Hmmm . . . I'm sure there's something to it when you say you're waiting for the person who's looking for you. But, I wouldn't say that. There are people looking for me who are not at all people who I want to be found by. I think we all have our own ideas of who we are waiting for. The clearer we can be about that, the more likely we'll find someone who will fulfill our heart's desires. I had a sense of who I was waiting for. I had ideas. I didn't know she existed until you and I found each other.
Mostly, though, I don't like waiting. You have to set off down the road. "No one treads without learning to tread - without learning how to tread by treading, without learning to remake, to retouch, the dream for whose cause the treaders have set off down the road." - Paulo FreireI think we all have our own ideas of who we are waiting for. The clearer we can be about that, the more likely we'll find someone who will fulfill our heart's desires.
I might disagree. Having search terms might occlude some or obstruct you from noticing who is looking for you. However, there are so many soul mates out there for all of us, a few search terms probably don't matter.
Maybe you and mivasairski would agree that in setting out for somebody you begin the quest to better determine, or revise, who you yourself are waiting for.
It always helps to make a lot of mistakes first. Pain, suffering, and abuse definitely help you quest better. I do agree with mski that it helps to have criteria..