|
|
|
Family Breaks - Some great ideas for winter
Outside of the summer holidays it can be difficult to find quality entertainment for the children when they are off school. When it is cold and wet sticking them out in the garden isn't really an option, which means they are charging around the...
Meeting Your Online Date in Safety
Here are some common sense safety tips for meeting your online date in person. Your instincts will play a strong role in keeping you safe too, so listen to them and take action if you feel uncomfortable or alarmed at any time. Remember, there’s...
Summer Travel: Are You Ready For This?
Summer travel can be a nightmare waiting to happen. Find out how to ease the pain!
Millions of Americans will take to the air and road this summer in the hope of having a terrific vacation. Most of these people believe they have made all the...
The Mutiny That Never Ended
Controversy has always surrounded the infamous tale of the HMS Bounty. But the latest comes from an unexpected source.
Controversy has always surrounded the infamous tale of the HMS Bounty. It’s most famous, ill-fated and final voyage began out...
WALT DISNEY WORLD IN JUST 3 DAYS
So your headed to Walt Disney World, but you only have time for a long weekend. Although it’s certainly not the ideal way to see “The Happiest Place on Earth”, it definitely can be done, especially if you’re willing to hit the parks early, stay...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finding Your Soulmate
Loves mysteries in soules does grow.
--John Donne
I have been thinking about soulmates a lot lately. Recently a fellow relationship coach told me the story of Heather, a woman in her early 40’s. She has never married, though she has had several lengthy relationships over the years. Then late last year she met Andrew. There was something different about Andrew. The conversations were richer, the walks in the park more romantic, the time together more comfortable and more vibrant. Heather is pretty intuitive, and this relationship felt different than any other she had experienced. She knew she had fallen in love and found someone with whom she could make a life commitment.
Andrew, however, was resistant. He acknowledged that their time together was special, that he loved Heather and that he really felt energized being with her. But, he said to Heather, “I don’t think you are my soulmate.” Andrew recalled a past relationship in which he and his partner would often find themselves simultaneously thinking the same thing. He also said that he envisioned a “soulmate” as being very much like himself, thinking that such similarity would help assure the success of the relationship.
Andrew also pointed to differences between them. He was from the South, while Heather was from Boston. Heather’s parents had graduate degrees and were upper middle class, while Andrew’s parents were working class folks. In addition, he noted, his company required him to relocate periodically and to travel a lot. He feared Heather would resent those moves, though she insisted she would not.
Despite Heather’s pleas to reconsider and her attempt to persuade Andrew that his resistance was contradictory to his description of their relationship, Andrew insisted that they end their relationship, though insisting he wanted to remain “friends.” Heather was heartbroken and puzzled. Did Andrew have it right—were they not really soulmates? But if that were true, why did her time with Andrew feel so right. What does it really mean to “find your soulmate?”
Thomas Moore, author of Soulmates, suggests that a soulmate is “someone to whom we feel profoundly connected, as though the communicating and communing . . . between us were not the product of intentional efforts, but rather a divine grace.” My wife and I have often referred to ourselves as “soulmates.” Thinking about Heather and Andrew has caused me to reflect more
on what that really means. It certainly does not mean that we always agree—we don’t. Nor does it mean that we are exactly alike. We’re not. What then does this elusive term “soulmate” mean?
I would like to suggest that there are two criteria for a soulmate. First, a soulmate is one who shares your vision and attitude about life and views the world “through the same glasses” as you do. Second, a soulmate is as concerned about your happiness and your pursuit of your life’s dreams, as he/she is about his/her own.
As I worked through the pain, grief, and inevitable self-discovery following the end of my first marriage of over 25 years, I begin to realize that my first wife—a fine person with whom I continue to enjoy a valued relationship—and I viewed the world from a completely different perspective. I often told the story of being with our two children on Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, Vermont. One can drive to the peak of the mountain, but then it must be explored on foot. One of the natural attractions is the “Nose,” a rock formation that requires some modest agility to climb. My daughter—10 or 12 at the time, promptly scampered up to the crest of the nose. I followed as far as I could go before my fear of heights stopped me. When we climbed down, her mother asked “Why on earth would you climb up there?” My daughter Heidi promptly answered “Because its there.” I understand exactly what Heidi meant, though her mother did not. When I met my wife Carol I discovered that she was always the first one up the mountain—“because its there.”
I invite you to think about your vision of life and its purposes. Where is your life leading you? What is your purpose in life? What to you want to be, do, and have in life? Give some time to forming your vision or world view. Then armed with your vision be alert to a partner who brings a similar vision to life. Then be aware of whether this partner is as genuinely concerned about encouraging you to follow your dreams and pursue your life vision, as he or she is about pursuing his own. If you find all that, chances are you have found your soulmate.
About the Author
Kenneth and Carol Sprang, direct Bethesda-Chevy Chase Counseling & Consulting in Bethesda, providing Imago Relationship Therapy, relationship and executive coaching, individual and couples counseling, and business consulting. (301) 907-3377. ken@singlestosoulmates.com.
http://www.singlestosoulmates.com
|
|
|
|
|
| Roadside America - Guide to Uniquely Odd Tourist Attractions |
| Homepage for Roadside America, your travel guide to offbeat attractions, tourist traps, weird vacations, and roadtrips. Let the Travel Brain do the driving! |
| www.roadsideamerica.com |
|
| Attractions Ontario - the place to plan your Ontario Tourism ... |
| A private, not-for-profit association that was created exclusively to promote the interests of public- and private-sector attractions in Ontario. |
| www.attractionsontario.ca |
|
| toronto.com, Toronto Attractions, Attraction Guide, Museums, Art ... |
| toronto.com is Toronto's leading online attraction guide. Find out all you need to know about major attractions in Toronto, museums and art galleries, ... |
| www.toronto.com |
|
| US National Parks |
| NATIONAL PARKS Favorite parks:. Acadia |; Glacier |; Grand Canyon |; Grand Teton |; Great Smokies |; Olympic |; Rocky Mountain |; Yellowstone |; Yosemite | ... |
| gorp.away.com |
|
| San Antonio Attractions Guide - Complete List of Attractions in ... |
| Official San Antonio attractions guide. Find a complete listing of top attractions in San Antonio including attraction history, location, ... |
| www.sanantoniocvb.com |
|
| UKattraction - The UK's leading online tourist attraction directory |
| UKattraction.com is comprehensive directory for anyone seeking any type of visitor and tourist attractions within England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and ... |
| www.ukattraction.com |
|
| Attractions Canada |
| Tourist and Travel information for Canada and its provinces. |
| www.attractionscanada.com |
|
| New Zealand Leading Tourist Attractions - The very best activities ... |
| Information about tourist attractions, culture, tourism, vacations, tours, touring, car rental and car hire. |
| www.leadingattractions.co.nz |
|
| Attractions Management |
| ADVERTISE in the Attractions Management directory for less than £40 a month. ... Merlin Entertainments, the UK-based attractions operator which now owns the ... |
| www.attractions.co.uk |
|
| International Association of Amusment Parks and Attractions |
| Trade association created to serve family fun centers, amusement parks, waterparks, attractions and the manufacturers and suppliers that serve them. |
| www.iaapa.org |
|
| Seattle Attractions Discounts |
| Find information and coupons for guided historic tours of the Pacific Northwest and Seattle zoos and aquariums, museums, sports tours, cruises, ferries, ... |
| www.seattleattractions.com |
|
| Los Angeles Attractions and Tours |
| A guide to the city of Los Angeles, its arts and culture, entertainment, restaurants, music, history, politics, people. |
| www.losangeles.com |
|
| Orlando Attractions - Vacation and Travel Information for Central ... |
| Site features local area and statewide attraction information. |
| www.orlandoattractions.com |
|
| Miami attractions, Fort Lauderdale attractions and West Palm Beach ... |
| Beaches, parks, museums, tourist sites and other attractions in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. |
| www.southflorida.com |
|
| Guidelive.com |
| Top 100 attractions -- updated · Singles scene guide · Whirls of fun: A guide to Six Flags · Coffeehouses with live music · Sports bars guide · Road trips ... |
| www.guidelive.com |
|
| City of Atlanta Online |
| Atlanta's attractions are known the world over for its parks, sports teams, shopping, ... We hope you find these attractions both educational and useful. ... |
| www.atlantaga.gov |
|
| Sussex Top Attractions |
| An online brochure with details of 55 great places to visit in Sussex, England! |
| www.sussextourism.org.uk |
|
| White Mountains Attractions Association |
| Extensive directory with links to area attractions, lodging, and services. Also offers events calendar, group travel guide, press room, photo gallery, ... |
| www.visitwhitemountains.com |
|
| Attractions in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Profiles local tourist attractions. Offers coupons, maps, and event calendar. |
| www.vancouverattractions.com |
|
| Las Vegas Attractions |
| Las Vegas attractions offer something for everyone. Attractions in Las Vegas range from art exhibits to world class entertainment. |
| www.vegas.com |
|
|