Love!   That elated feeling of floating on Cloud 9!   That warm glow of true happiness!   That ecstatic feeling of giving your all!   Your Soulmate!

But are they really? And could these, be feelings of infatuation or attraction?

How can we tell when we have met our Soulmate?

Can we find our Soulmate in an alternative relationship type - as opposed to the conventional heterosexual relationship type? And even in a conventional heterosexual relationship type, can we find our Soulmate? Or an abusive relationship?

Opposites attract, but can we base a solid relationship on this? Can we withstand the repellent side of our relationship?

What is a Soulmate? Someone to share the rest of your life with? Someone who understands you, and you them? Someone who understands and acts selflessly on that understanding? Someone who is willing to become one with you? I read this book recently, called 'Outback' and the first couple in the book were a perfect example of Soulmates - they just simply understood each other and acted on that understanding.

And what of that Love poem above? When do we honestly feel those feelings described, and how long do they last? Moments? Months? Years?

I don't know - does the description of a Soulmate (above), really exist? Or is it an ideal ideal? There may be relationships out there who can boast such an ideal, and I say 'Good for you, and lucky you, for such relationships are few and far between!' Why?

It is easy enough to understand someone, isn't it? And to want to share the rest of your life with them?

The secret is not in striving for the ideal, but genuinely developing the finer qualities that a relationship can offer. Herein lays the foundation for a long and happy union.

Apart from obvious body parts, one thing that humans share is feelings - emotions! However, each human has a slightly different depth of feeling. Let's have a look at one or two scenarios -

1. If a person was dominated by angry, spiteful, vindictive emotions, would someone who displays happy, giving and truthful emotions balance the scales enough for them to become Soulmates?

Or would the negative emotions be too strong for the positive emotions to take hold, and vice-versa? What would happen then? The positive person might close up and become fearful, or the negative person may become so positive that the positive person turns negative - even more than their negative partner

Or would the positive person become just as negative as their partner, or vice-versa? Here might be a Soulmate situation - where each person acts selflessly on their understanding of each other - either positive or negative - it would still be a Soulmate relationship

2. If a person was solemn, serene, peaceful, would someone who was outgoing, agitating and aggressive balance the scales enough for them to become Soulmates?

3. Would someone who is creative, introverted and judgemental find a Soulmate in someone who has no imagination, who is loud and extroverted and who has no opinions?

The list of scenarios is endless and in each instance, I have offered the alternative opposite as an example of extremist relationships and different levels of depth to these feelings.

Herein ends Part 1 of Love - Your Soulmate. If you feel some of the points mentioned above make sense, then Part 2 offers ideas on how to seek your Soulmate.