I am not willing to settle for anything less than a soulmate at this point in my life.

Perhaps I am a tad on the romantic side, or maybe even outright naïve. I am fine with either possibility.

I only want the real deal—a soulful connection that goes beyond the confines of circumstance. I want to find a person who sees through me, whose stare cuts through the projections of my ego.

Fake laughter simply will not suffice, nor will any other trivial conventions of modern dating.

What we seek most deeply is genuine contact—an experiential link that binds us at the level of spirit. We crave realness, genuineness, and authenticity, yet we so seldom approach our romantic lives as such.

It seems as though we have come to be detached from our nature in relation to love. The divorce rate is 50 percent, and the unhappiness rate I am sure is much higher in long-term relationships. We have lost sight of what it means to love and be loved—to truly share our soul with another.

Whatever our relationship approach might be—whether strictly monogamy, consensual non-monogamy, polyamory, or somewhere in between—it is absolutely vital that we do everything in our power to be as in tune with each other as possible. Let nothing go unsaid.

I only want the real thing. I don’t want that fake sh*t.

Love is the reason we are here, and I believe this because there is nothing more satisfying than truly understanding someone and being understood in return. This seems to be indicative of our essential nature, for there is no better feeling than true connection.

Why live for anything else?

Everything else pales in comparison to our capacity for love.

Let’s cultivate these connections in our lives, and more importantly, cultivate our ability to have these connections in our lives. It starts with our own ability to abide in this pure state of love—to embody this quality of inner alignment, and from there we can begin to create conscious relationships.

I cannot conceive a good enough reason not to seek out the deepest form of connection, nor can I think of a good enough reason not to make it my life’s ambition to do so.

I’ve come to a cathartic realization recently: To look at someone, is to love them. If we can really acknowledge a person without any illusion, any misconception, any false image—then we are really loving them.

I would like to incorporate this in all of my relationships, not merely the romantic ones.

This is what I mean by “the real thing.”

How much better of a place would the world be if we all could see each other? Like, really see each other?

It’s hard to imagine, because most of the time we are so disconnected from each other. It doesn’t take that much to see each other, really. It is just a matter of stepping outside the box of our own identity—moving beyond our own misplaced sense of separateness.

It starts in our own circles. Let’s engage in the practice of truly seeing other people, as well as expressing ourselves adequately so we may also be seen. This implies getting outside of our own heads and really being present with another.

I only want the real deal, and this is only possible when we are honest with ourselves.
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Author: Samuel Kronen
Image: Audrey Reid Photography
Editor: Danielle Beutell
Copy Editor: Sara Carpanen
Social Editor: Kara-Jade Warren