Looking for your true soulmate can be a rocky road to travel. What’s worse – for far too many of us it ends in disappointment. This isn’t because there are no “right” partners for some people. It has more to do with a vast array of little choices, chance encounters, and countless seemingly insignificant but actually meaningful decisions we make every day. Probably most importantly – settling with your perfect partner involves a moment of trust when you have to take the chance even if you’ve been disappointed before.
Here we’ll go over the 6 signs that you’ve stumbled upon someone who can be the ideal life partner you’ve been looking for. Of course, a lot of contextual specifics can apply here from one situation to another but these are the six main things we’d recommend you look out for if you’re in doubt.
They enrich your life in some way
The whole point of finding a life partner to live with is that they are bringing something to your life that you’d be hard-pressed to find without them. It can be anything but the main thing most people look for is a sense of “happiness”. If you’ve found someone who makes you happy in a way that’s sustainable in the long run – with their personality, their humor, their attitude in life, and other such qualities – it’s likely worth it to consider a long-term relationship.
You trust them
If you find that you’re able to trust someone – not only or necessarily because of their “record” but because of who they are – this is a clear sign that you’re with someone who’d make a great life partner for you. Having to force yourself to trust someone or trying to force them to be more “trustworthy” to you is an uphill battle that can make a long-term relationship nearly unmanageable.
They trust you
It’s not always easy to trust someone but it can be even harder to find someone who trusts you. If you’ve stumbled upon someone who believes in you, who’s ready to follow your lead, and who isn’t afraid to go into uncertain situations on your word, then you’ve likely found someone you can really count on.
If you’re having problems with trust as a concept, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Trust is a complicated issue for a lot of people and for many good reasons. There are lots of research and studies done on the subject (1) but don’t hesitate to look for a psychologist’s help too if you need it. Trust is essential in a healthy relationship so you’d do well to get the hang of it.
You love each other
Love isn’t a guarantee for a stable and long-lasting relationship nor is it synonymous with passion. Love can be spontaneous or built over time but in either case it is necessary if you want a long and happy life with someone.
You have similar goals
Having a life partner means going through life together. This can be challenging if you have entirely different life goals, however – if one of you wants to travel the world and the other wants to settle down, for example. This doesn’t mean that having different or even opposite life goals makes a relationship impossible – almost any situation can be managed in one way or another. However, having similar or overlapping goals with someone can make them a prime “life partner material”.
They don’t hesitate to challenge you
Being someone who trusts you and cherishes you is great but if you’re about to spend your life with someone you’d do well to make sure they aren’t afraid to call you out either. Being in love and being partners doesn’t mean that you never argue or clash with each other. A big part of being life partners means helping each other grow in a meaningful and constructive way. This can’t happen if your partner doesn’t call out your mistakes from time to time and there are even many psychological studies who talk about this (2).
