What is a Soulmate?

Yet, even in your most cynical moments, you look around and you can see beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are people you know who have met their soulmates.

They’re hard to miss -- the couples who aren’t just happy together, but who seem truly meant for each other. And when you start to ask around about soulmates, not quite sure if you believe it yourself, you’ll find lots of people ready to tell you their story. “Yes,” they’ll say, “I know he’s the one. I’ve known since the moment I laid eyes on him.” And you will believe that they got that gut feeling and just knew.

“In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine.” — Maya Angelou

So, for all of the romantics out there who are still waiting for their soulmate to come along, here are 15 signs that you've found your soulmate, compiled from the lucky people who’ve met their life partner.

1. You Just Know They're the One

Maybe love at first sight is real, after all.

As crazy as it may sound to those who haven’t experienced it, the one thing that people always say is that when they found “the one", they just knew right away because they had an intense connection.

Call it “love at first sight” or just a moment of intuition, but when soulmates find each other, they know that they’ve met their other half. There is often a sense of calm and certainty about the relationship from the very beginning. Even before they say it out loud, when they meet soulmates know that this is a long-term relationship meant to go the distance.

2. You’re Both Ready

Once soulmates know that they have met “the one,” there isn’t any pussyfooting around.

And if you aren’t ready, you get ready. Even if they find each other at a time that isn’t convenient or when one or both of them wasn’t really looking, once two soulmates have found their twin flame, they figure out how to move forward with their relationship, no matter the obstacle or reason for uncertainty. For many, one of the most surefire soulmate signs is a couple’s desire to commit to each other early and their steadfast ability to follow through on that commitment.

When soulmates decide to be together, there is nothing that can stand in their way.

3. You’re Best Friends

One of the best things about meeting your soulmate is that you’re not only meeting your true love but are also meeting your best friend.

While any other friendships established before two soulmates meet will always be important to them, the romantic connection between soulmates allows them to be the best friend that either of them has ever had. Soulmates just “get” each other. They can understand each other on a very deep level, even if they’ve only known each other for a very short time. If you find someone who very quickly becomes your number one support, your partner-in-crime, and the first person you text when you have good or bad news, there’s a good chance that you’ve met your soulmate.

4. You Respect Each Other

Soulmates don’t just love to be around each other — they have a deep respect for each other as well.

Soulmates accept each other, flaws and all, so that when they step back to look at the total package, they see a partner that they are very proud to call their own. Because the mutual respect between soulmates is so profound, they handle their conflicts differently than many other couples.

Soulmates don’t want to change each other, so they tend to be less critical of each other, even when they disagree. A true soulmate won’t want to turn you into something that you are not, but instead will show you unconditional love and want to be the best partner possible to support you.

5. You Understand Each Other’s Emotional Language

Everyone deals with emotions — from love to anger to sadness to joy — in very different ways. For instance, some people might express their love for a partner by giving them a back rub, while other people might express love by doing the dishes. The same is true of anger — some people withdraw in the face of conflict, while other people want to talk things out immediately.

Soulmates might not deal with their emotions in the same way or have the same love language, but they understand their differences and learn to meet their partner in the middle.

Many couples will find that when they fight, it devolves into a situation where both partners feel angry and misunderstood. Still, soulmates develop an emotional shorthand that allows both partners to be heard and get what they need.

6. You’re on the Same Page When it Counts

Soulmates don’t have to agree on everything.

In fact, you and your soulmate can have some serious differences of opinion. However, when it comes to the most important things in life, like your values, goals, core beliefs, and priorities, you are totally on the same page. When you meet the right person, you tend to see the world through the same lens, which makes your spiritual connection so much deeper because you understand one another.

When you’re looking for soulmate signs, ask yourself whether your partner generally sees the world the way you do. When you’ve found your soulmate, the answer will be “yes.”

7. You Have a Shared Vision of the Future

When it comes to soulmate signs, this one is huge.

Even if you can check off all the other soulmate signs, if you and your romantic partner don’t have a shared vision of the future, you may not be destined to be together. You’ve probably heard the old adage, “A bird may love a fish, but where would they live?” Well, whoever coined that phrase definitely knew a thing or two about soulmates. If your dream is the thought of a glamorous life in a big city, but your partner longs for a quiet, family life in a small town, you’ll have a very hard time making your relationship work while maintaining overall happiness in the long term.

To share a life that you both love, you first have to agree on what that life will look like. When you find your soulmate, you will both agree on the kind of life that you want to build together, and you won’t be able to wait to get started.

8. You’re Each Other’s Biggest Fan

When you’ve found your soulmate, you will likely find yourself feeling a little amazed that someone so awesome could exist.

This doesn’t mean that soulmates don’t see each other’s flaws, but the deep respect, friendship, intense feelings, and emotional connection they share allows two soulmates to see each other in the best possible light. That’s why one of the surest soulmate signs is feeling like you always have someone in your corner. Soulmates celebrate each other’s successes and help each other rally when the going gets tough.

No matter what, soulmates are always rooting for each other and are proud to support their life partner in everything they do.

9. You Challenge Each Other

Because they both see the best in their partner, soulmates are able to bring out the best in each other — though it won’t always be easy.

Your true soulmate won't be content with the thought of watching you rest on your laurels. They will see how amazing you are and know all the awesome things that you’re capable of doing, making it difficult for them to sit by and let you not be your best self and achieve your life goals. Of all the soulmate signs, this can be the most uncomfortable, and can cause soulmates to butt heads.

However, in challenging each other, they will each become better versions of themselves than they would have become apart.

Down the road, when true soulmates look back at the life they’ve built together, they will be struck by how much they’ve accomplished together and will be grateful that their partner was there to push them.

10. You’re Comfortable Being Your Most Authentic Selves Together

Many soulmates will say that the earliest soulmate sign they noticed in their relationship was how comfortable they felt around each other.

Even in the emotional whirlwind of falling in love, true soulmates will find that they’ve never felt more secure in opening up to someone and showing their true self.

Soulmates delight in each other’s little quirks and idiosyncrasies, and feel great empathy for each other’s flaws and vulnerability. This makes it easy for soulmates to open up to one another because they both feel safe and secure in the knowledge that they are loved. For true soulmates, the deepest levels of emotional intimacy come more easily than either partner may have believed possible, and this connection draws them to each other from the very beginning.

11. The Sex is Amazing

Because they have such a deep connection, sex between soulmates is destined to be unlike anything that either of them has ever experienced.

Soulmates’ profound love for each other combined with their ability to be honest and vulnerable with one another creates a level of sexual chemistry that is off the charts. While lots of couples have great and fulfilling sex lives, the intensity between soulmates takes it to another level entirely.

It’s a hard thing to describe if you haven’t experienced, but a good rule of thumb is that if you don’t know whether or not the person you are having sex with is your soulmate, they probably aren’t. This is (obviously) one of our favorite soulmate signs and we think this one is worth holding out for. While you’re waiting, get prepared by stocking up on some killer lube, because when you find “the one” you’re going to want to be able to go all night. 

12. You Both Fight for the Relationship

As Shakespeare wrote in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

The relationship between soulmates is no exception. No matter how deep your connection, soulmates will inevitably run into bumps in the road.

Whether it be difficulties with family members, illness, financial troubles, or any other of the host of problems people encounter in their lives, at some point, even soulmates will run up against a problem that rattles their foundation. One of the surest soulmate signs is how you and your partner deal with those problems when they arise. True soulmates will meet any challenge to their relationship head-on and will fight together until balance is restored.

13. You Take Turns Being Strong

One of the most reliable soulmate signs is that soulmates will stand together when the going gets tough.

Another reality of life is that soulmates will both experience stress, heartbreak, and loss, both together and separately, during the course of their lives together. When one partner is going through a hard time, the other will rally to support them. When soulmates are going through a hard time together, they will take turns being strong until they weather the storm.

The deep commitment that soulmates have to one another makes their relationship a rock for each of them to rely on, no matter what challenges they face.

14. You’re Secure Enough to Be Apart

When soulmates find each other, the result is a relationship that is rock solid.

The deep spiritual connection between soulmates allows them to feel secure in their relationship, even when they aren’t together. One of the key soulmate signs is that, no matter what, soulmates know that they will always come back to each other and pick up right where they left off.

This allows soulmates to take time apart from each other without panicking about their relationship or letting jealousy make them question their connection. Whether it’s going out separately with friends, traveling for work, or having to spend some time living long distance, soulmates are able to let each other do what’s best for their individual lives, knowing that any distance between them will only be temporary.

15. ...But Nothing is Better Than Being Together

Soulmates might be able to take time apart, but when you find “the one” there is absolutely nothing better than being together.

When you find your best friend, your biggest cheerleader, you main support, your loyal teammate, and your greatest lover all in one person, it’s easy to imagine why soulmates value their time together above all other things.

So, what do you think of our list of soulmate signs?

Have you found your soulmate, and if so, what soulmate signs would you add to our list? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ASTROGLIDE.   _{Images are for illustrative purposes only}.