Welcome to the Blooming Mindset, a weekly dose of clarity, mindset, and practical wisdom to help you stay consistent, think more deeply, and build a life aligned with your identity and purpose. I'm Ruth Rieckehoff, and I'm so glad you're here. Please share this newsletter with a friend!
Beloved Architect of Identity,
Many years ago, my husband and I ended up in a fake doctor’s office.
Yes, you read that right.
It started with a simple problem: he had a sore throat that just wouldn’t go away. We were visiting his home country, so we decided to stop by the clinic of a doctor we’d known for years.
However, when we arrived, the receptionist informed us, “Oh, he moved to another location, but another doctor is renting the space now.”
We should’ve left.
But my husband, being the practical one, said, “We’re already here, let’s just check.”
Big mistake.
We walked up these creaky wooden stairs that looked like they could collapse any second.
The “office” was… eerie.
Dark. Bare.
One tiny lamp lighting up a massive room.
The only furniture? A small desk with a syringe full of blood sitting right on top.
I wish I were joking.
The woman behind the desk greeted us calmly and asked what was wrong. My husband said he had throat pain. Without running a single test, she said, “It’s an infection and if you don’t treat it, it’ll become cancer.”
Then she launched into a pitch about “healing herbs” blessed by God that could cure everything.
That’s when we realized what was happening. We’d walked right into a scam.
We left immediately (with her glaring daggers at us). Later, friends told us that a group of impostors had been scamming people with these “miracle cures.”
And I just kept thinking, how did we end up here?
Simple.
My husband felt sick.
He wanted a solution fast.
We saw the word doctor on a door and assumed we were safe.
But here’s the truth:
Need, comfort, and emotion can make us blind to reality.
And not just in situations like this.
Think about it, how many times do we do the same thing in life or business? We feel stuck, lost, or behind. so we reach for whoever promises the fastest fix.
“Just follow my 5-step formula!”
“Buy this course. It’ll change everything overnight!”
“Join this mastermind and you’ll make 6 figures in 90 days!”
Sound familiar?
We follow credentials.
Titles.
Charisma.
Because we want it to work so badly.
But here’s what I learned from that weird, creepy “doctor’s office”:
It’s not about titles or credentials.
It’s about discernment.
It’s about slowing down enough to think.
Strategic decisions aren’t made from emotion.
They’re made from clarity.
And clarity comes from doing your due diligence, asking the hard questions, checking if someone (or something) can truly deliver, and not letting your short-term needs dictate long-term outcomes.
These days, I move slower when I make decisions.
I research.
I sleep on it.
I check alignment instead of getting hypnotized by urgency.
And honestly?
Life feels calmer.
Wiser.
More in my control.
So if you’re on a growth journey right now, whether it’s building your business, choosing a mentor, or making big life moves, remember this:
Don’t let your emotions drive the car.
Let your strategy hold the map.
Because peace doesn’t come from reacting fast.
It comes from choosing well.
Always cheering for your growth,
Ruth
Reflect
- Where in your life are you rushing a decision because you’re uncomfortable waiting?
- How often do you let emotions (fear, excitement, validation) drive your business choices?
Reframe
Old belief: If I feel strongly about it, it must be right.
New belief: If I feel strongly about it, it’s worth pausing and testing before acting.
Strategic thinkers don’t suppress emotion. They slow down enough to verify truth before moving.
Actionable Transformation
- Pause before you commit. When urgency hits, wait 24 hours. Emotional heat cools with time, and clarity always rises.
- Ask for proof. Before hiring, buying, or trusting someone’s promise, ask for results, data, or real testimonials, not just charisma.
- Build your evaluation process. Create a simple checklist for major decisions: Does this align with my goals, values, and timeline? If not, it’s a no.
Products & Resources
Trust Yourself Again: A self-guided journey to rebuild self-trust from the inside out, so you can stop second-guessing and start showing up with quiet confidence.
Bounce Back Blueprint (Free): Feel like you've fallen off track? This powerful reset guide helps you regroup with compassion and get back into aligned momentum your way.
From Reactive to Rooted (Free): Tired of putting out fires? This mindset and action guide helps you shift from scattered to strategic, so your days flow from clarity, not chaos.
P.S. Being smart isn’t just about knowing. It’s about making informed choices when emotions run high.
If you want more of these bite-sized lessons and mindset shifts, I share daily over on X. Come hang out with me there → Follow me on X.
