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!​

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Beloved Architect of Identity,

I’ll never forget this moment…

“Teacher, can I keep this pencil?”

At first, it was just one boy. But then, like a domino effect, 40 little voices joined in, holding up their no. 2 pencils and asking the same thing.

“Please, teacher, please!”

I gave in.
“Alright, you can take them home.”

You would’ve thought I handed them gold bars.
Hands shot up in victory. Laughter filled the room. Pure joy, over one simple pencil.

And honestly, it broke me a little inside.

Because here’s the thing, we often think living with purpose means doing BIG things. Changing the world. Making a massive, visible difference.

Many books, podcasts, and advice echo the same chorus:
“If it’s not huge, it doesn’t matter.”

So, for many years, I tried chasing “big purpose.”
But it always felt out of reach. Too far away. Like I wasn’t doing enough, even when I was giving my all.

Ever felt that way?

And, the other day, while listening to a conversation, the pencil story came to mind. And, I felt something clicked.

Because I realized purpose isn’t only about the macro. It’s also about the micro. The small contributions. The acts of service. The everyday giving that compounds over time.

It’s about the pencil.
The solved problem.
The client you helped.
The product you created that made someone’s life just a little bit easier.

That’s purpose too.

And when you start to see yourself as a contributor, someone who creates value, builds trust, and adds to the lives of others, everything shifts.

It gives you confidence.
It carries you through tough moments.
It anchors you in the truth: you’re already making a difference.

So here’s the reminder I want to leave you with:

You don’t need to wait for “someday” to live in purpose.
You’re doing it now, through your work, your creations, your presence.

Every contribution counts. Every act compounds.

You are a contributor. Don’t forget that.

Always rooting for you,
Ruth

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Reflect

1. Where in your daily work are you already contributing more than you give yourself credit for?
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2. What “pencils” have you given away, small acts that might have meant more than you realized?

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Reframe

Old belief: Purpose only counts if it’s big, bold, world-changing.​
New belief: Purpose is the compounding of small contributions. Every act of value creation is part of the larger difference you make.

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Actionable Transformation

1. Before starting work today, name one way your effort creates value for someone else, even if it feels small.
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2. Practice ending your day by writing down a single contribution you made. Over time, watch the list grow.
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3. Shift your self-talk: replace “I’m just working” with “I’m contributing.” Language reinforces identity.

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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.

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P.S. You don’t need to wait to live with purpose. You’re already doing it. One pencil at a time.

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.