My grandfather used to tell me stories of the Great Depression, how something as basic as food was such a problem. Soup lines and cross-country job hunting became treacherously routine, just to acquire means of fundamental survival. These were indeed lonely times for many. Families split up, children pressed into service at any level, scratching and surviving their way through life. In todays society we have it quite a bit better. Although morning commutes can be dangerous, most of us have access to our families daily, and a good life. Still, we are not satisfied.In the beginning..."To whom much is given, much is expected," the Bible says. You have talents that are gifts to be shared for the blessing of all. If Rembrandt would have lived in modern times, how many stick figure masterpieces would have graced his moms refrigerator before he "made it?" Needless to say his passion became his livelihood.The man loved to paint. What do you enjoy doing? Do you even know? I enjoy writing, technology (including gadgets and toys), learning and doing new things. For years I struggled to find one arena where I could apply my talents and my gifts at the same time. I finally made the long awaited discovery; Internet Marketing.Newbies Beware...We've all heard the saying, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." Such is the case with internet marketing for one with no prior experience. It is indeed unchartered territory with numerous pitfalls, pranks and scams ready to engulf the naive, unwary web traveler. Who can resist the surrealistic appeal of instant riches, or, as you have undoubtedly seen hundreds of times, wealth building techniques, which are "guaranteed to succeed." Thousands a day are drawn into this quagmire. Very few are ever seen again. So what is the secret? Persistence, tenacity, and a willingness to believe in yourself. A turtle never got anywhere without sticking his neck out, just be on the lookout for someone with a hatchet. Promises, Promises...What you see may not be what you get. Many times I have looked at a menu and made my choice with help from the accompanying photograph. You may have as well. How many times did the actual meal look like the picture? Not too often, I imagine. Same with internet marketing. Knowing that most folks will not take the bait if it appears too good to be true, websites throw in stipulations, provisos and payment plans. Be careful. Trust your instinct. Scam-a-lam-a-ding dong..."Send me $40 and have 14 bazillions in your PayPal account in 20 minutes!!""Earn $1000 a day stuffing envelopes!" Again, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. No one gets something for nothing. There are lots of legitimate businesses on the internet that offer great deals on internet marketing tools. Like any other contrivance you will get out of it what you put into it. Internet marketing is a lot of work if you want to succeed. Life is a Highway...It all comes down to this: can you afford to take a risk, or, better yet, can you afford not to? Time does not stop to allow infinite research opportunity. Do you feel a need for independence? Do you enjoy a challenge? Are you willing to take a leap into the unknown? Don't sell yourself short. We are not placed on this earth to fail, although failure is nothing to be feared. The trick is to learn and move on. There are no magic formulas and absolutely no guarantees, only obstacles to overcome and challenges to pursue. After all, where are you going to be in 10 years if you don't?