We all need to go on a love journey before we find the person that’s right for us on a long-term basis. While some people end up staying with their first boyfriend/girlfriend forever, that is not the usual arrangement. Most of us have to endure some pretty bad relationships before we encounter one that works enough to consider marriage and beyond. The trouble is that even in those relationships, it can be normal to have doubts. Below, we’re going to run through some of the tried and tested signs that you’ve found your soulmate.
By Team Savant
Image: Nathan Dumlao
It’s a Positive Force...For Both People
Love should be positive for all the people involved. A partner can bring a person joy, but unless that joy is reciprocated, then it’s not right. Believing that you’ve found the right person for you also involves ensuring that you’re the right person for them. Sometimes, people can try to corner their love, which is a type of control that seems correct, but actually isn’t. If everyone’s thriving in the relationship, then that’s a good sign it’s a keeper.
The Idea of Forever Is Not Scary
It’s normal to be a little hesitant when you’re in a relationship that seems like it could be serious. It’s a big concept to think about forever and ever. When you’ve found a person that you believe you could stay with on a long-term basis, that fear will be gone or at least reduced. If you can look at diamond engagement rings and all-around think of your future together, then you’re probably onto something special. At some point during these kinds of relationships, you’ll begin to think not in terms of weeks or months but in terms of years with your partner. As well as being ready to commit, it’s important to look at shared ambitions: do you want the same things five, ten, twenty years down the line?
A Thousand Intimacies
It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you’ve found the one or that you’ve fallen in love. But remember that infatuation and love can mimic each other pretty well, arguably too well. While some ‘love at first sight’ cases go the distance, the majority don’t. Love is built up over a thousand intimacies; it is the only way that you can truly know a person. You may have experienced the best version of the person, but unless you’ve seen them at their worst, you really can’t know. If you’ve seen everything and you still want to be with them, then you’re on the right track.
You Want What’s Best For Them
Finally, let’s think about love in general. You should, after all, only decide to commit to someone based on love, rather than, say, fear of ending up alone. And love means wanting what’s best for the other person. If you truly want your partner to thrive in all aspects of their life, then you’ve got something extremely valuable that may bring a lifetime of joy.