"Soulmates"
soulmate
ˈsōl ˌmāt/
noun: soulmate
"a person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner."
Have you ever met someone and instantly started looking at life through a completely different lens? I was talking to someone the other day about what it truly means to have a soulmate.
It really got me thinking.. what is it exactly about these people that change our perspectives so deeply? And what leads most people to believe we only have one soulmate?
I think we have multiple, possibly hundreds of soulmates in a lifetime.
I slightly disagree with the above definition of provided by Google. I do not think soulmates are limited to the people we love or close friends, although some of the most resonating people fall into these categories. Unfortunately our society sets this unrealistic expectation that there is one person that is your soulmate, your one true love, the person that holds the key to your "true self" and "ultimate happiness". I have found this theory not to be the case. As human beings, we long for this idea of not being "lonely". And this idea can be toxic because of its ability to restrain us and keep us from embracing ourselves. Unless you're a Siamese twin, we are born alone- and we die alone. Those are two givens in this unpredictable life. These soulmates I'm speaking of are the people who make life fun, give it meaning, and teach us about ourselves; our desires, our morals, our wants and needs. These soulmates are just the people who help us realize our worth along the way.
To me, a soulmate is anybody who comes into your life and changes your perspective in an impacting way. These soulmates are our friends(old and new), strangers, our exes, the Uber drivers that listen to our drunk blabber and act as psychologists, our favorite teachers, mentors, even the homeless person outside of Chipotle that showed more appreciation for $1 than your 8 year old cousin does, etc.
We have to learn to appreciate these people. They've come into our lives to teach us more about ourselves and grow a greater appreciation for our lives in general. Regardless of how long they're in our life, it's important to remember we can learn something from every person. Be open minded, and greet every stranger with a smile- you never know what you can learn from them.
Your life is only as important as its impact on other lives.