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 thought I was just killing time before dinner.
We’d just arrived in Nazaré, this small surf town tucked into Portugal’s Silver Coast. Our host had given us a list of restaurants, but they weren’t open yet, so we wandered.
Followed the crowd.
Climbed a little higher.
Ended up at a fort overlooking the sea.
And wow…
The view was breathtaking. But it was what wasn’t visible that ended up blowing my mind.
Inside the fort, there was a little exhibit. That’s when I learned: Nazaré has the biggest waves in the world.
Like, monsters, giants.
The kind that makes you wonder how any human survives being on top of one.
Naturally, I had questions, so I kept reading.
Turns out, the waves get so massive because of something you can’t even see: an underwater canyon, deeper than Mount Whitney is tall (If you are from California, you know Mount Whitney).
It’s called the Nazaré Canyon. And it works like a megaphone for wave energy.
Most coastlines just catch the waves that show up. But this canyon? It pulls in the energy. Focuses it. Amplifies it. Shoots it straight at the shore.
Suddenly, I was staring at the ocean, thinking:
“The biggest waves don’t come from what’s visible…
They come from pressure hidden deep below.”
And that surely gave me a massive lesson.
Because we often believe that what people see is what creates the biggest results.
That progress came from the surface-level stuff:
The productivity hacks.
The perfect content plan.
The polished routine.
“Just post every day and stay consistent.”
You’ve heard that one too, right?
So I tried.
Checklist after checklist.
Schedule after schedule.
I pushed.
But the waves never seemed to get big.
And I started wondering:
Maybe I’m not built for this.
Maybe I don’t have what it takes.
Maybe something’s wrong with me.
But here’s what I know now:
The things that create powerful waves aren’t always flashy or public.
They’re deep.
Often invisible.
Sometimes even messy.
Like the identity work you do behind the scenes.
The emotional mastery you’ve been polishing for years.
The weird little obsessions that don’t fit in anyone’s framework.
And that stuff? It builds.
Just like the canyon builds pressure beneath the surface, your inner world is creating momentum.
You might not see it yet.
Others might not feel it yet.
But the wave is coming.
So here’s the reframe that changed everything for me:
“The cracks in your foundation don’t make you weaker.
They might just be your canyon.”
The very thing you thought disqualified you?
It might be what focuses your energy and amplifies your impact.
So maybe you don’t need to “fix” everything first.
Maybe you need to honor what’s already forming inside you.
Let the world see the wave.
I’m rooting for you always,
Ruth 🌊
Reflect
- What hidden elements of your story or identity quietly shape your greatest strengths?
- Where might you be trying to fix or hide a “crack” that could instead be used as leverage?
Reframe
Old belief: If something is cracked or imperfect, it must be hidden.
New belief: Sometimes the invisible imperfections create the visible impact. My job isn’t always to fix, it’s to understand, use, and integrate.
Actionable Transformation
- Name one “crack” in your experience (past struggle, odd skill, mistake, or insecurity) that quietly fuels your best work. Write about how it’s shaped your path.
- Choose one area where you’ve been overcorrecting, trying to patch or perfect something unnecessarily. What happens if you let it be and use it instead?
- Design around the canyon. Like Nazaré, build systems or habits that channel that hidden force, rather than fighting it. Focused energy moves mountains.
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.
Rooted Flow System (Free): Use smart frameworks (like the Eisenhower Matrix) to reduce overwhelm, simplify your day, and stay in flow without burnout.
P.S. Feeling like your progress is invisible right now? You’re not alone. That doesn’t mean nothing’s happening. It just means your canyon is working behind the scenes. Let it. Remember to follow for more insights: Follow me on X.
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