This weeks inspiration post is about The Crossroads of Should and Must, a book by Elle Luna. I read it last year at a moment I was thinking a lot (and if I say a lot, I really mean A LOT! ;)) about the professional choices I made in my life. Reading this (and other) book(s) made me realise I was doing way to much things because of SHOULD. (more about those other books in future posts :))
So, what’s the difference between Should & Must?
Should is how others want us to show up in the world — how we’re supposed to think, what we ought to say, what we should or shouldn’t do. It’s the vast array of expectations that others layer upon us. When we choose Should the journey is smooth, the risk is small. (and oooooh, yes, for a long time I loved taking ‘the easy’ path, which now doesn’t seem so easy anymore ;))
Must is different—there aren’t options and we don’t have a choice.
Must is who we are, what we believe, and what we do when we are alone with our truest, most authentic self. It’s our instincts, our cravings and longings, the things and places and ideas we burn for, the intuition that swells up from somewhere deep inside of us. Must is what happens when we stop conforming to other people’s ideals and start connecting to our own.
In the past year I’ve chosen MUST a lot more and even though it wasn’t always easy, I’m really starting to like this new road.
There are two paths in life: Should and Must. We arrive at this crossroads over and over again. And each time, we get to choose.
The Crossroads of Should and Must has a universal message — we get to choose the path between Should and Must. And it gives every reader permission to embrace this message. It’s about the difference between jobs, careers, and callings. The difference between going to work and becoming one with your work. Why knowing what you want is often the hardest part. It gives eye-opening techniques for reconnecting with one’s inner voice, like writing your own obituary (talk about putting life in perspective). It talks about the most common fears of choosing Must over Should—money, time, space, and the ultimate fear: total vulnerability — and shores up our hesitation with inspiring stories of and quotes from the artists and writers and thinkers who’ve faced their own crossroads of Should and Must and taken the leap. It explains the importance of mistakes, of “unlearning,” of solitude, of keeping moving, of following a soul path.
Presented in four chapters—The Crossroads, The Origin of Should, Must, and The Return—inspired by the hero’s journey outlined by Joseph Campbell, The Crossroads of Should and Must guides us from the small moment, discovering our Must, to the big moment—actually doing something about it, and returning to share our new gifts with the world.
What road are you on? Should or Must? Let me know on Facebook!
X, Kathleen.
