The HNIC must digress for a moment to address a very important question posed to me in an email I received this morning.

As you should know by now, there has been a rising interest in people making money on the internet and if you are willing to work hard enough, it is possible to become one of the elite few who make thousands of dollars a day.

Jeremy Shoemaker (aka “Shoemoney”) is one of those elite few, and he has a Crazy Affiliate Summit Contest going on where all you have to do to enter is post on your site or blog why you should win the contest.

The winner gets all kinds of goodies, including a chance to hang out with Shoemoney, a platinum pass for the upcoming Affiliate Summit, and $2000 to roll on one hand of blackjack.

The reason I should win can be summed up in the same question I’m gonna ask at the blackjack table…

“What are the odds?”

As most of us in the Struggle know, this is a question we ask ourselves everyday.

What were the odds that a kid like me from the streets of St. Louis could avoid life in prison to become a Union Carpenter and save himself from being a statistic?

What were the odds that I could re-invent myself as an internet marketer when the recession hit three years ago and wiped out 3/4 of the construction business?

So now I am faced with a new odds question, “What are the odds of me winning this contest?” Like the ones before it, slim to none. This question has great company to mingle with though:

“What are the odds that I can truly become one of the internet elite and rub elbows with gurus like Shoemoney, Stephen Pierce, Mike Dillard, Mark LIng and be asked to speak at engagements like the Affiliate Summit?”

“What are the odds that although I lost house, car, fiancee, and work temporary day labor jobs to fund this present endeavor, I will one day look back at this and laugh?”

“What are the odds that although I presently live with an aunt who feels sorry for me, but is one of the few who still believes in me, I will thank her by buying for her the house of her dreams (along with mine, lol)?”

“What are the odds that although I presently “steal” internet time from libraries, hotels, and hospitals to keep this dream going, and my income from this is a few hundred dollars a month (my last check from Google was $200), I will one day be able to provide hosting for people who want to get started in this business?”

What are the odds indeed?

These questions burn constantly within me everyday. I have wasted hundreds of dollars so far in affiliate subscriptions, auto-blog software programs, push-button programs, gimmicks, and gizmos.

But I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I discovered that I have a burning passion for this. I can spend hours upon hours on the internet and never get tired of it. I also discovered I have a knack for writing and for some crazy reason, people seem to want more.

The lessons I have learned about personal and character development, networking and making friends already makes me successful.

Not to mention I plan on defying all the above-mentioned odds at some point before I pass on.

But Shoemoney be warned: If I win this contest, my packing will include 10 pads of paper, 100 pens, 3 audio recording devices, and the camcorder on my cell phone.

If I corner you by myself, I promise you I will use all of it to pick your brain and become the greatest “Shoe-ciple” you have ever known.