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,
Have you ever felt like you were drowning in chaos, like no matter how much you plan or push, the world around you is just too crowded, too noisy, too much?
That’s exactly how I felt this past 4th of July.
My husband and I were camping at a lake in Central California, and we decided to head into Pismo Beach for the day. Cute little beach town, one of our favorites.
What I didn’t know? They were expecting 100,000 people.
Yeah. Pismo only has about 8,000 residents. So, picture over 12x the population crammed into one tiny coastal town. Baywatch vibes, but more elbow-to-elbow reality.
The beach? Packed.
The boardwalk? Packed.
Parking? Practically a Hunger Games situation.
We circled for 45 minutes. Almost got ticketed. Finally parked two miles away and walked into town with the crowd.
And then we were starving.
We debated where to eat. Thought about skipping our favorite restaurant because surely the line would be out the door and around the block.
But something told us to check anyway…
And guess what?
We were in and out of the line in under 10 minutes. Ordered quickly. Got our food in less than five. And they even gave out free frisbees while we waited.
I was shocked, in the best way.
This little restaurant, in a chaotic town, on the busiest day of the year, was running like a machine. Smooth. Friendly. Fast.
And the entire situation gave food for thought.
While the rest of the town was bursting at the seams, they were thriving.
Why?
Because they knew what was coming, and they were ready.
They staffed up. Streamlined the process. Opened an extra kiosk. Had a separate window for takeout. Trained their team to deliver under pressure without cutting corners.
They prepared for the chaos, so they didn’t just survive it. They owned it.
And that made me think…
How often do we let outside chaos become our excuse?
How often do we say:
“It’s too overwhelming right now.”
“I’ll wait until things calm down.”
“I can’t be consistent when life’s like this.”
Sound familiar?
I’ve said all those things too. For years, I believed that external chaos was a valid reason to stay where I was. That I needed calm conditions to create meaningful results.
But now I see it differently.
Chaos doesn’t have to be your enemy.
It can be your training ground.
Your chance to rise above by getting sharper, clearer, better prepared.
Because when the world feels too much, but you feel grounded, skilled, and ready?
That’s when you become unstoppable.
So let me ask you…
What’s your version of the 100,000 people showing up at once?
And more importantly, how are you preparing to meet that moment?
Let this be your reminder:
Chaos will always exist. But chaos cannot shake you if you are grounded in identity and purpose. Furthermore, the right systems, mindset, and preparation can turn pressure into performance.
You don’t need calm seas to be a strong captain.
You just need to know your ship.
Here’s to being ready for your moment, whenever it comes.
And, of course, big shout out to Splash Cafe in Pismo Beach!
Until next week! Keep blooming!
Ruth
Reflect
- When was the last time you blamed your environment for your lack of progress?
- What would it look like to build systems that let you stay grounded no matter what’s happening around you?
Reframe
Old Belief: “When things calm down, I’ll finally get my act together.”
New Belief: “When I get my act together, I can thrive even in the middle of the storm.”
You don’t need perfect conditions. You need to be ready when the moment comes.
Actionable Transformation
- Run drills for your future self. What would overwhelm you today that you want to handle with grace tomorrow? Practice for it.
- Audit your friction points. Where do you crumble under pressure? That’s your next optimization.
- Build now. Before the crowd shows up. Don’t wait to be buried in demand before getting your systems and team in place.
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.
Rooted Planning Kit: A simple, soulful system to map your month with intention without the overwhelm. Designed to ground your goals in what actually matters.
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. If you’re craving a better system to handle your daily chaos, I created something for you: The Rooted Flow System, a free tool to help you clarify what truly matters, calm your mental clutter, and plan from a place of grounded alignment. [Grab it here, it’s totally free and only takes a few minutes to use.]
P.S.S. If this story resonates with you, keep in mind that I help creators with simple systems that allow them to get things done. We do depth, clarity, and results. Join the conversation: Follow me on X.
