Soul Mates?

Since the topic was good enough to discuss on Sex and the City and FRIENDS, I decided it was good enough for my blog. Especially since there is so much controversy around the idea.
I took a non-random poll (aka, I asked my friends) of what people thought of the idea of soul mates. The results were actually interesting.

Two of the people got married super young and have strong and successful marriages. They believe in soul mates. My friends who I consider to be romantics also believed in soul mates. My friends who are as or more cynical than myself, told me my survey was a load of crap and of course there was no such thing. The most common theme was that people did not believe as much in a soul mate (singular) but did believe in soul mates (plural). (Obviously this poll is not statistically significant.)

So, where do I fall into the mix? I think the idea is nice, but being my cynical self and also still being single, I have my doubts. Am I really supposed to put my trust and faith in the universe or other higher power that someday the perfect person for me is going to drop in my lap? What if they never do? Is fate cruel enough to have you live in the US and your soul mate be from another country? What if you never even meet this person?

Being a bit of a control freak, ok, a lot of a control freak, believing that there is one perfect person out there and I have no control over how or when I meet them is a bit of a stretch for me.

What about more than one soul mate? I think that this is closer to the mark, but I'm not sold. Having there only be one perfect person for you I think is a load of crap. Could there be multiple people perfect for you? This way you have a higher chance of at least meeting them.
My beliefs about soul mates fall more in line with Monica's on FRIENDS. I do not think there is one perfect person out there. I'm not even convinced that there are multiple perfect people out there for you. I don't actually believe in the perfect person. I'm even willing to admit that I am not perfect (please don't pass that onto any future boyfriends I may acquire).

I think that there are a number of people out there who possess the major qualities that are very important to me and pass all the "deal breaker" tests. I think you find someone who you think you can make a life with, you figure out what is important to both of you, and then work like hell to trick them into falling in love and marrying you.

I think relationships of all forms take a lot of effort and work from all parties to make them successful. Romantic relationships and/or marriage aren't any different. My goal is to find someone who shares the same values and beliefs as I do and is willing to work equally hard to make it last.

So do I believe in soul mates? Not so much. But I reserve the right to change my mind of one falls in my lap.