Marc and Angel Hack Life

10 Essential Things to Remember When You Feel Self-Conscious and Unsure of Yourself

09.13.2026 by Angel Chernoff // 14 Comments

It’s not what you say to everyone else that determines your life; it’s what you whisper to yourself that has the greatest power.

If you feel self-conscious and unsure of yourself sometimes, I know exactly how you feel. I used to be incredibly unsure of myself… and sometimes I still am.

But it’s not all bad. Heightened self-consciousness, anxiety, an inability to join in, and feeling “different,” they’re really not all bad. Those inner battles have been my angels at times. Without them I would never have disappeared into literature, language, the mind, passionate work, and all the wild intensities that made and unmade me, and shaped me into the person I am today.

But a harsh truth remains: The enemies we encounter in life, especially our own inner demons, use the things we’re insecure about against us.

Which means we can’t hide forever. We have to emerge. We have to grow through our insecurities.

At some point we have to free ourselves and take our power back by being secure in who we are — flaws and all.

This isn’t easy of course — it’s a journey. And as you embark, here are some essential things to [Read more…]

10 Mindful 7-Second Reminders for Those Who Have Lost Their Motivation

09.12.2026 by Marc Chernoff // 14 Comments

The biggest and most complex obstacle you will ever have to overcome is your mind. Overcome that, and you can overcome anything.

When I was in my late twenties, there was a season when my motivation hit rock bottom. I would look around and see others motivating themselves to do what needed to be done. But not me. For me, motivation was an esoteric, intimidating game where I’d try to make myself do something while my mind simultaneously avoided doing it. If I won, I’d have to do something I didn’t really want to do. And if I lost, I’d be one step closer to ruining the rest of my entire life. At least that’s how I felt. And I never really knew whether I was going to win or lose until the very last minute.

Obviously, I was not being very mindful at the time.

The good news is, with daily practice, I’ve come a looong way from those rock bottom days of haphazard motivation.

Nowadays, Angel and I coach clients on a daily basis who are struggling to motivate themselves through various life situations. And fittingly, we guide them through many of the same core strategies I learned and practiced over the years to get my mindset and motivation from the lowest of lows to a stable high point.

One of those core strategies involves [Read more…]

40 Satisfying Simple Pleasures in Life We Forget to Appreciate

09.11.2026 by Angel Chernoff // 17 Comments

Wealth is a mindset. Want less and appreciate more today.

As we enter the fall season, we will inevitably be bombarded with early gift buying guides championing the latest and greatest gadgets, jewelry, cars, and more. And while I’m not against investing in new products that add value to our lives, I don’t like hearing about how people think they need a bunch of new and expensive things to be happy.

The truth is, unless we’re investing in our personal growth and noticing progress, most of the money we spend on things doesn’t make us much happier or better off in the long run. We don’t need more fancy items in our closets collecting dust to find joy and contentment. And we can find a lot of what we’re looking for simply by paying closer attention to the gifts we already have in front of us — the satisfying simple pleasures we forget to appreciate… [Read more…]

10 Things We All Think About Way Too Often

09.10.2026 by Marc Chernoff // 19 Comments

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
— Albert Einstein

Mental strength is incredibly important. Take care of your mind and the way you speak to yourself. Don’t let negative self-talk weaken you today.

You do know you talk to yourself in your mind all the time, right?

Pretty much every one of us has a non-stop stream of thoughts — an inner self-talk — that has a powerful impact on how we feel, how we behave, and how we live our lives. Too often, though, this self-talk consists of unhelpful thoughts that drain our inner peace and overall effectiveness.

Which is why it’s time for all of us to stop [Read more…]