Author name: willowcress

You know what’s motivational? Good FOOD! This healthy brownie recipe is so good I couldn’t resist sharing it with you. The better the cocoa, the better the brownie. Ghirardelli makes my favorite cocoa to use for this recipe. Ghirardelli Cocoa: https://amzn.to/3Jb8B0c Enjoy!! Let me know how it goes for you! Benjamin Khachaturian Interested in working with WillowCress? Learn more here. Follow us on social media! Instagram, LinkedIn Enjoy receiving these newsletters? Buy me coffee! Venmo: @Benjamin-Khachaturian Cash App: $BenKhach

Are you in control of your thoughts, or are your thoughts in control of you? Someone close to me recommended that I read The Untethered Soul and my goodness has it been helpful to me. I’d put it on the same level as Rich Dad Poor Dad. Both books have changed my life because they’ve helped me change the way I think. And again (see quote below)! “The quality of your life is defined by the quality of your thoughts.” -Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 A.D. (that’s more than 1,900 years ago) A few of my favorite parts of the book: “Once you learn that it’s okay to feel inner disturbances, and that they can no longer disturb your seat of consciousness, you will be free. You will begin to be sustained by the inner energy flow that comes from behind you. When you have tasted the ecstasy of the inner flow, you can walk in this world and the world will never touch you. That’s how you become a free being – you transcend.” “Right in the midst of your daily life, by untethering yourself from the bondage of your psyche, you actually have the ability to steal freedom for your soul. This freedom is so great it has been given a special name – liberation.” “Sometimes you will go through deep experiences that bring up intense pain inside of you. If it is in there, it is going to come up. If you have any wisdom, you will leave it alone and not try to change your life to avoid it. You will just relax and give it the space it needs to release and burn through you. You do not want this stuff inside your heart. To feel great love and freedom, to find the presence of God within you, all of this stored pain must go.” “You truly can reach a state in which you never have any more stress, tension, or problems for the rest of your life. You just have to realize that life is giving you a gift, and that gift is the flow of events that takes place between your birth and your death.” Why You Should Consider Reading The Untethered Soul Most books give me noteworthy quotes and anecdotes, however, The Untethered Soul has helped me not think higher quality thoughts but manage my lower quality thoughts. Furthermore, the concepts of freedom, happiness, and balance are deeply inspiring. These are concepts that I am only beginning to practice in my daily life. Should you choose to take the dive, be prepared for a dense exploration into yourself. As dramatic as it sounds, the Untethered Soul provided me a reminder that we’re all going to die and there is nothing we can do about it. Thus, the way in which live is made that much more important. Death is not something to be afraid of but to be grateful for. Like a grain of sand on a beach, without scarcity life would be meaningless. Every breath should feel like a gift because it is. Enjoy every breath, Benjamin Khachaturian Untethered Soul book https://amzn.to/3FzYNt8 Interested in working with WillowCress? Learn more here. Follow us on social media! Instagram, LinkedIn Enjoy receiving these newsletters? Buy me coffee! Venmo: @Benjamin-Khachaturian Cash App: $BenKhach

Credit: David Alan Thrift for the graphic. What is it that you know you should do? Doing what you know you should do is almost never easy but it’s often worth it. We live in a world enamored with getting instant gratification. Likes on Instagram, the feeling of buying a new car, you name it. However, my favorite type of gratification is delayed gratification. Why Delayed Gratification Is Important Delayed gratification is the ability to resist the temptation of an immediate reward in favor of a larger or more meaningful reward later on. It is an important skill for personal and professional success, as it enables individuals to set and achieve long-term goals. It also improves decision making and reduces impulsivity. People who are able to delay gratification are generally more successful in life, as they are better able to resist temptation, overcome obstacles, and persist in the face of adversity. Additionally, studies have shown that the ability to delay gratification is a strong predictor of mental health, self-control, and resilience. It also can be helpful for children development too. It is a key part of emotional intelligence, which is essential for effective communication, leadership, and teamwork. For me, the littlest habits were challenging to do consistently so the habit journal below helped. To doing what you know you should do, Benjamin Khachaturian Habit Tracker: https://amzn.to/3VOVHsf Interested in working with WillowCress? Learn more here. Follow us on social media! Instagram, LinkedIn Enjoy receiving these newsletters? Buy me coffee! Venmo: @Benjamin-Khachaturian Cash App: $BenKhach

I was recently in Bergen, Norway and felt deeply convicted when I saw this mural. It’s easy to shoot down someone’s idea. We’ve all done it. People love telling you that you can’t do something because they themselves couldn’t do it. Don’t be the guy in the photo. Don’t be the person to paint over someone’s ideas. What if you’re talking to the next Steve Jobs? The cost of you being wrong is simply too great. Instead of assuming you’re right, ask yourself: “what if I’m wrong?” There could be a few reasons why people might shoot down your ideas. It’s possible that they don’t fully understand your idea, or they may not see the value or potential in it. It could also be that they are afraid of change, or that they have different priorities or goals than you do. Additionally, some people may simply be in the habit of being critical or negative, and may not intend to shoot down your ideas. To avoid having your ideas shot down, it’s important to clearly communicate and explain your ideas, and to be open to feedback and discussion. It can also be helpful to try to understand where the other person is coming from, and to approach the conversation with an open mind. As we begin 2023, there’s never been a better time to evaluate what voices you allow to take hold in your heart and mind. What voices are you listening to? ???? One of the voices I listen to is Robert Kiyosaki. His book Rich Dad Poor Dad changed my life (I’m not kidding). Here’s where you can get your copy: https://amzn.to/3iY2hxV Be open to feedback but never let anyone paint over your dreams. If you want something, go get it. Stay open to ideas, Benjamin Khachaturian Interested in working with WillowCress? Learn more here. Follow us on social media! Instagram, LinkedIn Enjoy receiving these newsletters? Buy me coffee! Venmo: @Benjamin-Khachaturian Cash App: $BenKhach

The only way to fail is to never start, try, or take a shot. It’s also been said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Make today the day you break the loop. What do you want to start this week? How can you break the loop? We’ve all been there. It’s natural to feel afraid of failure when starting a new project or business, as there are always risks involved. However, it’s important to remember that failure is a normal part of the process and can even be a valuable learning experience. Here are a few steps you can take to help overcome your fear of failure and start your new project or business: One book that helped me break the loop was Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow Quadrant. Link here: https://amzn.to/3HvrYAi Take your shot, Benjamin Khachaturian Interested in working with WillowCress? Learn more here. Follow us on social media! Instagram, LinkedIn Enjoy receiving these newsletters? Buy me coffee! Venmo: @Benjamin-Khachaturian Cash App: $BenKhach Credit @GoLimitlesss for the graphic.

Monday Motivational 1/2/2023 Happy New Year! Let’s start off the new year with new ideas. It’s very easy to listen to our own voice. I’ve found that looking outside of myself allows me to learn. By surrounding myself with people smarter than myself, I learn even faster. At WillowCress, we commonly take our clients through brainstorming sessions to generate new ideas for their businesses. Design Thinking is at the core of our work. When brainstorming, it’s extremely important not to shoot down new ideas (another post about Ideas is coming soon). So grab some sticky notes and let’s jump in. A successful brainstorming session looks like this: We typically use sticky notes for our brainstorming since they’re easy to move and organize. It’s also helpful to group or combine similar ideas together. Once the problem worth solving is defined, the diverge section of our brainstorm session should take at least five minutes. The most important rule during the diverge section is that no one shoots down any ideas at this point. It helps to practice saying “Yes, And.” For example, Suzie says “we should post more on social media” then Rick might say: “Yes, and we should be posting videos about what we do.” The converge section can often take the longest because it involves making decisions. This typically involves grouping the post-it notes into a yes, no, and maybe sections. Some questions that often aid in convergent decision making are: Credit: https://designthinking.ideo.com/, https://www.ideou.com/pages/brainstorming#nav-image-text-best-brainstorming-overview-2 We have rarely not have generated multiple feasible, viable, and desirable solutions to our client’s problem by the end of our brainstorming sessions. Questions? Comment below! Keep brainstorming, Benjamin Khachaturian Some great sticky notes: https://amzn.to/3WbRTkp Interested in working with WillowCress? Learn more here. Follow us on social media! Instagram, LinkedIn Enjoy receiving these newsletters? Buy me coffee! Venmo: @Benjamin-Khachaturian Cash App: $BenKhach

“Progress not perfection.” Sometimes progress doesn’t feel like progress. It’s natural to feel disappointed when the results of your efforts don’t meet your expectations, but it’s important to remember that progress often takes time and isn’t always a straight line. Here are a few tips that can help you keep making progress, even when you’re feeling disappointed: James Clear, author of Atomic Habits (see link below), has often described progress as attempting to melt ice. You may put in a lot of effort, go to the gym, and eat healthy food for 30 days but find the results disappointing. That energy isn’t lost, just stored. It may only be 29 degrees. All the action happens at 32 degrees. Keep going. To your progress, Benjamin Khachaturian Atomic Habits book https://amzn.to/3Fprwkp Interested in working with WillowCress? Learn more here. Follow us on social media! Instagram, LinkedIn Enjoy receiving these newsletters? Buy me coffee! Venmo: @Benjamin-Khachaturian Cash App: $BenKhach

Monday Motivational 12/19/2022 Most of these habits are obviously beneficial to survival on planet Earth so you can probably understand why they’re there. For example, the P, P, L, R pattern shown in the exercise section reflects my Push, Pull, Legs, Rest workout routine. However, a few of these habits probably have you wondering why they’re valuable daily habits for me. Those are: Please comment below if you want to know why I choose to keep any of the other daily habits listed here. Why I Meditate “The quality of your life is defined by the quality of your thoughts.” -Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 A.D. Living daily life and working through a seemingly endless to-do list can feel like going to war. Marcus Aurelius knew a thing or two about that as Roman Emperor during the Marcomannic Wars from 166-180 A.D. Meditation is a tool that I use to increase the quality of my thoughts. Meditation also helps me respond better to my lower quality thoughts. Generally, Meditation is important because it helps you reduce stress, increase focus and concentration, and improve overall well-being. It can also help you develop a sense of inner peace and clarity, allowing you to better navigate the ups and downs of life. Meditation has been shown to have numerous physical and mental health benefits, including reducing blood pressure, boosting the immune system, and increasing feelings of happiness and contentment. It can also help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself and your place in the world. By taking time to sit in quiet reflection and mindfulness, you can gain insight into your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and learn how to respond to them in a more mindful and compassionate way. Overall, meditation is a valuable tool for improving physical and mental health, cultivating self-awareness, and finding inner peace and happiness. Why I Manifest “A Man Is What He Thinks About All Day.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson Manifestation is what’s possible once a consistent meditation practice allows for highly intentional thinking. How I do it: I intentionally think about (manifest) what I want my future to look like. This changes every day. It usually involves me sitting quietly listening to calming music and allowing my brain to imagine the vision of the future that I am working towards. Generally, manifesting your vision is important because it helps you clarify your goals and bring them into focus. It helps you stay motivated and focused on achieving your desired outcome, rather than getting sidetracked by distractions or setbacks. Manifesting your vision also helps you tap into your creativity and brainstorm new ideas and solutions. Manifestation allows you to take control of your life and make things happen, rather than just letting life happen to you. Manifesting your vision also helps you create a roadmap for your future and gives you a sense of purpose and direction. It can also inspire and motivate others to join you in pursuing your vision, creating a sense of community and shared purpose. Overall, manifesting your vision is a powerful tool for personal growth, self-improvement, and success. In my experience, imagining good things happening in my life not only betters my mood but increases the chances that those good things will happen. Why I Write If it isn’t obvious by now, writing is something that I enjoy. Thus, I’ve included writing in my daily habits. Generally, writing is a healthy habit because it allows you to express your thoughts and feelings in a safe and controlled way. It can be a therapeutic outlet for processing and managing emotions, particularly during times of stress or challenge. Writing can also help you clarify your thoughts and ideas, and can be a useful tool for problem-solving and decision-making. In addition to its mental health benefits, writing has been shown to have physical health benefits as well. It can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, and has been linked to improved immune function and reduced risk of chronic illness. Writing can be a creative outlet and a way to tap into your imagination and explore new ideas. It can be a fun and rewarding hobby that helps you relax and unwind after a busy day. Overall, writing is a healthy habit that can improve your mental and physical well-being and provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Journaling is a very helpful form of writing that allows me to release both positive and negative thoughts in order to process them further and act on my thoughts more intentionally. If you want to use the same habit journal that I do, link below. To healthy habits, Benjamin Khachaturian Habit Tracker: https://amzn.to/3VOVHsf Interested in working with WillowCress? Learn more here. Follow us on social media! Instagram, LinkedIn Enjoy receiving these newsletters? Buy me coffee! Venmo: @Benjamin-Khachaturian Cash App: $BenKhach