Must: Becoming the Person You Are Meant to Be

by Stephen Rue

Discover the MUST that defines you.

INTERNATIONAL AWARD-WINNING Must book has been recognized with multiple international and national honors, including the Paris Book Festival Award, Southern California Book Festival Award, Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Firebird Book Award, Goody Business Book Award, North American Book Award, New England Book Festival Award, and recognition from the American Book Fest Best Book Awards

You’ve always known you were capable of more, but self-doubt, tragedy, disappointments, and trauma have kept you from realizing your dreams. Your choice is remain as you are or become the person you were always meant to be.
Stephen Rue studied the pillars of personal discovery and growth for over three decades, mentored by luminaries in psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and personal development. The Must Book is the remarkable award-winning result.
At the heart of this transformation is the unique concept of Must—your most authentic calling, the non-negotiable truth about who you are meant to become. Must is not just a word; it is a mindset, a commitment, and a relentless call to action.
Unlike fleeting wants or temporary goals, Must ignites unshakable purpose and anchors every chapter of your growth, empowering you to consistently align with your deepest values and authentic self.

Don’t just take our word for it—industry titans Jack Canfield calls Must “game-changing…a powerful roadmap for anyone seeking to unlock their potential.” Brian Tracy praises its practical, hard-hitting approach to achieving “any goal you can set for yourself.” Loren Lahav describes it as “a powerful guide to personal transformation and resilience,” and Les Brown hails it as “an awakening for anyone ready to rewrite their story”.

Through a comprehensive, proven framework—grounded in decades of research and real stories—Must guides you to define your Must Core Beliefs and Core Values, reframe your narrative, and elevate your standards. By adopting the Must Mindset, you shift from passive wishing to decisive action, choosing the path of growth and intentional living. The Must Mindset is your gateway to resilience, tenacity, and personal excellence, catalyzing profound and lasting change at the level of beliefs, behaviors, and self-identity.

Central to this journey is the revolutionary Must Zone—a powerful state achieved when purpose, passion, and action are in perfect harmony. In the Must Zone, you transcend the old comfort zone paradigm, focusing only on what truly matters. Here, you experience peak creativity, fulfillment, and clarity, driven by the sense of necessity and alignment that only the Must book can provide. This book shows why living in the Must Zone is it ensures every choice, habit, and pursuit is fueled by authenticity and the certainty that you are on the path to your best life.

Each section of Must moves from exploration (discovering your Must) to implementation (habit formation, goal setting, and tenacity) and finally to integration and transcendence (finding purpose in adversity, gratitude, self-love, legacy, and contribution). These tools, practices, and insights provide a step-by-step roadmap for unlocking your highest potential, supported by affirmations, journaling prompts, and actionable strategies for real-world mastery.

Dive into Must and discover the blueprint to rewrite your personal narrative, harness your inner drive, and embrace the empowering when you live by your Must, growth is no longer optional—it is inevitable.

Genres: Self Help

564 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 2025

Reviews

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever felt as if you’re not living up to your full potential? I know I have! What intrigued me about Must: Becoming the Person You Are Meant to Be by Stephen Rue is that this all-encompassing self-help guide aims to provide a framework that unlocks your true potential through a process of self-growth and inner transformation.

I liked the way the author included his own struggles with past trauma and personal tragedy from a first-person point of view. This, for me, made the book more real in a way, allowing me to relate to his life experiences. An example of this is when he recalls having an emotional reaction to seeing his parents’ divorce records: the digital image of the yellowed, faded, typed pages unexpectedly stung.

I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that many of the descriptions throughout the text draw on the five senses, making for evocative reading. One of my favorite examples is this metaphor in chapter two, which explains in a literary manner how early life experiences shape our beliefs:

Our young brains are developing, and the fertilizer in our mental greenhouse determines whether we have a positive mindset, like a cascading cluster of purple wisteria blooms, or a fixed mindset, like limiting invasive, smothering kudzu vines.

I think that making the language rich in imagery helped me to feel even more engaged with the book’s core ideas and concepts.

The practical strategies are easy to implement, which was a bonus! I found chapter twelve particularly helpful, as it deals with time management and productivity. Now, I’ll freely admit that I can sometimes struggle to manage my time. I tend to spend too much time on something, only to neglect another task down the line because I’ve lost track of the time. Time blocking, I discovered, is a technique where you separate your day into segments of time, each dedicated to one specific task. I tried using this time management technique to help my son with his homework more regularly by scheduling twenty minutes at the same time every evening for it. This worked a treat! Now, I feel as if I’m able to support him with his schoolwork on a more regular basis. Result!

Another aspect of this guide that I liked was the inclusion of the author’s clients’ experiences. For instance, in chapter three, he demonstrates the benefits of journaling through John’s experience. By keeping a work journal, John gradually began to notice that feelings of self-doubt cropped up after work meetings. This led to the realization that he had a core belief that his colleagues did not respect him, which stemmed from past experiences. This story got me thinking, as clearly, insights can only be reached by looking back at your journal entries, which is something I hadn’t considered until now.

For me, what made Must: Becoming the Person You Are Meant to Be a valuable self-help guide was the fact that it made me re-evaluate my values, while also offering helpful practical strategies to improve my approach to life’s many challenges. Highly recommended!

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Rue’s Must: Becoming the Person You Are Meant to Be is a powerful self-development guide that blends memoir, psychology, and motivation into one steady climb toward self-discovery. The book unfolds in three parts, Exploration, Implementation, and Integration, walking readers from personal reflection to purposeful action. Rue doesn’t just talk theory. He builds each idea from his life: the trauma of losing his stepfather, the pain of abandonment, the struggle of self-worth, and his long road to forgiveness. His “Must Mindset” is the core concept, the inner conviction that becoming your best self isn’t optional; it’s necessary. Rue mixes practical strategies with deeply human storytelling, making his lessons feel lived-in and real.

I admired how Rue handled pain without drama. His voice is calm and steady, but it carries weight. I found myself pausing often, thinking about my own limiting beliefs. The simplicity of his writing keeps the ideas grounded. He pulls in research from thinkers like Carol Dweck and Brené Brown but never lets it turn academic. I liked how he invites you to ask questions about your life, right there on the page, as if you’re part of a workshop. At times, the reflection prompts felt heavy, but in a good way; they make you stop scrolling through your day and actually think.

Emotionally, the book hit me hardest when Rue described forgiving his father. That scene, holding his father’s ashes and realizing he could no longer be angry, stuck with me. It’s rare to see that level of vulnerability in a self-help book. Rue’s writing sometimes drifts toward the inspirational-speech style, but it’s balanced by sincerity. I didn’t feel like he was selling me motivation; he was sharing hard-earned peace. The pacing allowed me to sit with his thoughts instead of rushing to the next “tip.”

Must isn’t just about becoming successful; it’s about becoming whole. I’d recommend this book to anyone standing at a crossroads, especially those who’ve felt broken or stuck for too long. It’s for people who want practical tools but also crave meaning behind them. If you’re willing to be honest with yourself and do the work, Rue’s words will meet you where you are and nudge you toward who you could be.

[Maya Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must is an empowering and surprisingly down to earth guide for anyone who knows they’re capable of more but isn’t sure how to break through their own barriers. Stephen Rue introduces the concept of “Must” as your true inner calling, the version of you that isn’t shaped by doubt, fear, or past pain. What I liked most is that he doesn’t just talk about purpose in a vague way; he breaks it down into clear steps that help you understand your beliefs, rewrite your story, and start making choices that actually align with who you want to become.
Rue’s explanations feel both personal and practical, especially when he dives into the “Must Mindset” and the “Must Zone.” Those sections make you rethink the way you approach goals and show how much power comes from shifting your identity, not just your habits. The book also includes prompts and real-world tools that make the process feel achievable.
Overall, this is a thoughtful and motivating read for anyone who wants to grow, heal, and step into a more intentional life. It’s not fluffy it’s a solid roadmap for becoming the person you were meant to be.

[Crane Launch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest I was skeptical at first. Another self help book promising transformation? But Rue's concept of "Must" actually resonated in a way other books haven't. It's not about chasing what you want or think you should do; it's about identifying what you absolutely must become, and that shift in framing hit differently for me.
The Must Zone concept is practical and not as woo woo as it sounds. Rue backs everything up with research, real stories, and actionable exercises. The journaling prompts alone are worth it. Some sections felt a bit repetitive, and the endorsements are laid on thick, but the core message is solid.
If you've read a million self-help books and feel stuck, this might be the reframe you need. It's not a quick fix, but if you actually do the work, it can shift how you approach your entire life. Recommended.

[John Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must book by Stephen Rur is an extraordinary self improvement book that moves and educates. I strongly recommend it. It is very comprehensive and the deep work that it allows is worth every page. Bravo!

[Ryker Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A piece of literature that will transform how you see and go about daily life.