Everyone over the age of 35 has relationship baggage. And that may be generous! It's not about the amount of baggage one has, its the way they handle it that counts.
Have they accepted their part in the demise of past relationships? You'll know that simply by the way they talk about their past.
Do they have healthy coping skills? You'll know that by the way they handle themselves in stressful situations.
Are they respectful of you, your time, your life, etc? You'll know that by the way they treat you.
Being ready to date again after a relationship that has imploded is such a personal choice. For me, it is more about pushing myself to not isolate, to get out and do new things and meet new people. But I also joined several hiking/adventure groups on meetup.com to accomplish this. It isn't just about dating the opposite sex. It's about shaking things up a bit, getting out of my comfortable rut, challenging myself and my newly learned recovery skills.
Sure, I have war stories, but they are lessons learned and every time I face a new situation, I get better at it. My hope is next time around, and I believe there will be a next time eventually, I'll be ready, with eyes and mind wide open, with acceptance and solid boundaries. And to me, this takes practice.