There is no wealth but a wealth of social connections
Forbes is refusing to do an article on me.
Despite frequent emails, submissions and protests. My contention is, I’m one of the richest men in the world. But they refuse to recognise it.
Here’s their latest email.
13th September 2020. Subject: Reply to ‘Stop leaving me off Wealth Lists’ – Joe Wehbe
Dear Mr. Wehbe.
We appreciate your continued correspondence and persistence, but we must ask you to respectfully cease communication on this topic.
Whilst you have an abundance of this ‘real currency’ – as you call it, this is not a currency that can be factored into your net wealth. In fact, your net wealth is far from impressive at the moment.
Furthermore, your preferred currency is not quantifiable. If you at least held cryptocurrencies or other tangible assets we could place a valuation. At this time unfortunately we cannot help you – if you require validation for this form of wealth you’ve outlined, you’re going to have to find it from within.
Regards,
The Team at Forbes.
My balance sheet.
And so here I am, speaking and writing to you – completely lost for words. Baffled, confused, and scratching my head.
I look at my balance sheet again, trying to understand the confusion. Have I missed something? I think to myself. Apart from one or two lines that are red, almost everything else is green and flowing.
Just as I thought.
Perhaps I will have to give up on Forbes – after all, I can’t afford to second-guess myself. I’m very sure that I have an abundance of real wealth.
We don’t get enough credit for our intangible assets
As I look over my ‘life balance sheet’ I see so much cause for optimism. I have richly defined interests that I get to scratch constantly.
I’m continually enrolled in rich learning experiences that compound in the way of rich pathways, I have a very high degree of autonomy and freedom, and most importantly I have a wealth of deep social connections and community.
I’m also incredibly well diversified with some passive streams set up. No not investment properties or anything like that!
I’ve got assets and systems that are WAY better.
I’ve got 5:30 Club, our daily morning community – Hound Dogs Karaoke on the last Saturday of every month, a number of group chats, family life, and the Doohat Labs Projects. All these systems that will continue attract new people to me with little ongoing work, the same way an investment property brings rental income after you’ve set it up!
What can’t Forbes understand?
Part of me wants to send Forbes the details of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This study tracked a group of men longitudinally over their lives and found that above and beyond any other factor, quality of life was most heavily correlated with strength of social connectedness.
Much more than money or anything else.
I also want to share the research of John F. Helliwell, Richard Layard and Jeffrey Sachs from the World Happiness Report. Because it was they that found that six factors accounted for 75% of reported wellbeing. These included
- Social support
- Generosity
- Trust
- Freedom
- Income per capita
- Healthy life expectancy
But they concluded that social support was the most significant.
Am I wasting my time with Forbes?
Forbes seems to be the guru on business and wealth. They’ve held the most celebrated people up on a pedestal for some time now.
Maybe they don’t know what they’re talking about?
It’s almost as if people don’t realise that there is no wealth but a wealth of social connections.
It’s almost as if people can’t look back at their lives and realise the moments of fulfillment come from feeling connected – with oneself and with others.
That the highs and lows all shadow our relationships.
I’ve stopped looking at other people’s balance sheets. Too many people have one or two lines that are green, but they aren’t the ones that matter at all.
I get tired of seeing so much red all the time.
