Blogger BlogNet33934

Just the other day I was asked by a family why I spend so many hours on my website and now my blog. At first I was sort of offended by the question. But the longer I thought about it the more it made me realize why I am so passionate about what I do.

I later shared with my wife the details of the thought process I had gone through after being asked that question and I explained to her that few people do what they do for a living because they are passionate about it. When I get an idea for reaching out to more people and improving the quality of their lives through my site I can't wait to sit down at my computer and make it happen.

As she listened intently I reminded her of a movie we had watched with our kids called "Facing the Giants" in which a football coach at a Christian high school was facing tremendous pressure internally as well as externally as a result of his teams inability to put together a winning season during the previous 6 years. Many of the parents wanted the guy tossed out.

One night as he is leaving the school building he overhears the comments of parents who have called a meeting specifically to discuss how they should get rid of the coach and bring in someone new. Well, as you can imagine this guy was shocked and went home extremely discouraged. He spends the night beating himself up over the matter. As his wife wakes up in the middle of the night to find him in this state of mind she reminds him that he simply needs to put his faith in God.

Well, that morning he is seen walking in an open field with Bible in hand and praying to God. What this coach did not realize was that there was an older gentleman who had spent years walking the halls of the school and praying for all the students and teachers. Later that day this gentleman walks into the coach's office and tells him a story about 2 landowners who had been praying for rain because there had been a drought in the area for years. One finally decides that he is going to go out into his field and sow his seed even though there was no visible sign of rain. The gentlemen then asks the coach, "which man do you think received the rain?", to which the coach replies "the one who went out and planted seed in preparation for the rain".

I share this story with you today to ask you, "what is your motivation?". Are you willing to go out everyday and sow seed in your field in preparation for the rain? Unless you're living out in death valley at some point you will get some rain.

In this business called internet marketing, online marketing, blogging, e-commerce or whatever you want to call it, you will go through a period where it seems that all your work is for nothing. You have to know that if you are putting into place all the required elements for a successful business that you are actually "getting your field ready for the rain". When the rain comes you will be ready to reap a bountiful harvest.

Everyday I go out into my field and pull weeds and plant more seed. I don't worry about seeing immediate results. If making money is your only motivation then you'll soon be frustrated and quit. You should be working your blog or website because you enjoy it. You have to be driven by something much deeper. The money is just the frosting on the cake. My cake is that I get to communicate with people that I would otherwise have never met and I get the chance to help them live out their dream with my tips and encouragement. I help them become more satisfied individuals. Thats my passion. That's my motivation.

What's you Motivation?

Luis Castillo is a successful online marketer who's website http://www.internet-home-business-builder.com has helped hundreds of aspiring online entrepreneurs.

This article may be posted freely on websites, blogs, classifieds and other online media as long as the authors' name and links remain intact.

In the 60's and 70's it was The Beatles vs Rolling Stones. In the 80's it was Lakers vs Celtics. In the 90's the topic that saw so many schoolyard arguments was indeed Mario vs Sonic. Who would win in a fight? Who would win in a race? Who cooks a better omelet? You name it, it was argued. There were no characters as recognised to children of the 90's as Sonic and Mario, with Sonic's "Q Score" (a rating that rates something based on it's popularity) even surpassing that of Mickey Mouse. With such results, it seemed obvious this rivalry wouldn't die out quickly.

Contrary to popular belief, Mario made his debut in the 1981 Donkey Kong game for the arcade. Although he was called "Jumpman" he looked exactly the same as the Mario that appeared in the first game with his name in the title "Mario Bros." This was a basic game that didn't scroll, and it required killing all the enemies in a "Phase" and then progressing to the next phase. In this age, it is hard to see the appeal of this game, but in it's time it was rather entertaining.

Mario's game that propelled him to the status of a household name was the first "Super Mario Bros" for the NES which is now the best selling video game of all time. This was the first side scrolling Mario game and it set a standard for all the 16 bit Mario games to come. While it was not the first side scrolling platformer, it was the first done well, and allowed other developers to copy the formula. For this reason, this game is hailed by many as the saviour of the video game industry as the industry was in a great deal of trouble before it's release.

Possibly more noteworthy, was Mario's transition into the 3d world. Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64 received perfect scores from countless professional review companies. It is still seen today as the best ever 3d platformer, and many have tried but failed to replicate the success of Super Mario 64.

Sonic's creators knew from the beginning that Sega needed a mascot for it's Genesis/Mega Drive system that could help market it's console to compete with Mario and the Super Nintendo. They looked at Mario and perceived him as stuffy and uninteresting and decided to tap into the younger generation who was after something "cooler" with more attitude. After many considerations including "Mighty the Armadillo" Sonic the Hedgehog was decided on and a team of 15 began work on what would be the first Sonic game, "Sonic the Hedgehog" for the Genesis/Mega Drive.

Popular opinion said Sonic didn't really hit his straps until the second game for the 16 bit console. In this his little sidekick Tails was introduced and collecting all the chaos emeralds saw Sonic transform into "Super Sonic" which was a yellow, super fast super strong version of the character.

Sonic's 3d games however have not seen the success of it's rival Mario. Sonic 3d Blast for the Genesis/Mega Drive was an average attempt, and it wasn't until the Dreamcast where we saw a 3d Sonic game that was really worth playing called "Sonic Adventure." However, since creating that formula that worked perfectly, Sega have made odd choices with games forcing you to play as Sonic's less entertaining sidekicks to access the fun Sonic levels. Sonic the Hedgehog on the 360/PS3 received awful reviews. Sonic and the Secret Rings for the Wii seems to be the only game since Sonic Adventure that has really got it right with Sega finally realising that what made the originals so fun, was Sonic's blistering speed.

Sega's decision to no longer create consoles has no seen the creation of the first game where Mario and Sonic can go head to head called "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games." After selling about 1 million copies of this game, it is clear this rivalry is still alive and kicking. Many have no doubt thought back to those schoolyard arguments and thought "Finally! I can prove x is better than y!"

Whatever your opinion is, it's no doubt you haven't seen your last debate on the topic. Just remember when you're ready to rip someone's throat out, it's only a game.

Mario and Sonic's battles will never end, and as long as they continue my blog will continue writing opinion pieces on the topic. Check out Wii want to Blog for all my adventures in Wii (and general gaming) including reviews, opinion pieces and news!