My Network Is My Net Worth
by Gavriel Aryeh Sanders

Years ago, a friend told me "In five years, your income will be the average of your five closest friends." I was startled. Then I remembered that people are creatures of affiliation. Our lives reflect our social associations - in attitudes, values, habits, speech patterns, and lifestyles. So, my net worth will be a direct reflection of my network. I realized it was time to make some changes. Today I enjoy the wealth of a wonderful new network of friends and influence brokers. They challenge me to grow, to strive for greater good and greater achievement. I'm not the same person I was when my friend shared this principle. It has helped me at many significant levels.

Another nuance of this principle is that one's net worth is proportionate to one's net work. There is a baseline of measureable, cumulative activity which produces a financially fruitful outcome. Steady, regular plodding toward a goal will bring better and more consistent results than fleeting heat-of-the-moment bursts of inspiration.