When I was chosen as spotlight Hubber (featured hub author) a couple weeks ago I was asked to write a hub that would tell my readers what I was passionate about.

I spent about 12-18 hours writing THIS hub but Ryan Hup- said it was not enough about me, and that it was too much about HubPages and not enough about the "personal side of Jerrico".

I ended up starting over and the featured hub I did write many of you already saw, that one was no doubt about me :)

This one however was about what they asked me to write- something I'm passionate about and HubPages is such a thing, because it was what helped me to find the writer IN me.

I was getting ready to delete this hub as well, it makes references to me being "currently" the featured Hubber, but after reading it over again I realized that that was actually only mentioned a few times in here and the bulk of this hub actually carried some good information I'd still like to share.

So read this knowing I'm no longer the featured Hubber, I was, it was fun, but I'm not now, but this is what I wrote the first time. I hope you enjoy it.

They told me to write a hub about something I'm deeply passionate about and I have to admit I'm most passionate lately about writing and this incredible Phenomenon called "Hub Pages".

I can honestly say that Hub Pages changed my life in many ways. Although I haven't made much money here as of yet, it was my Hub Pages articles that served as my resume' that overwhelmingly impressed my current virtual bosses (I say virtual because I only see them online hehe).

I started my writing career on HubPages and now have a full time, Online, Work completely from home, job writing blogs/blurbs/articles/mini articles. I make more now working on MY TERMS than I ever did before and I rather enjoy working at my own pace.

I honestly would not be where I am today, happy, enjoying life and liberated- Had I not found Hub Pages about 9 months ago. The format, the people, and the way Hub Pages seems to unlock my creative currents is what has pushed me to persevere to my current position, in fact I just got word that I am being considered for an even better higher paying position *smiles*. Hard work does pay off guys/girls.

I have to admit I have admired all those people whom have made it to the featured Huber spot, a place I consider a bit of royalty because it is your 15 minutes of fame and exposure across all Hubers.

I find that a person is not measured by what they've accomplished, or where they are in life, and not even who they've helped but how they use their accumulated power and time NOW. Everything else is a means to an end, the germination of the seed into a plant that is now capable of more.

Regardless of how you aquired that end, it's how you use the power you've produced, that truly defines you. The good news is that if you've made mistakes or have accumulated alot of mistakes you can change just by shifting your use of power.

Accomplishing alot only to abuse the power your efforts have generated is not only counter productive but it can push your progress backwards deminishing your power to do more good for yourself or anyone else.

But... ahhh but... If you accomplish alot and use that power to help others that in fact doubles your power because not only does helping others increase your powers impact, but it gives those you help hope, strength, inspiration, and enacts the law of reciprocation/pay it forward.

I have a unique disposition (at least according to experience and my astrologer) where I can only attain success through other people. My success comes naturally when I help others, its alot like I boost someone over the wall and they throw down their hand to pull me up there. If you ask me this is a blessing as it only allows me to run my engine if I apply earned fuel *wink*.

My point here is I've been given a gift here of exposure, and to have my words heard by thousands of people that otherwise wouldn't even know I exist, after all the hubpages community is very large. I write hubs to help those who are willing to hear my point of view (not neccessarily agree with it) so I ask that if anyone is reading this hub based on the the featured hubber of the week, I implore you to check out any of my 106 hubs, I hope this exposure helps the community more than it excites me *wink*.

I have to say, Hub Pages is one of the most interesting communities to be a part of. It is truly like a family in every sense of the word! The best part about our community is that even the big wigs themselves are like all of us. They don't wear some crazy getup, dine only at 500.00 a plate restaurants or hide from the very people that earn them the money.

No they are right here in the trenches with us, daily, actively, and even writing hubs! They have families, eat at regular places we all go, and if you bumped into one of them in the street they wouldn't intimidate you, they are such a funny bunch of people.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jason came into the office with a wadded ball of paper stash and tried to sneak up on Paul or Ryan only to be surprised when Ryan got the other 4 to hide and bomb him with paper wads and Nerf balls!

Like any family we bicker, argue in the forum, and sometimes we get a time out (I raise my hand as I'm still in the corner for losing my cool in the forum, although I've learned my lesson and have been a good boy for 6 months now) *smiles*

My "time out" is spent in not being allowed to post in the forum although I pray that one day that will be lifted because not being able to talk in the forum is like not being able to interact with the family around the dinner table :).

I deserved it however, truth is I let my personal life color my lack of patience in that first two months here on HubPages and well I was to put it mildly a jerk. I used my power incorrectly you could say. Jason one of the HubPages big wigs however banned me from HubPages in my second month and I felt horrible, as if I just got a great opportunity and got fired the next month!

I sat long and hard pondering everything and realized what I'd done, I spent all day bickering in the forum (non-productive and counter productive) and had only written 9 hubs!!! I'm ashamed to say they were not very good hubs at that!

Twenty Four hours later I sat in my living room sulking and I decided that I had to get back on HubPages, something told me that this site was the key to my destiny somehow and I was blowing it!

I wrote an email to Jason admitting to my mistakes and begged for him to give me just one more shot, (believe me I begged like a puppy at the dinner table on roast beef night!). I knew that this wouldn't cut it so I changed my power's polarity (from useless/counter productive to useful and productive) and offered my sword as collateral.

I reasoned that it was the forum that was the source of my problem and thus if I just stayed out of there and wrote hubs like a good hub-newbie, then I would offer the site (which although its hard to think of it as such, is after all a profit earning company) my potential income producing hubs, and would relinquish my right or potential to communicate with other members (in the particular word/verbal arguments).

I was so nervous I pulled out my Tarot cards and asked the gods if I had a chance! They said something that to this day I'm laughing about. "You will get what you deserve".

A week later I asked if I could go into the forum if I didn't post and he said of course (I was still learning this stuff after all and the forums very purpose was to share knowledge). Ironically I've only been in the forum in the past 6 months maybe 3 times and my writing of hubs has improved dramatically.

I learned the hard way that the pen/keyboard is truly mightier than the sword so to speak *wink*

^{I do have to say I never dreamed that I'd be the featured Hubber regardless of how many hubs, fans, Hub Score (high), or quality of my work I produced, so this comes as a shock to me (a very nice shock!!! Thank you Whitney, I'm in your debt!)}

Like any family we have one another's back no matter what, we help one another, share and share alike. We express our love through our writing and we are a community of inspired authors. It is this family that has helped me acquire my current success.

HubPages is much more than just a site you can write on, earn from, and visit when you need information on a term paper. It's an experience and if you embrace all it has to offer as I have, it can become a training ground for success in a vast array of opportunities.

I love hub pages, I've made 100.00 to date from adsense(will get my very first check soon) but I find this site incredibly intoxicating in many respects from social networking to the most personal thing there is- Sharing your writing and reading others thoughts.

Hub Pages is ingenious in its format and ability to turn anyone into a bonofide writer practically over night. For me it took about 3 months to go from completely green to writing hubs people genuinely said they found informative and entertaining. Hubs that were starting to generate $$$.

Sure many gave me a lot of constructive criticism about my hubs, and well as writers we don't like that criticism much do we... However it was that criticism (and my getting upset about it) that changed me into a Jedi Writer *smiles* (Luke BlogRocker?, Knight Writer? lol hehe I just love coming up with cute names (although knight writer I got from another Huber; Let the record show that his coinage was "Night" and mine was "Knight" hehe).

I was having a pretty bad week up to last night when I was given some good career news about a possible promotion which I can't go into yet as it's still hush hush only potential, but none the less to know your bosses are talking about you having entire conference calls talking about your work ethic in a job you absolutely love anyway is truly something that turns your worst week around. It gives you a warm feeling in the pit of your stomach replacing the once empty feeling a bad week gives you.

I went to bed last night well 6am this morning, as I'm always burning the midnight oil, with that news in my heart and I have to tell you I was in a really good place.

When I woke up today I discovered an email from Ryan Hupfer Mr. "Communicator of Awesomeness" with instructions on what to do to make my mark in Hubber spotlight history. (I just love these guys sense of humor, their not your run of the mill corporate boorish men in black types, more like will smith in men in black, I've only had the pleasure of talking briefly in emails with Ryan but in seeing all their hubs, forum posts etc.. I see some great people here running this amazing site)