What happens when the personal and professional life we have planned comes unraveled with a series of setbacks?

Is there a way to reframe the most stressful period of our lives as an opportunity?

Marc and Angel Chernoff contend that the way we spend our days is the way we spend our lives, and when they came up against back-to-back tragedy, the couple ruthlessly examined their everyday habits.

And one by one, they started to incorporate new daily rituals. Little things that got them closer to where they wanted to be. So, how can we work through our own tornado moments and use the experience to grow? How can we learn to excel—even as our world is falling apart?

Today, Jeffrey examines the art of life design with Marc and Angel, the creators of the Marc & Angel Hack Life Blog and bestselling authors of Getting Back to Happy and 1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently. Marc and Angel share the series of personal tragedies that led to their work in the personal development space and the challenge they faced in shifting their own daily habits. The couple discusses what they had to unlearn to build a collective personal brand and speaks to their ability to translate complex theory into actionable insight. Listen in as Marc and Angel challenge us to ask what’s worth suffering for and learn why rituals are essential in shaping our days along the journey to an excellent life.

Key Takeaways

[0:02] How to turn tornado moments into opportunities

• Ruthlessly examine every part of daily habits
• Muster courage to shape life of excellence

[5:51] How Marc & Angel’s young genius informs their current work

• Marc given freedom to explore spirituality at young age
• Angel always driven + competitive, desire to be #1

[10:22] What Marc & Angel’s life was like before their tornado moment

• Pursuing careers in computer engineering + business
• Unrestricted, relatively carefree young adult life

[12:31] The series of tragedies that led Marc & Angel to personal development

• Mutual best friend passed away and Angel’s brother committed suicide
• Angel lost job (primary source of income for couple)
• Turn to distraction to numb pain, avoid real conversation

[17:32] The challenge Marc & Angel faced in shifting their daily habits

• Difficult to acknowledge that daily habits not serving them
• Do one thing to break cycle (started with 45-minute walk)
• Add daily rituals like reading + blogging for accountability

[22:50] When Marc & Angel realized their blog could be a business

• Audience resonated with story, asked for one-on-one help
• Several articles went viral and fueled traffic to site

[27:14] What Marc & Angel had to unlearn to build a collective personal brand

• Define specific roles, afford each other autonomy and respect
• Embrace mantra ‘this is not my job’

[31:48] How Marc & Angel developed the discipline to turn theory into actionable insights

• Identify principles to take us from where we are to where we want to be
• Make ideas simple to digest, help remind us of our better judgement

[35:56] The three critical actions Marc & Angel took to excel in the wake of upheaval

1. Get outdoors every day
2. Habitual, honest self-reflection
3. Recognize business opportunity

[39:13] Why rituals are essential in shaping our days to help us be our best

• Daily practices help us reach goals, get us closer to/farther from target
• Changing one ritual slowly changes entire trajectory

[45:42] Marc & Angel’s take on the adage to ‘follow your passion’

• Start by asking what current job allows you to do
• Appreciating where we are puts us in position to make better decisions

[52:31] Marc & Angel’s insight around what’s worth suffering for

• Progress leads to happiness
• Not growing until hit discomfort zone, push self to achieve

[57:06] How to see the beauty in intense moments with other people

• Ask if person has ever walked same path
• Take deep breath and remember they have own pain

[1:04:32] The advice Marc & Angel have revised over time

• Used to be hyper-focused on being positive
• Shifted to relentless acceptance + presence

[1:11:48] The art of turning hardships into opportunities

• Use setback to take step back, decide what matters
• Pursue excellent life as expert of own experience with desire to serve

Connect with Marc & Angel

Marc & Angel Hack Life

1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently by Marc & Angel Chernoff

Getting Back to Happy: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Reality, and Turn Your Trials into Triumphs by Marc & Angel Chernoff

Think Better, Live Better Conference

Resources

A Wondrous Mind on 1440 Multiversity

Omega Institute

Dr. Wayne Dyer

Eckhart Tolle

Byron Katie

The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

William James

The Principles of Psychology by William James