reblogged: How To Recognize Soul Mate Characteristics in Your Marriage

original: http://marriage.about.com/cs/soulmates/ht/soulmate.htm

By Sheri & Bob Stritof

If you believe in the soul mate concept, there may be times you question your marriage. Here are soul mate characteristics that can be in a marriage.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: varies

Here's How:

1. In order to recognize your soul mate, you must first know yourself.
2. Soul mate marriages can be well balanced, strong, and positive. There should be a lack of intimidation, manipulation, or abuse in a marriage of soul mates. A soul mate should make you feel safe.
3. A relationship with a soul mate is expected to be a natural fit and usually feels like it is meant to be. Even so, every marriage, even a marriage of soul mates, takes the two spouses giving priority to their marriage relationship.
4. A soul mate partner often feels like a mirror to their spouse. Though this does sound a bit boring.
5. A marriage to a soul mate is filled with honesty and support. But then, so are successful marriages of couples who don't believe they are soul mates.
6. There is a sense of familiarity and mutuality in a marriage to a soul mate as well as in long lasting marriages.
7. Soul mate marriages can be healthy, passionate and harmonious. Soul mate partners can easily get a lot done by working together.
8. Couples who are soul mates often take joy in watching the growth of one another.
9. A soul mate will accept who you are, will bring out the best in you, challenge you, and be your best friend. A soul mate will not require you to change. Hopefully, this is true of your spouse -- soul mate or not.
10. Soul mates relish small moments together and cherish their commitment to their marriage. Again -- shouldn't this be a way happy married couples live?

Tips:

1. Be wary of looking for a mate who is ideal and who feels and thinks exactly the way you do. No one can live up to that kind of standard. Soul mates don't agree on everything.
2. Don't use the soul mate concept as an excuse to walk away from your commitment to your marriage.
3. Remember you can still have difficult times even when married to your soul mate. Romance is a gamble. Marriage takes attentiveness.
4. Bottom line: Marrying a soul mate isn't necessary in order to have a successful and happy marriage.