It would be comforting for everyone to start life with the idea that there is a soulmate for everyone.
That there will come a moment when all the anger, disappointment, apologies and forgiveness, the experience of belonging, will make sense.
Sounds good, but we would be missing out on a lot.

We would miss every moment that leads to the path of realising how much love we have within us, and that we always choose love within ourselves.
We would always be looking for him in everything, without realizing who we need to meet along the way to reach our purest self by connecting intuitively.
To reach someone, someone who already sees and feels us in our pure light, who loves us unconditionally.

Buddhism places great emphasis on these connections as karmic links.

Karmic relationships in Buddhism are human bonds that are the result of our past actions and relationships,
and aim to learn and grow through them.
These can be loving, but sometimes painful connections.

How do I know if a relationship is karmic?
Recognizing karmic connections is not an easy task, but if we are attentive and rely on our intuition, it will give us a signal
the universe.
These connections are intense, deep and have an emotional bond from the very first encounter.
They embody the inner process and mirror it, through patterns and schemes.
Sometimes it comes in a flash, when you least expect it.
They embody a sense of letting go, of forgiveness, of spiritual bonding.
At every moment in our lives, there is an opportunity for us to recognise and express love, both to ourselves and to others.

In our spiritual journey, it is indeed essential that we learn to experience and express the love within ourselves.
And yes, even if sometimes it hurts and there is dukkha, suffering, as a basic human condition, it is important that encounters and connections with people help us to come closer to our purest selves and find connection with others.
You have to accept that not all connections last forever, whether they are friendships, love or human relationships that go beyond.

Suffering is central to the Buddha's philosophy, and the reason we are so hurt when a connection ends is because it is desire and attachment that overrides everything in our present, including consciousness.
The philosophy of Buddhism offers a really valuable approach to this topic, as focusing on karmic relationships can help us to better understand the processes in our lives and to grow spiritually.
To heal ourselves, our hearts and our souls.

It's important to understand the connections between love, suffering and connections.
Acceptance, freedom from desire and reduction of attachment are indeed key steps on the path to self-awareness and spiritual development.
Ending temporary relationships can be painful, but the teachings of Buddhism can help us to see the bigger picture of these experiences and learn from them.

I too know, I have experienced what it is like when desire and attachment make us doubt ourselves, make us feel that we are not good enough, and we make ourselves believe it.
We feel we are not worthy of love just because we see ourselves not in our own capacity, but through someone else.

For me, it has always been the connection in a clear and straightforward way that has given me deep feelings.
I always tried to turn unconditionally, with love, to the person I felt I needed to connect with.
I struggled a lot in a friendship because I felt that the other person was constantly looking for affirmation from others in order to feel valued.
But there have also been times when a teacher who was seen as a role model underestimated others, including me, because of his own self-aggrandisement, and this shattered the positive image he had previously created.

And of course, for years, you're locked in the knowledge that no matter how much you love someone, you have to accept the fact that they don't feel that way about you.
There was also a time when I was tormented by the thought that the one who had evoked tender feelings in me had not kept me in the same place in his life as I was.
It is important to recognise and accept these feelings, and to understand that our self-worth and dignity do not depend on the opinions or expectations of others.
It is important to recognise that what is good for us is not necessarily good for others.
But perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned so far is that you can't save anyone, and you don't have to.
Everyone has to face their own karma.

The connection must be unconditional, and if it is not, it must be ended.
Inner peace becomes available, and helps us to stop relying on external feedback to reinforce our own value.

We need to recognise and look outside ourselves at the impact, clarity and quality of the relationships in our lives.
If you don't feel comfortable with someone or somewhere, you need to end it and close it down.
Once the closure has happened, then not to be angry with him forever, but to observe what he and your connection in this life has taught you.

What I have become sure of is that we must not be allowed to be bound and we must not be bound.

Don't crave recognition and love from those who are otherwise conditional, because this is a sure sign that you are not living in your own centre, but are part of an idea projected from outside, a system that tries to equate the experience of belonging with love and recognition, full of expectations.
And then you are not living your own life, but that of others. Suffering does not cease, but creates a perpetual desire and attachment in which you are not living your own reality and are just wandering around looking for yourself.

Newer and newer connections will be reflected back to you, and if you long for the recognition of those you otherwise condition yourself on.  
After a while, you won't mind living your life as them and not trying to be the best version of yourself.

Awakening is possible in every moment, because it is the importance of the present moment that really matters.
And if you are alert enough, karma will work on you in such a way that you will live every moment with clarity and without judgment.
And love will surround you like a spiral, its vibrations creating your own world in which you can deeply experience all aspects of connection, not only with others but also with yourself, with openness and acceptance.