The One

I came across a friends status update a few months ago and it read " I'd rather be single, never settling or lowering my standards, while resting my heart patiently waiting for the One." it got me thinking about the reasons why we get involved in relationships...and I started asking myself, what if you never meet the One, then what? Does that mean you remain single for the rest of your life?

Truth is for the longest time I was also one of those people who held on so strongly to the idea of The One...and when I lost my "first love," I was devastated, thinking this is it for me! Then growing up happened and I started to question so many of my beliefs around love and life and it got me thinking that believing that there can only be one true love for us, is a belief steeped in scarcity, rather than abundance.

Through my soul searching I came to realise that relationships are about learning and growing, meeting people who mirror where you are at and challenge you to be the best you can be. Never have I gotten this idea so clearly, than in the past year and a half. And it was the relationships that didn't make me feel like I was "losing myself," "falling head over heels in love" that allowed me to really get it.

Truth is, not all of us are going to end up with "The One" "Our Soul Mate"  whatever you choose to call it(especially the Hollywood picture they paint for us) but that's no reason to despair or remain uninvolved, depriving ourselves of meeting and getting involved with such amazing people. There's so many beautiful men and women in the world that we can have profound relationships with, we should never limit our experiences.

So while we at it, we might as well thank our exes;-) they are our greatest teachers, but we only tend to really get the lessons, when we don't "lose ourselves in love" remaining sober minded enough to really see them, ourselves and the relationship for what it really is.

So I thank you, you and you...for allowing me to see that I have such issues with rejection, helping me define my boundaries, and allowing me to see that the love I so desperately seek from another, can only be found in myself. The lessons are profound and so is my gratitude.

It all starts and ends with us.