"I do not measure success by the quantity of what is in my checkbook, but by the quality of what is in my heart... but quantity is a close second." Jo McNamara

I looked up the word "successful" in my thesaurus and some of the words listed were: happy, lucky, fortunate, unbeaten, undefeated, blossoming. If that is the definition of "successful", then I am truly "successful beyond measure."

I started dabbling in Internet marketing in October 2000. It didn't take long for me to become a victim of the "become-a-millionaire- overnight" mentality that's so prevalent on the Web. I found a marketing system that was supposed to be so easy to sell that even beginners could start making money the VERY FIRST DAY! I spent most of my time advertising rather than learning HOW to advertise.

By January 2001, I considered Net marketing a hobby. I wasn't making any money and the $20 checks weren't filling my mailbox, but playing the Net marketing game was something amusing to do when I had some spare time.

In June, I found a program I was so impressed with, I became a member and an affiliate and started promoting it exclusively.

While I was promoting this program about Internet marketing, I was also learning from it. It wasn't long before I threw away the "get-rich-quick" mindset. I began to realize that this is a profession and like any profession, I would have to take it seriously and learn my craft. (Never mind that the last time I studied anything seriously, Nixon was president.)

Then it happened. My dabbling that had become a hobby was now a PASSION and my life hasn't been the same since!

HOW PASSION HAS CHANGED MY LIFE

"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love." Tolstoy

* "Not Quite Ready To Become a Member of Mensa, But..." Mentally I feel more alert and creative. Every day is a day of learning something new and of being continuously challenged. There's a clarity in my thinking I didn't have before. I actually feel like I've replaced some brain cells I destroyed in the '70s.

* "Move Over Energizer Bunny. She Just Keeps Going And Going and Going"
Physically I have more energy. I can't wait to get up each day. I'm not waiting for something to happen; I'm making it happen. I believe that is the difference between living or merely existing.

* "It Has Been Said, "Everyone gets in a rut...a perfectionist moves in"
Thinking outside of the box has never been one of my strengths. But as I try to become more creative, I have to mentally push myself into areas that I'm not familiar with. I guess you could say, I have to evict myself from my comfort zone.

* "Grant Me Patience, Lord. But Please Hurry!" Practicing patience is a hard one for me. I always want what I want yesterday (the day before would be much better). I expect results NOW! Net marketing has taught me to slow down, learn what I can handle today and to have no expectations for a least a year. I remember reading, "Internet marketers don't fail; they just give up before they succeed."

* "Mommy, I Can't See It, But I Just Know There's A Monster In My Closet!"
I have learned that fear is the imaginary monster in my closet. I am very, very slowly overcoming my fear of failure. Just writing this article is a HUGE step for me. The thought of submitting it is downright terrifying! But whether this article gets published or not is not the point anymore. I can still consider myself a winner. I pushed through my fear. I sat down, wrote it and submitted it.

* "The Path Of Your Destiny Is Determined By Your Thoughts."
I refuse to let negativity enter my mind. I have an attitude of expecting positive things to happen. I think that's an IMPORTANT key to success in sales. I think that's a VITAL key to success in living.

I'm still very raw around the edges. I know I have a long road ahead of me. The more I learn, the more I realize I need to learn more. I've made a lot of mistakes and there's A LOT more in the future. But I'm comfortable with the fact that every mistake is just one more step forward. And I'm comfortable with the concept that Internet marketing will keep evolving...keep re-inventing itself. I will never reach the point where I can say, "I know it all." I will always be a student; I will always be learning. I find that EXCITING!

I know deep in my heart that one day (not today, not tomorrow, perhaps not even a year from now), I will be very good at this. I will be very good at this because I'm not doing it for the money. I'm doing it because I love doing it. I'm doing it to keep that PASSION alive.

So to go back to the beginning of what "successful" means: I am a very HAPPY person. I feel FORTUNATE to have found something that has introduced passion in my life. I will be UNBEATEN because it's not all about money. And because of that I will be UNDEFEATED because I will be able to ride out the rough times. And I am BLOSSOMING, not only as a marketer, but also as a human being.

"Only work which is the product of inner compulsion can have a spiritual
meaning." Walter Gropius

Jo McNamara lives in Orlando, Florida, with her eight cats and her husband (who's allergic to cats). Jo is a proud member and affiliate of: The Internet Marketing Success Arsenal http://www.what-works-online.net
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Mailto:jomc@what-works-online.net