For Shahi Al Sadat, love is not simply about finding someone to share life with—it is about finding someone with whom life feels a little more meaningful.
In a conversation about love, commitment and soulmates, the young social entrepreneur reflects on emotional safety, loyalty, personal growth and why some people eventually become ‘home’.
What does love mean to you beyond the usual romantic definition?
For me, love is much deeper than simply having someone in your life. It is about understanding a person, respecting who they are and supporting the dreams they carry. I think genuine love should give you a sense of peace and safety. You should feel that you can be completely yourself around that person without having to pretend.
Do you believe in the idea of a soulmate?
Yes, I do. But I don't think a soulmate is someone who is simply perfect for you. I think a soulmate is someone with whom you can grow. Someone who can understand your strengths and weaknesses, communicate with you, challenge you in a healthy way and still choose to stay beside you.
A soulmate, to me, is less about perfection and more about connection.
What makes someone feel like ‘home’?
When you don't have to explain every part of yourself to them. You can talk about your ambitions, your fears, your failures or even remain silent, and they still understand you.
Some people enter your life as strangers, become important to you, and eventually become the person you feel most comfortable returning to. That's when someone starts feeling like home.
How important is loyalty in love?
Loyalty is one of the foundations of any meaningful relationship. But I don't see loyalty as controlling another person or limiting their freedom. For me, loyalty means honesty, consistency and respecting the person you've chosen.
If you genuinely care about someone, you should want to protect the trust between you—not because you are forced to, but because that relationship matters to you.
Can love and ambition exist together?
Absolutely. I don't believe someone should have to choose between love and their dreams.
In fact, I think the right person can make you more motivated. Both people should have their own ambitions, identities and goals, while also encouraging each other to grow. I would never want someone beside me to lose herself just to fit into my life. I would want us to build a life where both of us can become better versions of ourselves.
What qualities would you want in a soulmate?
I wouldn't look for perfection. I would look for honesty, kindness, emotional maturity and understanding.
I would want someone who can communicate when things become difficult, someone who can celebrate my successes but also remind me to stay grounded. Most importantly, I would want someone who genuinely wants to grow with me.
Do you think love should change people?
I think love should help people grow, but it shouldn't erase who they are.
I don't want to change someone into the person I imagine them to be. I would rather understand who they already are and grow alongside them. The healthiest kind of love allows two people to remain individuals while building something together.
What does commitment mean to you?
Commitment is a choice.
Love can be an emotion, but commitment is what you do with that emotion. It means staying honest, communicating when things become difficult and making an effort to understand each other.
It isn't about promising that everything will always be perfect. It's about saying, ‘Even when things aren't perfect, I'm willing to work through them with you.’
What do you think is the most beautiful part of loving someone?
When their happiness genuinely becomes important to you.
You start celebrating their achievements as if they were your own. You want them to succeed, to reach their dreams and to become happy—even beyond what you can personally give them.
I think there is something incredibly beautiful about watching someone you love become the person they've always wanted to be.
Do you think a soulmate has to be someone who completely understands you?
Maybe not completely. I don't think any two people can understand every single thing about each other.
But they should have the willingness to understand.
Sometimes, love isn't about having all the answers. It's about being curious enough to keep learning about the person beside you.
Finally, what would you say about the person who becomes your ‘home’?
I would say, value them.
If someone becomes your peace in a world that constantly demands something from you, that's special. If someone believes in you when you struggle to believe in yourself, that's something you shouldn't take for granted.
Some people come into your life as people. But with time, trust and love, some of them become home.
And perhaps that is what Shahi Al Sadat believes a soulmate truly is—not someone who completes you, but someone with whom you can build a life where both people feel complete in themselves.
