By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

The process of finding true love takes patience, faith and a open heart. It requires we work on ourselves and prepare our lives.

 * Don't hate being single! It's important to use time as a single person to prepare for being in a relationship. Some people hate being single but the truth is, the time of longing and yearning for love is the time to prepare for real love by assessing your life, creating the life you want to be leading -- even if there is on one to share it with yet -- and reflecting on past mistakes that you do not want to recreate.

 * Heal and move on from the past. It's important to liberate yourself from obstacles that stand in the way of love. Heal old heartaches, relationships and self-sabotaging relationship patterns. Are you fully free from the last relationship, your divorce, that "ex" that you can never seem to shake? Now is the time to make decisions about letting go of what no longer serves you.

* Clean up your life. Take some action. Start with a draw and don't stop until you have removed the physical clutter, stuff, junk, old memories and memorabilia from you environment. Whatever is out of place in our life -- physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially -- work on putting things into balance. This is the time to start that new eating plan or exercise regime, pay off debts, deal with old paperwork, take full responsibility for your life. Your true love can't hope to find you if your life is too cluttered.

 * Use your imagination to lead you to the love of your life. Creative and practical ways to begin to imagine the love you want. Write, visualize, day dream, pray, and love your way to a great relationship. Cut out magazine pictures of couples in love, makes lists and write stories about the relationship you choose, use any creative tools you are comfortable with to ask for all the help you can get!

   * Go into your new relationship with a clear head! Learn to determine if someone really is the right person for you. Don't let old beliefs and situations interfere with you finding and recognizing a true soul mate. If you are lugging old baggage from relationships past or if you are needy and over anxious you risk jumping into the wrong relationship. But if you take the time to enjoy single life, heal yourself from past love mishaps and traumas and give thought to the love you really want, you can learn to discern true love maturely and with confidence. Even if you are "practice dating" you will avoid being hurt and hurting others with those approach.

© Copyright 2007 Reverend Laurie Sue Brockway  All Rights Reserved.  

Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway, facilitator of The Soulmate Project group, is a leading interfaith and non-denominational wedding officiant. She creates unique ceremonies for couples of all backgrounds and faiths, and is creator of the "Marry Yourself First" workshop and ceremony. She is also widely recognized as a relationship coach, women's spirituality expert and columnist. She is author of many books and courses, including Find Your Spiritual Soulmate.