I am of two minds of this.

Firstly I agree that the idea of going into a relationship free of any personal baggage is ridiculous. Everyone has baggage and issues and it is part of what makes us different from everyone else. We all have negative traits that will always be there for better or for worse.

On the other hand I do believe that some people jump around from relationship to relationship or stay in one for a long period of time without ever taking the time to take care of themselves. People get so caught up in the relationship part that they ignore the personal part and it can lead to problems. I'm a firm believer that if you don't take time to get to know yourself then how can you ever really let someone else in? If you lock yourself out then how does anyone else stand a chance?

As for the soul-mate thing, I do believe it but I don't believe that there is someone for everyone. I have met couples that are just so disgustingly perfect for each other that there is no other way to describe it. However I do also think that the term soul-mate should not just be restricted to romantic relationships. Your soul-mate could be your best friend and nothing more. People put to much stress on finding the perfect match but really there is no perfect match but there are some pretty damn good ones out there.