There are people who will spend their whole lives looking under rocks and checking every corner for who they believe is their “soul mate.” This word has more power than most people really understand.
The thing that is beautiful about the phrase soul mate is that we made it up. There is no religious or historical connection to the word and what exactly it means.
But, as human beings, we all want to believe there is one person out there looking for us just as hard as we are looking for them. It gives us purpose, hope and keeps us thinking that our time will come.
I’m a firm believer in soul mates, even if it’s only a psychological phenomenon we’ve made ourselves believe.
Do I think of it in the traditional, “There is only one person somewhere on this earth” way? Not exactly.
But there is definitely someone out there who will understand you, and who is also looking for you, too.
It’s statistics if you think about it. There are seven billion people on this earth, so statistically speaking, having someone out there perfectly compatible with you in every way is definitely possible.
Every second that ticks by in our life makes it incrementally easier to find our soul mates. But, we were all introduced to this phrase in sort of a hopeless and depressing way.
As much as we all love thinking that there is someone for us, there is always the chance that we could spend our whole life searching for this one person and never find them because they are simply one in seven billion.
So while statistically there is someone out there perfectly compatible with us, it could be looked at like winning the lottery – finding that one person out of seven billion.
Right now is the absolute best time to find your soul mate.
With the massive trend of dating websites sweeping the Internet, it gives people hope that they might be able to find that someone.
They can log on, upload their best pictures, update their profile with what they want people to see and sit and refresh their inbox in hopes that someone likes what they see.
Dating websites are especially popular in the older demographic that feels like they are simply too busy to go out and meet people.
I believe that people who make dating profiles simply for social networking with other singles, that always have the motive in the back of their mind that they will defy the odds and are one of the few who finds their soul mate online.
As of 2013, around 11 percent of adults had found their significant other on a dating websites and around 38 percent of adults have or have had a profile on one of these websites.
This shows that dating sites are no longer something that people consider weird, geeky or odd; it’s becoming common and will only continue growing.
“Soul mate” doesn’t have a static definition. It’s an elastic term that applies to a lot of situations and is used diversely.
This being said, since there is no static definition, soul mate is not defined to only a man and a woman.
As our world becomes more progressive and equally more accepting of LGBT culture (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) the idea of soul mates becomes even more prevalent to this community.
There is nothing that says a man’s soul mate has to be a woman, or a woman’s has to be a man. No ancient scripture, no stone carvings, nothing. Somewhere in this world everybody has someone for them, no exceptions.
I believe that soul mates bypass sexual orientation. Emotional and physical compatibility is not restricted by sex and soul mates aren’t only for “straight people.”
It’s not fair or even practical to expect that individuals who identify as homosexual don’t have someone out there waiting for them because a soul mate can’t be of the same sex. The beautiful thing is that humanity made the idea of soul mates and no one controls the idea or definition, so everyone is fair game.
Never stop looking for what you deserve, regardless of whom or what you love.
Soul mates are usually looked at as a very accepted and happy thing, but some people don’t look at it this way.
As much as we love to think about finally finding the person that simply gets us, we tend to think of how statistically improbable it is.
Why do we even think about that? Speaking frankly, our goal on this earth is to fall in love, make children, raise them properly and then pass away.
If our soul mate is going to be right by our side for half of lives, we should exhaust every effort to find this person.
Once you disqualify yourself from finding your soul mate and stop searching because of the numbers, you take your dog out of the race before it even starts.
You miss every shot you don’t take.
I’m no love guru.
I’m no more qualified to talk about love, destiny and relationships than the next guy. But, I believe it’s possible.
As stressed and as upset as you may be with your sometimes monotonous life or existence, in the back of your mind you always know there is someone who shares your same struggle and loves you already just as much as you love them.
So search. Flip rocks. Check corners.
Don’t take no for an answer and don’t read into statistics. There is someone looking for you, no matter who you are. I promise.
Column by Zac Garrison, Junior from Franklin, Ky.
