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,
I wasn’t supposed to write about this today.
But this is the thing that’s been sitting in my chest for weeks now.
So here we are.
There’s no turning back anymore.
This will be the biggest event of my 2026.
Maybe the biggest shift I’ve made in 20 years.
My husband and I are moving cross-country. California to Pennsylvania.
I know. Not exactly the “I hit six figures” plot twist.
And yet, this move has completely taken over my mental space.
Yesterday, during one of those low-grade procrastination moments, I did a quick search.
“How much does it cost to move across the country?”
I just wanted a number.
Instead, I accidentally unleashed chaos.
Five text messages. Then the calls started.
By 8 a.m. today, my phone wouldn’t stop ringing.
Everyone wanted a deposit.
Everyone claimed to be legit.
Everyone warned me about scammers.
And the truth? I wasn’t ready.
No research. No plan. No decisions made yet.
And that’s when it hit me.
Moving isn’t just moving.
It’s packing. Downsizing. Address changes. Taxes. Work logistics. A mortgage. Cars. Dates. Timelines.
And quietly, underneath all of that…
Leaving behind a life I’ve known for 20 years.
That’s when the meltdown started.
I didn’t want to deal with it. Even though the decision was already made. Overwhelm took over. Fear followed.
Then I remembered something a friend said to me months ago.
She looked at me and said,
“Have you noticed you’re choosing to see this as hard?”
That question stopped me cold.
Not because it erased the emotions. But because it revealed something deeper.
I’m not required to suffer through a decision I already chose.
This move didn’t happen to me. We chose it. For real reasons. Thoughtful reasons.
And I get to choose how I move through it.
Slowly. Strategically. With boundaries. One decision at a time.
That’s when I realized how much this mirrors business.
You decide to build something meaningful. Then reality hits.
More complexity than expected. More voices. More noise. More people telling you this is urgent and they’re the only answer.
And suddenly, you’re overwhelmed by the very thing you chose.
Here’s the quiet shift that changes everything:
- Pause long enough to remember why you chose this path.
- Decide how you want to engage emotionally before taking action.
- Then narrow your focus to the next calm, grounded step, not the whole mountain.
Nothing magical. Just intentional.
Many people move across the country every year. Many people build businesses too.
The difference isn’t whether it happens.
It’s whether you let the situation run you, or you choose how you move through it.
2026 doesn’t need more pressure. It needs better choices about how we handle what we’ve already decided.
I’m cheering for you, always.
Ruth 🌸
Reflect
- Where have you already made a decision, but keep emotionally resisting it?
- What would change if you separated the choice from the chaos surrounding it?
Reframe
Old belief: “This is overwhelming because it’s hard.”
New belief: “This feels overwhelming because I haven’t decided how I want to move through it.”
Old belief: “I need to solve everything now.”
New belief: “I only need to choose the next calm step.”
News
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The December Freebie Gala, a curated collection of high-value freebies from creators across the business and lifestyle space, is open until December 18. Same as above, get in on the date, and you will still have additional time to browse through the gifts.
👉 Join here: The December Freebie Gala
P.S. You didn’t choose the path to suffer through it. You chose it to grow.
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.
