Have you ever been, or are you in a relationship with someone who you consider your life partner, soulmate, or both? If you have, you’re probably like most people, who can’t distinguish the difference between the two and often use both titles interchangeably. Here are four key differences between life partners and soul mates:

Their Purpose

Soul mates are people who come into our lives at the exact moment we need them to. Your paths have crossed because you are destined to help each other grow. You’re both at stages in life where you need the other to progress forward, and once you’ve achieved this goal, you part ways, each taking a separate path.

Sometimes this process is painful, but know that one day a life partner will find their way to you. This person shares your dreams, goals and visions of the future, and sticks around for longer than just one stage of your life.

Attraction

We’re usually drawn to our soul mates because of similarities and likenesses. The two of you share many personality traits, including your flaws. This is where things get messy. You cannot have balance between two people who are so similar.

A life partner is someone who brings that balance to your life. Their strengths are your weaknesses and your strengths are their weaknesses. This balance is what will help the two of you build a lasting relationship.

Intuition

Soul mates are highly intuitive between each other. They already know each other without ever having really known each other, which makes communication easy.

With your life partner, things are bit more complicated and require more effort. But this effort is well worth the energy and time you spend. The more you put into learning about your partner, the deeper you understand them; it is this deep understanding that generates more love.

Soul mates appear during certain events in life

Our soul mates usually make their presence known shortly after a major event has happened in our lives. It might be a big promotion, the death of a loved one, or the start of a new chapter in your life. Soul mates are somewhat linked to these events. They’re there to help you sort through everything that’s happening in the moment, but eventually fall to the wayside.

Life partners grow and evolve alongside you. What they mean to you and what they bring to your life will change in some way almost every day, but they’ll always be by your side, just as you will always be by theirs. You grow together, not apart.

h/t: http://expandedconsciousness.com/2016/08/30/soul-mate/