So its that time. That time in my life where I come to grips with how much time has passed. 10 years since I graduated from High School. See my reaction to the invite here. Many people are either excited about the opportunity to see how much better they are doing verses everyone else, and others are simply excited about seeing old friends. I look at it as a time for self evaluation. Not to compare myself to anyone else, or see who I can look down on, but to really evaluate where I am on my quest to live out my dreams. I have accomplished a lot and met so many new wonderful people since then. I am the same person essentially but so much more. I believe every single thing that has happened in my life up to this point has happened for a reason, Good and Bad.  This weekend I will evaluate the following questions:

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That title may sound a little strange, but the reason for this post is to think about that question, Who has to die before you push yourself to the limit? I’m sure you have heard the stories of great people who stopped at nothing to achieve great dreams after dedicating that dream to a recently passed loved one. Ever head something this before:

“I shared all my dreams with her, she was a major motivating factor in my life and she had always told me to go after my dreams and that I could do and have anything as long as I believed in myself, had faith, and stayed in action. After she passed away I new I needed to honor and dedicate my life to making her proud. I had a new determination to let nothing stop me, I was focused…”

I have heard touching stories like this many times in media and in everyday life, but I could never understand why someone has to die for “some” people to give everything they have to go after their dreams with determination. Who is that person for you? Don’t you think it would be more special to

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Remember when you were a kid and sat around imagining you where this or that? Those were great times because there was no limit set on what you could do or be. To make your dreams into reality these days its going to take a little creative imagination and role playing. Think about the type of lifestyle you desire…, go ahead think.

Now where is the closest place you can go to see how it feels to live that lifestyle?

Some people visit exotic car dealerships, museums, fine dining restaurants, parks, shopping districts, universities, 5 Star Hotels, Lounges etc. You need to go to that place that makes you feel alive, where you can visualize and experience how it will feel to live your desired lifestyle. Many have said that to obtain exactly what it is you want out of life you have to be able to picture it in your mind and focus on it. There is not better way to do it than in person.

For me, car shows, fine dining, and luxury hotels usually do the trick. When returning back to my regular life I tell myself one thing, “If I want that lifestyle, I must believe and do something about it!”

“VISUALIZE!!! Rehearse your future

VISUALIZE!!! See it, feel it! This is where action begins” - The Secret

Over the weekend I watched a documentary on Discovery Channel about “The Impossible City” which is Dubai. I have seen many of the other documentaries covering the progress of Dubai’s mind boggling construction projects which are setting a new bar for the imagination and limits of one’s dreams. I labeled this post “Dubai = dooziUp!” because everything that’s going on there is an exact representation of what doozieUp is stands for.

“doozie up - Something that is extraordinary or outstanding of its kind. To make more attractive or appealing”

The leaders of Dubai sought to eliminate its country’s dependency on the oil and natural gas industry by developing their country into the ultimate tourist destination and business hub for the world. They have succeeded and are still in the process of building some of the most amazing buildings the world has ever seen. Some of these innovations include an indoor ski resort in the middle of the dessert, the worlds tallest building, the worlds first man made island cities, and many more. Actually, Dubai would need a series of posts solely dedicated to the innovative projects that are taking place there. What I am concerned about in this post is relating Dubai’s transformation to the transformation we need to make in our own lives.

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There is no need to mention that we are in a strange time with global recession rumors, bailouts, failing stock markets, and many other not so good news around the globe. Don’t worry, I don’t look to reinforce the negative things that are going on right now, instead I rather focus on what lies on the other side of our so called “economic crisis”.

In history every economy has gone through cycles. Cycles of massive prosperity and cycles of extreme lack and scarcity. What I am trying to focus my energy and hopes on is the next wave of prosperity. So here are a few questions I ask myself when thinking about this.

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Photo by: Michael Falco for The New York Times

As promised when I am exposed to good advice to help better my life I will share it with everyone. Liz Strauss posted this Top 10 list on Successful Blog which really embodies everything I believe about actively going after your dreams, and making life what you truly want it to be. As you read this list try evaluating how each point relates to you and how you can deploy these points in your life, if you’re not already.

Feedback please, lets discuss. Enjoy…

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Prosperity by OhSoAbNomral on Flickr

I guess the general sentiment around the country and now even the world is that we are in a financial crisis. Banks are getting bailed out, the markets are anything but normal, and politicians are on the offensive looking for solutions and who to blame. Now that we are in the tail end of the 2008 United States  Presidential Election one term has surfaced and stuck in my mind. The “trickle-down effect”. To sides argue that on one end the wealthy should be allowed to continue to prosper and that prosperity will trickle down to the middle class eventually. The other side argues

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I am currently attending “Blog Orlando” getting new insights and exposing myself to new ideals and tools when it comes to the web, social media, blogging, and new tools. I beleive these are the types of events that are going to advance my career and ultimately lead me down a path to realizing my dreams. If your not constantly pouring knowledge and new exposure into your life you are limiting yourself. Get out there and go to events and conferences on things your interested in. Eventually that knowledge and exposure is going to lead you to a discovery. Maybe a new career, business, or just something that betters your life. Never know… I will try my best to write another post on some of what I learned here. Stay tuned…

I didn’t want mess with this article in anyway trying to put my own 2 cents in. I just wanted to share it with my readers. These are really good principles to get you to that life you have always wanted. You can find the source of  this article at zenhabits.

This post was written by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead.

Most of us have heard something like this before: “You have a lot of potential,” or in school, “You have so much potential, work hard and you might realize it.”

The only problem is no one seems to tell us where to start or how to achieve our fullest potential. After all, potential is such an ominous term. You can’t measure it. You can’t quantify it. You can’t define potential.

Even though we may not ever be able to measure our potential, we can develop habits to help us grow. Here are 7 essentials I’ve found to ensure that you are the best possible version of yourself:

1. Have an open mind. Everyone talks about how important having an open mind is. But what they don’t say is how much having an open mind can affect your potential. A lot of opportunities pass us by because we’re stuck in a limited pattern of thinking, or we’re afraid to take a risk. If there’s no actual real (or perceived) danger, take the risk. The worse that can happen is you’ll look silly. Having an open mind is the first step to reaching your potential, because it gives you the willingness to take risks. We’ll never be the best we can be by playing it safe. As the saying goes: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be where you’ve always been.”

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Boy I just got that dreaded invitation in the mail! It’s time for my “10 year class reunion”. The quintessential point in your life when you start evaluating where you are, where you’re going, and if you’re where you thought you would be. Mind you I was the person quoted in the year book saying, “I will be a very wealthy man in 10 years”. Laughing…

Have I done it? Any many areas yes, since we all know wealth isn’t just about money and things. My life is wonderful other then the financial piece. I have a wonderful marriage that’s going on 2 years, great friends, and a huge loving family that does everything together. I have a great job (temporarily hopefully) were I enjoy working, while I have to.

So what’s my problem? Within myself I know that I am on the right track to getting exactly where I want to be. I have many projects going on currently that are taking me closer and closer to my goals, but should I be further along at this point? No. I believe every failure I’ve had thus far has brought me closer to my goals, so coming into this time of self evaluation I am quite proud of myself. I don’t compare myself to others, but to my own expectations, and as you all have read in previous posts those expectation are large and real. No “pie in the sky” here.

Well today is August 12, so I have until November to polish off the rest of that wealth I was supposed to have! Laughing… I’m actually glad I set such a high goal back then, because though I’m not “Wealthy” at this point I have never forgotten that quote and have been working towards it since then. Striving for such a great goal on an exact time frame has brought me so far and further than I would have gone if I had no goal at all.

How was your class reunion(s)? Did you find yourself evaluating how far you have come and how your life has changed since you last saw all your class mates? Set any new goals since? If not you should, challenge yourself and see how far you can go by the next one. You don’t know what your capable of until you try and believe you can!

“We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.”- Woodrow T. Wilson

You ever notice on some days when your anxious to get some where or are in a hurry, every street light you reach you get stopped. No matter what turns you make, or what short cut you try, stop, stop, after stop. Then there are other days whe your relaxed and just going with the flow and light after light you get the green. Seems like in life it’s the same cycle. Some people constantly get stopped from moving towards there goals and dreams by one thing or another. So much to the point that they stop moving all together and get stagnant.

When you stop moving forward your cutting yourself off to that cycle of good and prosperirty that’s coming your way, the green light. If you just conitnue to move you will get to a phase when you start getting the green. GO, GO, GO! When things just start to fall into place as if someone up above was moving the pieces for you. In fact I believe in all things God will stop you to build your character first, and prepare you. Then He gives you the green! This post is interesting for me personally because I feel myself moving into the “Green Light” era in my life. The time for stopping and roadblocks are now beginning to move, and opportinity and prosparity is all around me. Just observing the things happening around me is really exciting as I anticipate what’s coming next.

“You may get stopped often, and run into obstacles, but keep moving, keep striving for what you really want in life. One day your going to notice when you start getting the green light in all that you do. That’s when it’s “Your Time”, don’t quit before you get there, it may be just around the corner.” - emdoozie

How do you learn from your examples? By now almost everyone has heard of James Dyson and his Dyson Vacuum Cleaners. But do you know the story of where he came from and the journey he traveled to get to his current level of success? Some do, others don’t, but what’s for sure is if he didn’t know what he wanted and dreamed big, his inventions wouldn’t be featured in retail stores and museums throughout the world.

In my opinion I am not very good at any one thing, but I do know in all things I am persistent and determined to live the life I have imagined for myself. No matter what I try, be it a new idea, or a joining business venture, I will continue to go after my “ideal life”. I got it, I’m good at trying stuff and hoping it takes me to my dreams, laughing! It took Dyson 14 years before his first product hit a retail store. He could have given up on year 6, 7, or 8. Through those 5000 prototypes of developing his product what number would you have quit on? From what I have read about James Dyson and now understand is if you enjoy what your doing it doesn’t matter how long it takes to become successful, because your enjoying the ride. Find what you love, go after it, and dream big. Never know where you’ll end up?

From Dyson.com:

“You know the feeling when some everyday product lets you down. ‘I could have designed this better myself’, you think. But how many of us turn our thoughts into actions?

James Dyson does.

He is a man who likes to make things work better. With his research team he has developed products that have achieved sales of over $6 billion worldwide”

Recently I was reading an article on entrepreneur.com that discussed entrepreneurship and becoming succeeful at an early age. It was an interview with Jennifer Kushell the author of Secrets of the Young & Successful: How to get everything you want without waiting a lifetime. That title alone envokes the exact thoughts I have about becoming successful. I don’t believe you have to be silver haired and in your latter years to be a great success, yet so many people put that limitation on themselves. In the article Jennifer describes the charactersitics she thinks of when the “young and successful” come to mind:

• They display high levels of optimism and confidence.
• They possess vision and passion in their dreams and convictions.
• They ensure that they surround themselves with other like-minded people.
• They’re highly resourceful, creative and inventive.
• They seize opportunities and create their own whenever possible.
• They know what motivates them.
• They have a strong sense of personal identity.
• They have spent a substantial amount of time on introspection and self-discovery.
• They refuse to let other people dictate how they should live.
• They take responsibility for their happiness.
• They spin challenges into their greatest motivators-and sometimes biggest advantages.
• Most importantly, they take control and ownership of their lives and careers early on, and never let go.

I can identify with everyone of those points. This is a good example of why we all need to constantly be on our game and searching within ourselves about what we want and how we are going to get it.

“YOU ARE WHAT YOU WANT”- emdoozie

Check out Jennifer’s Book:

It seems like it’s been a long time now that I have been on the quest to start my own business and become financially free. Trying all types of quirky things to say, “I’m in business”, most of which didn’t work. Don’t loose site though, the reason you try business after business or idea after idea is that you’re determined to change and take control of your life and how your live it. Every venture you have ever been apart of has been your learning experience and is bringing you closer and closer to that one idea that’s acutally going to work. Only problem is if you stop trying one idea short of that waiting success, you will never know. If one doesn’t work, just start over. Don’t give up, take everything in stride and learn from every experience and develop that knowledge to make your next idea great.

Let me tell you that I have tried all types of ways to make money, and start my own businesses. Problem is when your working with little to know money you take what you can get when it comes to business. I believe I’m on track now to that one that’s going to work. I rather not talk about it now until I prove it’s not another learning experience. LOL

Have faith in God that he is leading you in a certain direction for a reason. Never stop and never settle, but do be grateful and humble. That major turning point is just around the corner. Until then keep dreaming, focusing on what you truly want, and taking action.

“Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.” - Unknown

Need an idea? Read this article to show you how to generate one: Your Eureka Moment…

This is a question that should be posed to kids right out of highschool. Before going to college or picking a major, kids should be asked what would they love to do, what are you interested in. All money aside, this is the main question that makes or brakes lives. Maybe there should be some curriculumn in college that just expsoses students to many subjects to spark their interests before they are allowed to pick a major.

I love where I work (since I have to currently) but I don’t love what I do. To tell you the truth I am not sure what I love doing. Since college I have not had much time to think about what I have a passion for because I was so focused on getting a “good job” that would guarantee a good living. Going into college my whole mentality was, “what major will guarantee me the most money for the least amount of schooling”. Yeah, funny right. In 1998 Computer Information Systems was the winner, so that’s where I ended up.

I am not a natural born geek like many of my co-workers, though I do have geek tendencies, but I can say this field has exposed me to many ways I can achieve my goals. I guess the question that always comes up is, if money was not an object, what would you be doing? I would coach HighSchool Football. In my opion Highschool Football is were the sport is most pure and uncorrupted. Yet there in lies a problem, I also love exotic cars, traveling, timepieces, nice homes and other lavish things. If you find me a HighSchool Football Coach who has this life, please point him out.

In the mean time I am going to focus on building a business ( I enjoy) which will afford me control over my time as well as financial freedom. Then I can Coach Football and enjoy the fabulous life as well. This is what doozieUp is all about, creating your life to be exactly what you want. I know I can do this, I hope you know it too.

To live your ideal existence you need to:

• Find out what your passionate about
• Discover how your going to earn your desired income with it, or an outside income to support it
• Set Goals, Take Action, Take Action, Don’t Settle, Don’t Compromise

“Be thankful for where you are and appreciative, but don’t settle for less than your full potential. Go higher and further then you have ever imaged, as long as you stay true to who “you” are and what “you” want. Don’t do it to impress others, or you will be left feeling empty because other peoples adoration is short lived” - emdoozie