The United States of America is an old land of opportunities. There is a new and better land of income opportunities that does not require passport and visa. You do not have to go there; it will come to you, if you want.
The term 'anand' means bliss, joy and happiness. But Anand was sad. He was an unemployed graduate. Though that fact should have made him unhappy and depressed, the actual reason for his unhappiness and depression was different. All his close friends were working in the United States. He could not get a job abroad. So, he was unhappy. It did not matter that he could not get a job here. "Do you know the history of America?" I asked him. "I don't know and I don't care to know. All I want to know is whether I can get a job in the United States and become prosperous in this life. The USA is the land of opportunities and I want to go there," Anand said to me.
"It is a fact that the USA is the most prosperous country in the world. That prosperity came out of nothing," I told Anand. "How could that be true?" Anand asked me. "A few hundred years ago millions of people in Europe had very difficult living conditions. Though they aspired to improve their standard of living, they did not know what to do next. When they heard that a new continent called America had been discovered, people who wanted to become prosperous migrated to America. They took a great risk by going to an unknown land leaving behind everything they possessed." I said. "That's a wise decision," Anand said. "They too thought so before they landed in the new continent. As soon as they reached America, they realised their folly. There was nothing there that they aspired for," I said and continued, "They found vast area covered by virgin forest that was full of natural resources. They had freedom. But, there were no houses and no food. They had only two alternatives before them - survival or death. If they wanted to eat an ordinary biscuit, they had to convert the virgin forest into cultivable land, import wheat seeds, grow wheat and sugar beet, produce sugar, manufacture their own stove and make their own matches. They had to do everything. They had to work, work and work. They had nothing but work,"
"Is that the reason why hard work is in the blood of Americans?" Anand asked. "Yes. In the early days, for settlement people could obtain several hundred acres of land free of cost. There were no opportunities in that land, because what they got was actually nothingness. What they got was the potential to create opportunities. They worked hard to convert that potential into opportunities and created their own opportunities. Infinite prosperity was the result of infinite work on infinite potential for infinite opportunities," I said to Anand. "Oh, my god! You see, my aspiration is correct. If I go to America, I will get land for free!" Exclaimed Anand. "Not any more! Those times are past in America." I told Anand, "But if you are willing to work hard with enthusiasm, willing to acquire knowledge and willing to create your own prosperity, I will tell you about a new land of infinite income opportunities. There you can get as much land as you like for peanuts."
"I have not read the newspaper for the past ten days. Has someone discovered a new continent? I am ready to go there straight from here. Please tell me about the visa procedure," Anand said and became interested in the topic. "You don't have to go there. It will come to you. Passport and visa are not required. It is called the Internet," I replied.
"Internet? I don't follow what you say," he said. "Think of Internet as a new continent with potential for opportunities. Think of yourself as that man who takes the risk of going to an unknown continent, acquiring knowledge about it and working ceaselessly. If you do that, you can enjoy American prosperity in the comfort of your own room without ever leaving your native place." I told Anand.
"Do you mean there is potential for income opportunity for people like me?" Anand asked. "Not just potential. There are already thousands of opportunities. Your prosperity is limited only by your imagination and creativity. You can build a web business on a few acres of cyberspace or extend it over a few thousand acres. It's your choice. Unlike the early handicapped Americans, there are many guides, tools and resources to help you start your career as a web entrepreneur," I explained.
"Okay. I am ready to try my luck in web business. What should I do?" He asked. "Whatever comes to you naturally will prove to be the best business for you. Years ago, during the American gold-rush, people gave up their jobs and travelled long distances in search of gold. Only a few found gold and made money. Many of them suffered and died. But, some intelligent people, instead of searching for gold set up shops and sold gold-digging gear such as picks, sieves and explosives which they sold to the gold hunters. All the sellers made money and became prosperous. I think you too can become prosperous by helping people who try to become prosperous." I told Anand.
"It means that I can help people who want to go abroad through my website and make money? It's a good idea. How much does it cost to develop a website?" Anand asked me. "If you are careful in your shopping, you can get a domain name and a good web hosting package for Rs.2,500. Compare this with setting up a physical shop or office. It will cost many times more," I said. "I agree. Will there be other expenses?" Anand asked me. "If you learn to develop websites and content, there will be no other expenses," I assured him. "It sounds great," Anand said with a smile. After collecting information from me about useful books, websites and resources, he left my place.
We met after three months. "I have not heard anything about your website yet," I complained to Anand. "It will be ready soon. Even before its launch, I have started to make money," he replied. "How did that happen?" I enquired.
"To develop content for my website, I did a lot of online research. Sometimes, I could not get answers to important questions. To solve this problem, I became a member of many web bulletin boards for free. Whenever I could not find an answer to a question, I would post it on a board and get replies from dozens of faceless online friends. One of them has an online travel business in Philippines. Many people from his country migrate to the United States every year. This friend thought if he could use my content on his website that would pull more visitors to his website and improve his travel business. He has licensed my content for $100 (Rs.4,500) a month on non-exclusive basis. He has promised that he would help me by introducing a few of his friends that would also license my content," Anand explained.
"You are very resourceful. You make money by helping the gold-hunter gear-sellers that help the gold hunters," I said happily. Anand laughed aloud. Anand means bliss, joy and happiness.