Hey!

Life has a funny way of putting two roads in front of us: Should and Must.

Two paths.

One is Should. It’s smooth, paved, and predictable. It’s the product roadmap laid out for you. It’s the job title that looks good in a LinkedIn headline. It’s shipping features, hitting OKRs, doing what’s expected, and maybe quietly wondering if there’s something more.

The other is Must. It’s messy. It’s unclear. It’s the idea that hasn’t been A/B tested yet. The startup you can’t stop thinking about. The project nobody is asking for, but you can’t let go of.

Most people spend their lives on the road of Should. It’s comfortable, but it’s not real.

Should is external. It’s expectations dressed up as advice. It’s the well-meaning feedback to “wait a few years,” “be patient,” “climb the ladder.”

But Must?

Must is different.

Must is the pull you feel when you’re sitting in back-to-back Zoom meetings, wondering if this — this — is it.

It’s the thing you think about in the shower. The notes app on your phone full of half-formed ideas. The curiosity you can’t explain, but can’t ignore either.

Must is what Van Gogh followed when he kept painting, even though no one cared. It’s what John Grisham followed when thirty publishers told him no before one finally said yes.

It’s not just for artists and writers. Must is for anyone who feels a calling louder than the noise around them.

Choosing Must feels like standing at the edge of a cliff with no bridge in sight.

Fear shows up fast:

What if I fail? What if they laugh? What if I lose everything?

Write down what you’re scared of. Name it. Most fears lose their grip when you bring them into the light.

Must doesn’t demand a grand gesture. It doesn’t always mean quitting your job or moving to a cabin in the woods.

Sometimes it’s quiet. Must can be setting aside an hour a day to work on the thing that keeps you up at night. It can be finally admitting what you really want – even if you don’t say it out loud yet.

It’s not about flipping your life upside down overnight. It’s about taking the first small step toward yourself.

And here’s the thing: Must isn’t a one-time choice.

You’ll choose Should some days. You’ll lose your way. You’ll second-guess and stall and wonder if it’s worth it.

That’s normal.

The road to Must is a daily decision, and some days, it’s the harder one. But it’s the only road that leads you home.

If you’ve been feeling that quiet tug, the restlessness that won’t go away, maybe it’s time to listen.

Maybe it’s time to stop asking for permission.

Maybe it’s time to choose Must.

Talk soon,

– Abi

Hot guy in tech.