But we have fallen victims to our own absurd rhetoric. The Internet seems so easy. For centuries, wealth depended on land. Without fields to cultivate (hopefully, with someone else's labor), prosperity was only a vain hope.

With the growth of the middle class, there were options at last. But wealth still depended upon capital – money for a physical location; money for products to sell; money for labor to serve customers. And great wealth depended on really large sums of money to build factories, shipyards and railroads.

Fast forward to today and anyone at all can have a business. An average guy with a computer can sit in a spare bedroom and build an impressive-looking business for a few dollars. He doesn't even need a product in stock.

So it seems logical that a business so easily created ought to be easily successful. But it isn't. I receive constant email from folks who've bought a $29.95 ebook or a $49.95 piece of software – and can't understand why they aren't rich yet.

This total misunderstanding results in massive pain, disillusion and bitterness. Because the truth is that e-commerce is a b-u-s-i-n-e-s-s. A successful business has always demanded much, but the ease of creation has lead people to believe that the same rules that have always applied to business don't apply to the web. But they do.

If you want more, you must become more:

* More wisdom
* Better decisions
* A higher level of skill
* A clearer vision
* Dedication to constant and unending learning

I have to become more - and so do you if you want more and different.

No excuses.

No victims.

Just the way it is. Ignore this truth and success will continue to elude you. Embrace it and you're firmly on your way.