What is a life partner and how is it different from a soulmate?
Knowing when a life partner walks into your life can be the most refreshing thing for most people. Having dealt with a soulmate who left you wounded and hurt may have been difficult, but the moment your partner for life comes in, all falls into place.
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So, who is a life partner? A life partner is an individual who meets you at a point where you are already at peace and ready to settle in a long term relationship thus have no baggage from the past, whereas a soulmate is an individual who helps you grow and learn a specific life lesson.
Soulmates can easily break your heart as they move on with their life after a nasty encounter with you since they are mostly meant to teach you difficult life lessons.
Life partner meaning
So what is the suitable definition life partner? This would be someone who is willing to invest their time and resources in a long term relationship that could yield something more permanent like marriage and a family.
Consequently, life partners have a long-term appeal. A soulmate, on the other hand, is going to appear in your life at a specific season for the purpose of teaching you a specific lesson that you need at that time and they may exit your life for good.
Usually, they end up leaving you devastated and crushed with no hopes of salvaging the relationship because their role in your life is done.
Can a soulmate be a life partner?
Soulmates and be life partners and vice versa. It all depends on the choice someone makes since becoming a life partner requires one to make a deliberate choice that can withstand all hardships.
So, what does it mean to be a life partner?
What is a life partner? This is a person with whom you have a romantic or non-romantic relationship. Life partnership involves people who are close to each other.
Life partners can be of the same or opposite genders. It is also possible for them to be married, unmarried, celibate, polyamorous or monogamous.
The difference between a life partner and soulmate comes in terms of the length of time spent because life partners are forever while soulmates may leave.
What is a platonic life partner?
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The fact that life partners are not necessarily romantic makes it possible for the existence of a platonic life partner. Platonic life partners are people who have been friends for a long time.
They tend to have strong bonds and are very close to each other. They are often confused to be a married couple because of how perfect they look together.
However, the two are known to be happy just being friends and lack a mutual sexual attraction towards each other. The failure for the sexual attraction is attributed to different things including the fact that they may be in love with other people.
In other cases, they are simply incompatible as a couple, a conclusion they have drawn after attempting to date each other for a long time unsuccessfully. Usually, such people protect their friendship and would not let the possibility of a relationship trivialize something they have worked on for a long time.
How to choose a life partner
Once you define life partner and know who such a person is, you may want to consider choosing one correctly based on the following traits.
1. Someone whose values resemble yours
Similar or shared values tend to reinforce a relationship and make it stronger and non-porous.
Remember that you are going to live with this person for life, which means that you must agree on the crucial aspects of life including the number of children, how you would raise them, and even where to live.
2. Respect
Respect is crucial and should never be ignored. You must be with someone who appreciates your personality, especially if it differs from theirs.
Living with someone who shoots down your ambitions or makes it appear as though your life matters less will only breed pain and depression.
3. Willingness to invest in the relationship
Relationships that work take the input of both partners to become a success. Settle down with someone who values the relationship as much as you do as proven by their actions.
The moment you notice that you are struggling to see your relationship stay afloat, this is your cue to leave since chances are that it will always be a one-sided relationship.
4. Honesty
Choose a partner that is willing to open up about everything. Communication is important when it comes to relationships.
5. Choose a partner that can forgive and forget
You need to choose someone who can let things go when you are not in agreement. A person who drags things for too long and refuses to forgive and forget will soon become a pain in your life and make the relationship unbearable for you.
What is a soulmate relationship like?
The nature of soulmates is such that they face the world together. Usually, they tend to have strong feelings towards each other because of the love that bonds them.
Soulmates will go to any length to protect their relationship, especially when it is just beginning.
For such relationships to work, a lot of compromises and unity of purposes have to be prioritized above all else. Below are some of the major elements of a soulmate relationship.
- The feeling is almost inexplicable since it is internal and very deep. No words can truly capture the feeling that ensues when two people are in love in this kind of way.
- There is a lot of flashback. More often than not, these people have been a part of your life at some point, and they choose to come back hence the reminiscing and looking back.
- The soulmates just get each other in a unique manner. These are the kind of people who finish each other's sentences. They also offer the kind of comfort that many people struggle to find.
- There is the aspect of accepting your partner's flaws without judging them. In most cases, the two will stick with each other through hardship and will be more than willing to learn from each other. The level of tolerance is always higher and more impressive than it would be on normal circumstances.
- The feelings and emotions are intense such that everyone around them notices. The two are linked in a way that they can take on any challenge together, regardless of the potential dangers since nothing else matters when they are together.
- The mental connection between soulmates is like that of twins, which makes them inseparable. Even when they are separated by life, they tend to think about each other simultaneously, which explains how they are able to call each other at exactly the same time.
- Security and protection are assured whenever you are around such a person. They always seem to be your guardian angel.
- It is almost always impossible to make peace with the fact that a relationship will not work when a soulmate hurts and betrays you. Most people struggle to save the relationship at the expense of their peace and love because they cannot let it go.
- They are excellent communicators as depicted by regular eye contact.
Is your soulmate your true love?
It is possible to meet someone that changes your life forever. This may be the person you consider a life partner, and no matter how things turn out, you can always be sure that the impact they leave in your life will be a lasting one.
Even if you do not end up with each other, a mention of their name, or remembering the shared moments could trigger deep emotions.
How to tell that you have found your soulmate
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With the elements above, you can easily know if you are in a relationship with someone whom you consider a soulmate. Here is how to detect it:
1. You are overwhelmed with comfort when around the person
Even when you are strangers and meeting for the first time, you know that he or she is the one. You may not get butterflies and a runny stomach but you cannot take your eyes off them because you know that they are the missing piece in your life.
2. You balance each other
You may be totally different from each other but you tend to complete each other and make each other better. It always feels as if the person fills the gaps that would otherwise be left blank.
3. You are almost sure you have met your match
It is difficult to explain how this comes about but you tend to feel like and know that you have met your soulmate. When you guys meet, everything falls into place and all fear melts away as you start a great relationship together.
4. You have similar values
Whenever you feel that you are agreeing on all important things, then you can be sure that you are on the right path. When the first few dates make you feel like you are on the same level spiritually, mentally and even logically, then chances are that you share some of the most important values and are less likely to disagree on such issues.
5. Even at their lowest, you still love them
When your feelings towards a partner do not change when you see them at their worst, then you can be sure that you are dealing with a soulmate. The easiest ways to taste if you are indeed dealing with one is to gauge how you feel about them when they are at their worst.
6. Magical touch
A simple touch from your partner sends thrilling shivers down your spine every time he or she does it. It almost feels as though they are an extension of you since they tend to know how to touch you right.
7. Deep care
While it is true that all relationships have some degree of care, soulmates take it a notch higher by being too affectionate.
8. You never miss the lesson
You realize that your partner has a great lesson to teach you even though he or she drives you crazy sometimes. Whenever you are with this person, your deepest passions and desires are stirred up to the point where all you want to do is to pursue your dreams.
However, lessons are not always positive. It is necessary to stay long enough to learn the hard lesson and also leave soon enough to prepare yourself for a desirable future with your life partner.
9. Your partner's happiness matters most
This is probably one of the most important signs of a soulmate. Such people are always willing to sacrifice their own happiness for the ones they love, no matter how many things they may be forced to put aside.
10. The timing seems perfect
Even before you meet each other, you know deep down in your soul that the time is right. You are likely to connect with each other perfectly during the first meeting because the timing is right.
Difference between soulmate and life partner
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The difference between a lifetime partner and soulmate is evident. When you pay attention, you are likely to notice the differences as described below.
1. Soulmates are around for a season and a lesson while life partners are there for life
Soulmates tend to fulfil a desire and passion for a certain period as you learn your lesson. Be careful not to hold on for dear life lest you get hurt since soulmates are not necessarily going to stay around for too long.
More often than not, once a soulmate completes his or her mission, he or she exits, leaving behind an inconceivable amount of heartbreak and feelings of betrayal.
On the other hand, life partners are going to be with you forever. They will stay and cheer you on when things get thick, and also hold your hands when you need it the most.
Life partners have the same interests and goals in life. They also connect spiritually and emotionally, which is something that goes beyond egos.
2. Souls connect differently in both relationships
Soulmates have a heart-conscious connection that is unique and impossible to learn. However, most of them tend to operate from an ego-filled perspective and would not consider the devastating aftermath that results after their betrayal.
It always appears as though soulmates are meant to bring karmic lessons that involve intense emotions and transitions.
Life partners will come into one's life when there is room for love and acceptance. They tend to show up when you do not feel the need to fill an emptiness or inexplicable void.
Usually, they too have gone through the same challenges in life and are probably struggling with the same issues such that when they come into a fulfilling relationship, they will be in for the long haul. They are reassuring and comforting in a way that does not shake you up, break your ego, or make you feel unnecessarily vulnerable.
3. Levels of attraction differ
Soulmates have a connection that goes way back because of their similar experiences or childhood backgrounds. A lot about their life is already familiar, which means that every time they share, they do it from a point of understanding.
Soulmates have a magnetic connection which is why people in this kind of relationships need to exercise a lot of caution. In the event it becomes overwhelming and too reflective of flaws and habits, partners should know when to quit.
Life partners differ in the sense that they both have varied backgrounds. This gives the two room to learn more about each other and in turn, strengthen their emotions.
They also have an unending desire to learn about each other, which is why they can move from just being friends to engaging in a romantic relationship.
4. Depth of intuition
Soulmates are connected intuitively such that they knew ahead of time what the other partner feels because their minds and spirits are one. Your pain bothers them.
Life partners, on the other hand, have a strong physical attraction that makes them desire to learn more about each other. In such cases, the partners are more concerned with logical and intellectual stimulation and may not be into emotional hiccups as is the case with soulmates.
5. Varying experiences
Whenever you meet your soulmate, you automatically experience a sense of transformation. The love you feel is both ecstatic and filled with hurdles.
Every attempt by soulmates to work on stabilizing their relationship tends to bring out the worst and best in them. The inability to overcome the exposed vices in soulmates is what breaks them apart, leaving behind a lot of pain.
Life partner experiences are very different because the partners start on a clean slate. There are no past experiences to offer grounds for manipulation, hence a lot of room for growth and progress is available for the couple.
Keep an open mind when dealing with a life partner or soulmate and invest the right way for a fulfilling relationship.
Source: Legit.ng
