ARE YOU A HOBBIT OR A DWARF? by Theresa Cahill Copyright 2003 - All Rights Reserved Okay, I confess! With the release of the Lord of the Rings series, I'm hooked once again. Thirty some years later and out come the books, including the one that started it all, The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. And after watching Parts I and II (many times over) and re-reading The Hobbit, I've come to the following conclusions which may help you determine your best path on the intense internet marketing highway. Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit that starts the whole series flowing, makes a statement to the effect that one must be careful walking out one's front door, because you just don't know where your feet will lead you next. Does that path lead to fame and fortune? Or straight to the dragon's lair and all it's dangers! Bilbo is thrust into an adventure that, under normal Hobbit circumstances, just was unnatural for him to undertake. He faces horrendous dangers, and yet finds within himself a strength untapped. In fact, quite beyond his wildest imaginings, he actually becomes the unspoken leader of a troop of 13 dwarf companions. And we all know the natural inclinations of dwarves :) Dwarves, while stout-hearted in the best of moments, yearn for wealth, instant wealth. They aren't afraid to go after it, but grumble almost incessantly while in pursuit of that wealth. They will also go to great lengths to avoid work, unless given no other choice, to attain that wealth. Dwarves enjoy shoving "the other guy" forward to scout out the landscape and warn of imminent dangers. Hobbits, on the other hand, are basically mild mannered. They enjoy the comforts of home and hearth, but aren't above putting in that more than bit of effort needed to ensure their own comfort. They understand the necessity of effort, mixed with a huge amount of caution, to reach their end goals. Now ask yourself, are you a Hobbit or a Dwarf? Internet marketers are natural adventurers, we have to be to take the pounding most of us do - over and over - and still opt to come back for more :) But the problem lies not in our pursuit of "wealth" on the net, but in our rather hasty, and often poor, choice of path. Over and over I watch as many opt for the path of least resistance. The path that asks for nothing in return from you, yet promises wealth beyond even the dwarves' wildest imagination! Be open, yet wary. Smooth talking, self-proclaimed "wizards" are everywhere. Just as the troop needed maps and advice to reach their goal, so do you. And, the handiest map on the internet is the search engine. Have you recently stumbled across something interesting? What was your FIRST move? Did you go to the search engines and type in keywords to INVESTIGATE whether the dragon was in and sleeping? Or did you just opt to fall face first into the dragon's lair? Research! At your fingertips you have the means to find out everything and anything about interesting programs and people. Opt to use your brain first, and your wallet second! Remember just before the Hobbit and his 13 companions stepped into the Mirkwood forest, they were warned, repeatedly, to not stray from the path on their quest to the riches ahead. In your quest for the gold laying deep within the Lonely Mountain, many paths will also present themselves to you. Choose rightly and all goes well :) But, stray from the path just a little, and... ==================================== ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Theresa Cahill owner of www.mywizardads.com and offers numerous website promotion services, including free ezine advertising at truly affordable prices.