On Soul mates...

I was going through my old things the other day and somehow I got a hold of some of the essays I had written a couple of years back... some of which I still remember writing about, but of course time has added and altered a little of the said ideas; Maturity took place, I suppose. :) Here's an essay I wrote for Practical Criticism on the concept of soul mates.

Several movies romantic in themes such as Serendipity or What dreams may come, talk about the concept of soul mates. Each speak about the idea of true love and destiny; two individuals destined for each other, feeling strong intimacy and compatibility.

Growing up in a society exposed to such concepts of love. I believe I too have grown or taken in the idea as well. So clearly I say yes, I do believe in the concept of Soul mates, and I guess most of us do. Several studies, some mythological in nature have been brought about to further explain the concept of soul mates and unto how it came about. Such as the classical Greek mythology that originally humans were combined; man and woman in one form - condemned they were split into half. Moreover, some spiritual and religious communities have explained the idea in relation to reincarnation and karma - two souls living lifetimes together. But despite of these studies trying to prove the primal existence on what a soul mate is or how it came about. Personally speaking for me one thing is for sure, There is no single definition on to what a soul mate really is. A soul mate is not just someone whom you feel strongly for, not just someone who makes your knees go weak, who takes your breath away or who makes your heart thump. It is someone whom you feel totally connected to. It may be someone who can move you, touch you or change you. It doesn't just qualify or revolve around having found the love of your life or your "special someone." It is about finding someone whom you connect with... someone who your soul (in particular) connects with. It is not just about love but about deep friendship on fire, as someone once told me. It is not necessarily sexual or romantic, not just about intimacy or strong emotions but also about companionship and deep admiration, and definitely it is not about having or looking for the perfect relationship or perfect partner because there isn't such a thing in this world. I believe that we all were created and ordained for someone, just as the saying goes "No man is an island," no one was created to live alone because ideally man was built for relationships.

Now about looking for that soul mate, individually that person may not be perfect but when combined, ideally fit for each other; a perfect match, just like a puzzle and it's missing piece. That “someone” gives us the feeling of completeness, contentment and out bursting happiness; the feeling of wholeness. At the moment our soul mate can be anyone, it can be our neighbor next door, an old friend, a new acquaintance, someone we haven't met yet, someone we'll bump into minutes from now or someone we've known for the rest of our lives. Who that person is? Only time can reveal. And I guess the best advice to give would be not just to invest by searching for that soul mate of ours but to invest as well in the self... to be that perfect partner / soul mate for that person. And if you're worried about being left single and all, keep in mind that God is busy carefully writing a perfect love story for you. :)