Wikipedia defines soul mate as, “A person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity, similarity, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul, which is thought to be the ultimate soul mate. In New Age spirituality, the ultimate soul mate is the one and only other half of one’s soul.”
Pretty heavy stuff, yes?
Most of us think of a soul mate as our chosen life’s partner. But, many people fall into our lives for reasons unknown at the time. Our relationship with that person may look like one thing, and then it turns out to be quite another, often with far-reaching implications.
A soul mate isn’t necessarily a constant, but is a person who needs to be present in our lives for a short time and then leave. Consider the fourth grade teacher who inspired your ultimate career direction, or the coach who took the time to build your confidence. Or maybe a casual friend connected in just the right way when you were suffering through a very dark time. Mentors can be soul mates too; they teach and mold our lives so much.
Perhaps a soul mate is there to help you see yourself in ways you would or could never do without them as the catalyst. A soul mate can encourage you to reach your full potential, and you may never know they are doing it.
Does a soul mate stay in your life forever? Not necessarily, and probably not so. These wonderful souls come to push us toward personal zeniths, and then gracefully bow out so we can single-handedly finish the job. How cool is that!
While couples in romantic relationships hope and anticipate they will be forever intertwined as soul mates, sometimes that just doesn’t happen. But, even broken relationships were once good and for a brief moment, souls were connected in a wonderful way. It is a very fortunate couple who can share a lifetime completing and fulfilling each other.
When soul mates leave our lives there is sadness because we sense are losing someone or something important. It might take years for us to realize the value one person brought to us, but suddenly in an “Ah-ha moment,” we realize we’ve been given a gift that will influence our lives forever.
