Regardless of our religion, ethnicity, economic status, cultural background and level of education, all of us want to love and be loved. The quest for love, romance, and happiness is one of the most powerful urges we have. Love is not just a simple feeling or emotional attraction, love is what the ancient Greeks called "the madness of the Gods." Even though love is fundamentally important to us, sometimes we have trouble finding the right one.

There are no surefire methods for finding true love, but there are a couple of important things you need to consider in order to find the perfect partner for you.

Love yourself

The first step in the journey towards your true love is to learn to love yourself exactly the way you are. The commitment to love and accept yourself is one of the most important decisions of your life because it affects your relationships, your work, and your future. We all have some things that we would like to improve about ourselves, but you need to embrace your flaws, accept yourself just the way you are and believe in the unlimited opportunities available to you.

Practice Forgiveness

Forgiveness can bring you inner joy and peace of mind. Even though it might be difficult, forgiving your exes is necessary to move on. Many people choose to hold on resentment, anger and pain, while forgiveness offers freedom and inner peace. Practice forgiveness and see it as a gift to you, not a gift to someone else. Going over and over the same negative feelings is simply a waste of time, so give yourself an opportunity to express how you really feel to that person.

Open Your Heart

If you want to find your soulmate, you must be open to love. Being open means that even though you're looking for the right one, you're receptive to love from wherever it comes. If you desire to find your true love, you must be willing to open your heart and let love in. Say yes to new experiences and live an active and exciting life that makes it more likely that you will meet your true love.If someone strikes up a conversation with you, be willing to engage. Even if that person is not the love of your life, practice openness anyway.

Be Confident and Believe That You Deserve To Be Loved

Be confident in yourself and your ability to attract love into your life. If you are confident and you know your worth, you will definitely attract someone who recognizes and loves who you are. The fear of not being good enough or love-worthy is the biggest problem many people encounter in their quest for true love. Embrace yourself and believe that you deserve love because you need to love yourself first before you can truly love others.

Don't Wait For The Perfect Partner

Even though it's good to know what you like and dislike when it comes to love and relationships, you should let go of your checklist of must-have traits for your perfect partner. Numerous studies have shown that happiness in relationships depends not on finding the "perfect partner", but rather the best available one. Even though you probably have an ideal partner sketched out in your head already, you need to loosen up and trust that life will eventually send you the love of your life.

There is no rule book or magical formula for finding your soulmate. Instead, you should focus on creating a great relationship with yourself, forgiving your past and learning what you require in a partner. Only then, you'll be in a position to recognize that person when he or she appears.