Author: Jackie Woods
ISBN: 1-933690-00-3

The following review was contributed by: Mary Simmons:  Click Here To Read Mary's Reviews

 Have you ever wondered if there is actually one perfect person out there who
will complete you and enrich your life in the way that can only be achieved
by a soulmate?
If so, author Jackie Woods says you are perpetuating a deeply flawed concept
that is prevalent in our society. In her latest book, 'Soulmate or Cell
Mate: A Guide to Healthy Relationships,' she offers practical advice for
improving relationships.

Woods says the purpose of her book is to, "give you tools that will help
eliminate the gap between your personal awareness and your relationship
skills."

She advises her readers to change their definition of a good relationship by
coming to understand what makes it work.
In guiding her readers on a spiritual journey towards developing a soulmate
relationship, Woods explores how communication, childhood behaviours,
strengths and weaknesses, hidden enemies, everyday problems, sex, family and
money affect relationships.

She focuses on heart energies and how they impact relationships and personal
choices, including a list of these energies at the back of the book and
referring specifically to eight which support relationships. They are
acceptance, love, nurturing, support, honesty, trust, generosity, community
and commitment.

According to Woods, a relationship should be viewed as a third entity,
separate from each of the individuals who are involved. By defining your
dominant heart energies and identifying how you wish to express them, you
can choose to react to your partner's heart energies and better understand
where they are coming from.

Part of this is realizing how you and your partner experience the world
through physical, emotional, mental and spiritual perceptions.
Woods says we have to be prepared before we enter a relationship. We need to
work on ourselves before becoming involved with someone else since, "you can
only love another person to the extent that you love yourself."
Woods has 25 years of relationship counselling under her belt and she offers
many examples of couples she has known and helped over the years. The
illustrations are easy to relate to and offer human faces to the abstract
ideas.

Defining your actions and reactions by the energies that drive them will
take some practise. I don't imagine rearranging your thinking in this way
will be easy, but it makes sense that if you persevere and figure out your
motivations you will have less stress in the long run.
'Soulmate or Cell Mate' offers an alternative to the Hollywood concept of
romance. It gives you hope that your relationship doesn't have to be stuck
in one of these two categories because you and your partner can make the
decision to become soulmates and develop a healthier relationship while each
becoming healthier individuals in the process.