community garden arm of their organizations: 

Community First! - Works with the homeless

Camphill Village - Works with people with intellectual disabilities

Pray a Novena for Someone in Need

Commitment Level: Low

Soul Need: Helplessness 

Like most, I can feel utterly helpless when friends are going through difficult experiences. Learning to pray a novena (a nine-day prayer) has been a powerful way to intercede for someone’s specific needs. Through these rich prayers, my soul has been transformed perhaps more than the people for whom I’ve been praying. 

There are novenas for almost every need:

• For the sick
• For the dying
• For a new house
• For a new job
• For financial distress 

And if all else fails, you can pray a novena for impossible requests. 

I have witnessed immediate transformations in people’s lives, and sometimes, gradual change. However, the most significant change has been my own soul. The greatest shift has been knowing I could be useful in a small way to help someone.

Meet Weekly with a Homebound Elderly Person

Commitment Level: High

Soul Need: Personal connection/humility 

There is nothing like connecting with someone who is in the final years of their life. Living in a multi-generational home has given me a profound soul shift I couldn’t have anticipated. For many years of my life, the elderly were an afterthought. Perhaps I even believed the lie that society tells us: The elderly are an inconvenience. Now my life is richer, living closely in a multi-generational home. I’ve gained much from the perspective of people living out their golden years. There are no more agendas and no more rushing through life. 

The elderly who could use a frequent visit is often hiding in plain sight. Maybe it’s a neighbor I only see walking to pick up their paper each morning. Building these types of relationships takes the same effort of building trust as any other relationship. 

A relationship with an elder offers a unique satisfaction for the soul. I’ve learned how to be present and to have the stillness of heart. I’ve learned to ask questions and reap the benefits of years of experience. I’ve seen that, despite the intense physical pain, the vibrancy of life is still possible.

Use Your Creativity to Make Something to Give Away

Commitment Level: Medium

Soul Need: Creative outlets & generosity 

Like many mothers, it’s hard for me to justify spending time doing a creative activity for myself. What I’ve learned is that while there are benefits to creating something beautiful, it’s the act of giving it away that transforms the soul. 

Before my little one was born, I started painting. The efforts have been so fruitful in my own life that I have made it into an almost religious weekly activity. I use those precious naptime hours and quickly set up my roaming studio. Most of the time, I have a list of people I want to thank or celebrate — the recipients of my weekly creations. 

When I originally asked myself, “Johanna, what would you like to do?” the answer was there. It was a voice I had been silencing for a very long time. Maybe you want to create small ceramic bowls with people’s names on them for their birthday. Maybe you make small raffia angels for new babies. Maybe you create multicolored candles for people who have just lost a loved one. 

The action of saying yes to my little voice was the first step. The action of acknowledging the lives of those around me has been the second step. It’s fun to see how the skills I once thought were laughable have now been used to brighten so many people’s days.

Click to tweet:
While we often focus on aesthetic changes, it’s the soul that frequently needs a makeover most urgently. #catholicmom

The ideas I’ve included are my own. The potential activities to create your own soul makeover are endless and always unique to you. There are just a few steps that are necessary in allowing an experience to create the deep and lasting change your soul needs. 

1. Identify your spiritual need.
2. Decide it’s time to make a change.
3. Be honest with how much time you can dedicate.
4. Be open to seeking an appropriate opportunity.
5. Be consistent.

Copyright 2021 Johanna Stamps
Images (from top): Ben White (2016), Unsplash; all others Canva Pro