Welcome to the Blooming Mindset. I’m Ruth Rieckehoff, and I’m so glad you’re here. Some of my emails include affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only share what I’ve personally used, trusted, and found meaningful enough to pass along.
Beloved Architect of Identity,
A few years ago, I discovered something that changed far more than my diet.
It changed how I think about change itself.
When I decided to improve my health, I knew I needed to eat better.
Simple. Not easy.
I wasn’t looking for the perfect diet. I wanted meals that were nutritious, easy to prepare, and enjoyable enough that I could stick with them.
Then reality hit me. I was much pickier than I wanted to admit.
My husband came home one day with a container of mixed greens for salads.
I couldn’t eat them. There was nothing wrong with them. But I had already decided they weren’t for me.
The same thing happened with chia seeds. Flaxseed. Blackberries. Raspberries.
I had an objection for almost everything.
“I don’t like that.”
“I can’t stand the seeds.”
“I’ve never enjoyed those.”
The funny part? I never questioned those statements. I treated them like facts.
So I kept eating the same foods. Getting the same results.
Then something unexpected happened. Instead of giving up, I kept experimenting. I tried foods in different recipes. Different combinations and seasons.
Slowly, foods I couldn’t stand became foods I actually looked forward to eating.
Today I enjoy beets, jicama, chayote, berries, seeds, leafy greens…foods I once believed I’d never touch.
It turns out your palate isn’t fixed. Your brain adapts with repetition, patience, and enough opportunities to experience something differently.
Looking back, I wish I had learned that lesson sooner.
I spent decades believing my preferences were simply part of who I was. They weren’t.
They were habits that had become identity.
And once I saw that, I started noticing the same pattern somewhere else.
Finances.
Many people say things like:
“I’m just not an investor.”
“I like enjoying life now.”
“I’ve never been good with money.”
“I’m too old to change.”
Those sound like personality traits.
Most of the time, they’re simply repeated thoughts that became familiar.
Financial realities rarely appear overnight. They’re built from small decisions repeated for years.
Just like health. If you believe healthy food isn’t for you, you’ll keep choosing what feels comfortable.
If you believe building wealth isn’t who you are, you’ll keep making decisions that reinforce that identity.
Not because you can’t change. Because you’ve stopped imagining that you can.
The good news? The same brain that learned to crave healthier food can learn healthier financial habits. The same person who once avoided investing can learn to build assets. The same identity that created today’s financial life can create tomorrow’s.
Because you don’t simply manage money. You express who you believe you are through it. And identities can grow.
Until next time, keep blooming,
Ruth
Reflect
- What financial belief have you repeated so many times that it now feels like part of your personality?
- If your financial habits reflected the person you want to become instead of the person you’ve always been, what would you start doing differently this week?
Reframe
Old belief: “I don’t have the mindset for investing or building wealth.”
New belief: “I can train my financial thinking just as I can train my palate.”
Actionable Transformation
- Catch the identity statements. For one week, notice every time you say, “I’m just the kind of person who…” Write those statements down. Ask yourself whether they’re facts or simply stories you’ve repeated long enough to believe.
- Practice one small financial exposure. Just as I learned to enjoy new foods one bite at a time, choose one financial habit that feels uncomfortable. Read one investing article. Track your spending for a week. Automate a small investment. Small repetitions change identity.
- Measure progress differently. Don’t ask, “Do I feel like a wealthy person yet?” Ask, “Did I make one decision today that the future version of me would be proud of?” Those small decisions compound.
P.S. The biggest change in my diet didn’t happen when I found better recipes. It happened when I stopped saying, “That’s just how I am.” The same is true for money.
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