I have been thinking a lot of late about the concept of a soul mate, perhaps because I have been asked about 15 times in the past two weeks if I think I'll ever find mine. I find myself answering each time differently, always sometimes sarcastically, sometimes thoughtfully, but I have been admittedly perplexed about what that exactly the terminology "soul mate" means.
Couple this with a very interesting conversation I had last night with one of my dearest friends about a book I'm reading and today I am one contemplative chiquita. Fittingly, this morning I stumbled upon this quote by one of my recent favorite authors, Elizabeth Gilbert. It sums up perfectly how I feel about the subject at hand at this very moment and I thought I'd best record this somewhere in fear of never finding this moment of clarity again:
"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave. A soul mates purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life..."
I like this definition. For all practical purposes, it means I have a handful of soul mates who I've held in my hand a moment or two along the way. To each of you: thank you.
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