Ouch! Was the title painful for you to read? I hope you keep reading because this is going to be a thought-provoking post today.

So why on earth would I say that you are what you spend your money on? Well … because it’s true. Money is big big big deal to pretty much everyone. Money is what keeps a roof over our heads, clothing on our backs, food in our tummies, and keeps our First Chakra survival instincts satisfied. No matter how little or much money you have, chances are that you worry about it.

What I want you to do right now, before reading any further, is to take a minute and jot down everything that you purchased in the past 24 hours. I did a little sample of 2 friends (who were very suspicious of my request), and myself, and these were the honest results

Friend #1	Friend #2	Me
Gluten-free pasta	Business breakfast for 3	Cat food
Cat treats	Lunch salad	Cat litter
Soup	Facial	A few crystals
Biotin supplement	Coffee and croissant	My favorite Chinese veggie dish for dinner
Protein shake		“Biology of Belief” book
Greeting cards		“Crystal Bible 3” book
Scrub brush		Marketing ads for Manifested Harmony
		Bag of organic cheese popcorn (my vice)

Here’s one more question: Are you 100% completely and utterly satisfied with all aspects of your life (financially, relationally, career, spiritually, education, health, etc.)? If you are one of the rare people who answered yes, just keep reading for the fun of it. If you’re everyone else, definitely keep reading.

I told my friends that they would stay anonymous and promise not to poke too much fun at them. But here’s why I did this social experiment: Money is such a big hairy deal to almost everyone. And where we spend it shows what is important to us. We tend to spend a lot of money on useless items when we feel depressed, anxious, tired and stressed out (hence, my organic cheese popcorn purchase after a 14-hour work day). They don’t call it retail therapy for nothing, sweet pea! We feel good and get an adrenaline rush when we spend money and we feel better. But shortly after we bring the new shiny item home (or eat the bag of popcorn like a Hoover vaccum), the rush is a distant memory and the item just sits alongside everything that you bought last week, last month or 20 years ago. (And when we hoard items and have clutter, this is really bad for your energy. Check out this blog about it.) And then you are back to how you were feeling before the purchase (and likely starring at the cost on your credit card statement).

Money is important, yet we spend it on “stuff” that doesn’t make us feel better or do anything to better ourselves. Yes, a shiny new Mercedes may make you feel better when you get it, but does that elation last? And what does it do to make you the best person you can be? What makes us feel good are life experiences, positive interactions with people, and … (drum roll please) … bettering yourself.

So getting back to question two and whether your life is the cat’s pajamas or the bee’s knees or any other animal’s body part … if you answered anything less than 100%, my question is whether you are spending money to better yourself and, hence, better your life?

Did I hear a faint no? Chop chop sweet pea! If you earn money, it is vitally important that you spend some of it to better yourself. Of course, you still need to spend money on the essentials like shelter, food and clothing. But you should also invest in yourself. Buying stuff won’t help you to live a better life, it won’t help you feel better about yourself, it won’t help you achieve your dreams. It just ends of being more stuff that you have dust or pack up when you move. However, investing in yourself will reap ginormous rewards and stays with you forever.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to buy stuff. I have an infatuation with everything Vera Bradley, Vineyard Vines and Lilly Pulitzer. And that’s okay, but not at the expense of bettering myself. I also have an addiction to self-growth books, spiritual growth courses, energy healing trainings, anything Law of Attraction, and crystals (Hello, my name is Allie and I’m a crystal addict. Want to see my collection?). Yes, those items are “stuff” … but it is stuff that helps me grow into a better person (personally and professionally). I invest a great deal of my “fun money” into making me the best person that I can be (and being dressed in pink Capri pants with green whales on them isn’t too shabby either).

Now how about my two friends? They did pretty good (I knew they would). They were purchasing the essentials, but also spending money on items that better themselves (like healthy food, a business meeting that helps them grow).

So I want you to go back to your list of what you spent money on in the past 24 hours and look at what you did to invest in yourself (outside of shelter, food and clothing). Did you do anything to invest in yourself? If you want a loving relationship, what did you do to financially invest in it? If you want to lose weight, did you invest in a Twinkie snack or a green smoothie? If you want a thriving business, did you invest in some book, program or class to help you get there?

I then want you to look in a mirror (walk to the bathroom or use a hand mirror) and repeat after me out loud: I am worthy of being the best that I can be, and I am a solid investment that will reap substantial returns.

So as you save money for retirement, vacation, home improvements, I also want you to start investing in yourself. This can be in many different ways:

• Signing up for my Law of Attraction coaching because you have dreams that have not materialized;
• Taking an energy healing class because it just sounds really cool and you’ll get to spend the day with fun people (you’ll learn how to self-heal and that’s always a good thing);
• Swapping out the Starbucks and Diet Coke for a green smoothie or just a class of pure water;
• Buying the self-growth or spiritual books when you see them because over time they will help you discover the glorious you;
• Splurging on that gorgeous hunka hunka Rose Quartz crystal because you know that it will open your heart chakra.

Whenever I talk to people who are deeply interested in my coaching, classes or even coming for an energy healing session, it is almost always the money that gets in their way. And that makes me very sad. Of course, if you truly have not one spare dollar at the end of the month for yourself, that is understandable. But then I want to sing “if you knew how to work the Law of Attraction, I bet you could change that!” So I practice what I preach … I invest in myself and you must too! If you don’t, who will?

You are the only person who can live your life and you were put on this planet to LIVE and THRIVE! So if you are not 100% enamored with your life, you and only you have the power to change it. But you must must must invest in yourself and work with someone who can help you. I will help you. This is exactly why I created Manifested Harmony after investing years and years of time and money in books, classes, training certifications, and all the tools needed to help myself and to help you.

So if you know that something needs to change in your life but you don’t think you have the money, go back through your list of what you spend money on and I can guarantee that you can cut out some nonsensical purchases (like purchasing coffee) and when it all adds up, it will be enough for a coaching session, an energy healing class, or an energy healing session. Give it a try and you will be amazed!

Contact me when you’ve done this experiment and we’ll get started on your wellness plan (and do a little happy dance to celebrate you)!

Join in on the fun!