We live in a global economy of insecurity. Not because of vacillating markets, but unstable self worth. Our lack of esteem feeds the globalization machine. If you/we loved ourselves more deeply, a lot of industries would go bankrupt. But…bankrupting the human spirit turns out to be great for the gross national product.

Here’s a money-saving tip that also happens to be a radical counter-cultural act of defiance:

Before you buy the promising under eye concealer, or the jeans (that are just like three other pairs of jeans you got, because they were going to change your life by attracting the perfect life partner), or before you sign the car lease because you’ve been picturing that moment you drive up to your family reunion, and as the glint of the chrome catches your cousins eye, they’ll finally know that you’ve been way smarter than all of them all along), before you pull out the credit card, take a full breath in and out and say to yourself, to YOU:

I love you.

And then see if you still have to have it.

Danielle LaPorte is an invited member of Oprah’s SuperSoul 100, a group who, in Oprah Winfrey’s words, “is uniquely connecting the world together with a spiritual energy that matters.” She is author of White Hot Truth: Clarity for keeping it real on your spiritual path—from one seeker to another. The Fire Starter Sessions, and The Desire Map: A Guide To Creating Goals With Soul—the book that has been translated into 8 languages, evolved into a yearly day planner system, a top 10 iTunes app, and an international workshop program with licensed facilitators in 15 countries.

Named one of the “Top 100 Websites for Women” by Forbes, millions of visitors go to DanielleLaPorte.com every month for her daily #Truthbombs and what’s been called “the best place online for kickass spirituality.” A speaker, a poet, a painter, and a former business strategist and Washington-DC think tank exec, Entrepreneur Magazine calls Danielle, “equal parts poet and entrepreneurial badass…edgy, contrarian…loving and inspired.” Her charities of choice are Eve Ensler’s VDay: a global movement to end violence against women and girls, and charity: water, setting out to bring safe drinking water to everyone in the world. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her favourite philosopher, her son. You can find her @daniellelaporte and just about everywhere on social media.