--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's what you do that makes your soul…" description: "\"“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”\" — Barbara Kingsolver" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81c/barbara-kingsolver-200_inspirational-quotes_it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-no_19178.png" --- # It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way… ![“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81c/barbara-kingsolver-200_inspirational-quotes_it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-no_19178.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81c/barbara-kingsolver-200_inspirational-quotes_it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-no_19178.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81c/barbara-kingsolver-200_inspirational-quotes_it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-no_19178.png) > ““It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”” [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actions shape identity and purpose; the soul is a product of deeds, not a pre‑existing driver. **In simple terms:** Deeds define the self. Key Takeaway Your actions craft your inner self. Themes agency identity purpose self‑determination ethics Mood motivated reflective empowering Type aphor inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - making career choices - overcoming personal setbacks - pursuing creative projects - building relationships - volunteering Key Concepts action soul self‑concept responsibility Practical Applications - personal development coaching - leadership training Questions to Reflect On - What habits reflect the person you want to become? - How can you align daily actions with your core values? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-quotes/) [Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes/) [Makes Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes-soul-391709/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Soul Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul-way-391710/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) ## Related quotes > [It's what you do that makes your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Music comes from the soul. It's a way to express yourself, so we always, always need to save the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashanti/music-comes-from-the-soul-it-s-a-way-to-express-yourself-so-we-always/) [Ashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashanti/) > [“man makes his own soul, but it dies with him, unless he can pour it into his kids and his grandchildren before he goes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr/man-makes-his-own-soul-but-it-dies-with-him-unless-he-can-pour-it/) [Walter M. Miller Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr/) > [“Peace of being makes the soul prosper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gfty-akita/peace-of-being-makes-the-soul-prosper/) [Lailah Gfty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gfty-akita/) > [Music makes your soul feel amazing while you're performing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bijou-phillips/music-makes-your-soul-feel-amazing-while-you-re-performing-it/) [Bijou Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bijou-phillips/) > [“What makes the soul who it is, if not the choices the person makes while he’s alive?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dara-horn/what-makes-the-soul-who-it-is-if-not-the-choices-the-person-makes/) [Dara Horn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dara-horn/) > [“A sincere praise to God makes soul prospers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/a-sincere-praise-to-god-makes-soul-prospers/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“And I think how you see yourself makes you who you are. Your soul doesn't have a title or an occupation. It's just you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-callihan/and-i-think-how-you-see-yourself-makes-you-who-you-are-your-soul/) [Kristen Callihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-callihan/) > [Silliness makes your soul smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doe-zantamata/silliness-makes-your-soul-smile/) [Doe Zantamata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doe-zantamata/) > [“Loss makes the soul sick”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-alice-eakes/loss-makes-the-soul-sick/) [Laurie Alice Eakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-alice-eakes/) > [The naked spirit makes the soul light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-malfatti/the-naked-spirit-makes-the-soul-light/) [Jean-Paul Malfatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-malfatti/) > [It is gratefulness which makes the soul great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/it-is-gratefulness-which-makes-the-soul-great/) [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/) > [“And I realized: souls don't stand alone. What makes a soul a soul is the shared burden and pain, the shared joy: it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-meldrum/and-i-realized-souls-don-t-stand-alone-what-makes-a-soul-a-soul-is/) [Christina Meldrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-meldrum/) > [“I wish I could feed my soul the way I feed my hunger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/futty-fuze/i-wish-i-could-feed-my-soul-the-way-i-feed-my-hunger/) [Futty-fuze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/futty-fuze/) > [Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-makes-your-soul-crawl-out-from-its-hiding-place/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Barbara Kingsolver > [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. 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Europeans celebrate the short season of abundant asparagus as a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/respecting-the-dignity-of-a-spectacular-food-means-enjoying-it-at-its/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Somehow it had come to pass that this man was her whole world, and she had failed to take his measure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/somehow-it-had-come-to-pass-that-this-man-was-her-whole-world-and-she/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [After 'The Poisonwood Bible' was published, several people believed that my parents were missionaries, which could not be further from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/after-the-poisonwood-bible-was-published-several-people-believed-that/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [But we've all ended up giving body and soul to Africa, one way or another. Even Adah, who's becoming an expert in tropical epidemiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-we-ve-all-ended-up-giving-body-and-soul-to-africa-one-way-or/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-the-lord-hasn-t-got-a-boyfriend-lined-up-for-me-to-marry-that-s/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Awareness is everything. Hallie once pointed out to me that people worry a lot more about the eternity \*after\* their deaths than the eternity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/awareness-is-everything-hallie-once-pointed-out-to-me-that-people/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) [Explore all 939 Barbara Kingsolver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More Inspirational quotes quotes > [I have learned that you can go anywhere you want to go and do anything you want to do and buy all the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c-2/i-have-learned-that-you-can-go-anywhere-you-want-to-go-and-do/) [C JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c-2/) > [“Listen to your heart and trust the direction you are being pulled. 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