What's in a name?

I was headed down to South Beach the other day and my boyfriend decided to test out his Shazam app. We put in a few of the records he's worked on and Shazam picked up on every song accurately...until my album came on. We tried the first song..."Unable to recognize." Second song..."Unable to recognize." My debut album Studio 71 is available on iTunes, CdBaby, and all over internet download and radio stations yet Shazam can't recognize it. If someone heard my song in a club and tried to Shazam it it wouldn't work. If someone heard my song on a commercial and tried to Shazam it it wouldn't work. It's like I don't exist. 

Just in case the situation wasn't bad enough, my given last name is Giovachino. My whole life no one has been able to pronounce or spell my last name- not my teachers, my friends, no one. My given first name Lindsay was also repeatedly spelled Lindsey or Lyndsey or Linsey or any other bizarre combination of letters that you can come up with that aren't my name. Some people care about things like this- I don't. I'm so use to everyone not being able to spell or pronounce my name correctly that I've given up even correcting people. Even when I do correct people they won't remember next time so what is the point? 

When I was getting ready to release my album, my friend from Italy was in town and giving his feedback. He said that the name Lindsay doesn't exist or have meaning in Italy. Hell, even the English meaning is almost non-existent. I looked it up and this is the origin: It is of Old English origin, and the meaning of Lindsay is "Lincoln's marsh; island of linden trees". Place name. The surname of some of the major Scottish and English noble families. linden tree island. I'm an island. All by myself and non-existent to the rest of the world unless of course you're a linden tree.

Anyway, so my Italian friend Cesare and his beautiful wife Danila (whom the iPhone has decided to refer to as Chester Rae and Vanilla) decided to give me the name Lucia. It sounded beautiful when they said it. The meaning of the name is light. Perfect. The opposite of being non-existent. Plus, the theme of my music has always been to help people see the light and open up to the universe's endless possibilities. I loved it.  

 I made the decision of not including a last name on the album release because Giovachino was just impossible. Back when it was released there were two other Lucia's making music and both used their last names. One was from Europe and sang industrial metal music (which my music would never get confused for). The other was a classical artist who also used a last name (again no risk for confusion). Little did I know that by not including a last name I would be lumped together with any and every artist who has the name Lucia regardless of whether or not they use a last name. If you run a search for me in any music search engine the odds are that you'll now come up with 1,000 other Lucia's- none of which will be me. The only way I'm able to find myself is if I search for Lucia and Studio 71 together, which most people don't know the name of the album before they search. Anyway, it seems like a lost cause to me. 

Living in Miami, I have also now encountered issues with the name Lucia. In Italian it has a hard "ch" pronunciation as in Lu-che-a, but in Spanish it is a soft "c" as in Lu-see-a. I'm honestly not a fan of the softer pronunciation as my background is Italian and I think it sounds more beautiful and exotic with the hard "ch." At least I'm use to people messing up my name already, but it definitely adds an additional layer of confusion when people try to speak about me or search for me. 

I put so much time and effort into making the album and it's really disappointing to know that people can't find me and my music. It's as if my music doesn't exist. I don't exist. I'm this obscure completely unknown phantom creating music that only a few select souls who cross my path will ever get to hear. I've been toying around with some last name ideas and since I'm also in the wine business and a big fan of contrasts and darkness I think that it's only fitting that my last name should be Noir. Lucia Noir. I will re-release my old album along with some new tracks in addition to the new album I'm working on. 

In the end, maybe it's all just karma for me being terrible with names and never remembering anyone else's name. I'm great with faces, but terrible with names. To me a name is a word and words are just signs pointing at the truth. You can never really capture the true meaning of anything with a name or a word. In fact a lot of the time words are a distraction from the real truth. My album is everyone's album. The collective unconscious. Consciousness emerging into being. If you hear it then you're meant to hear it and hopefully it opens up your awareness and understanding of whatever situation you're in. If you don't know whose singing the song and you can't attach a face, a body, and an image to it then it just becomes part of you. After all, it's not me, Lucia, singing the songs. We are all connected so it's actually some other version of you in an altered time/space reality. A version of you that wanted to write songs, sing, connect the world, and have fun doing it. 

Share comments of your experiences, insights, and ideas so we can connect and be a part of each others creations. Cheers! 

@LiveLoveLucia
Facebook.com/LiveLoveLucia
LiveLoveLucia.com

Three Way: Misery loves Company but Company loves Truth. Truth loves Misery and Company and Itself.

I just heard about something that I'm praying is just some practical joke being passed around. I heard that there is someone in Miami who is putting HIV infected needles at gas stations so when people go to pump their gas they get pricked with the needle and infected. I don't even want to think about what type of person would spread a rumor like that if its not true, let alone what type of person would actually do that if it is true. So disturbing.

Pain makes people do crazy things. If the rumor above was true, I can only imagine what intense pain this person must be suffering to want to inflict that pain on everyone else in the world. Isn't that always the first reaction to being hurt- the desire to retaliate or make others understand and empathize with our pain? We want others to feel what we feel so we are not alone in our misery. It makes us feel better to justify the ego's sense of self by saying "See, other people feel what I feel. What I feel is real, valid, and true. I exist." In doing so we just give more energy and power to the pain, person or situation that hurt us by passing it onto others.

What if you hear that negativity day in and day out? Initially you might be able to be strong, remain positive and not give in to the negativity, but eventually little doubts would creep in. Before you know it you would find yourself right in the middle of that negative energy. Like attracts like and misery loves company. Who are you surrounding yourself with? Do these people support you and your goals? If the answer is no then I suggest you get out while you can. Distance yourself from those people, situations, and environments that are not conducive to you being the best you can be and living up to your greatest potential. It seems obvious, but far too often we stay in a bad situation long after we should have left.

Now this doesn't mean you can't be there for a friend in need. We all have our ups and downs and it's important to support people in your life when they aren't feeling well and their energy is low. How great is it to confide in a friend and have them offer you that little bit of insight that transforms how you see yourself or a situation? When you're energy is high and you are feeling good you have a lot to offer the world and won't be affected by the negativity around you. In fact, you're energy will be so strong that you will be able to transform the negative energy into positive by being that friend with the great insight. It's only when you are constantly bombarded with the negative energy and feeling a little run down that the negative starts to seep in.

Last night I went out to dinner with my boyfriend and happened to be very stuck in my head trying to brainstorm creative marketing ideas for artists. I just needed to come up with that one thing- something witty, inventive, eye-catching, and wildly entertaining. He was very supportive and helpful trying to brainstorm ideas, but I quickly shot everything down. I got fixated on it to the point where I was not a very good companion or dinner partner just sitting there and thinking in my own head. Luckily, he was pretty good at sustaining his positive energy and not letting me get him down so eventually I was able to bounce out of the funk and out of my head. When you're feeling good have have extra energy be sure to do whatever you need to in order to sustain that energy so your overabundance can spill out onto others.

Be thankful for those people who are there for you when you're feeling down. Be aware of your own energy level and what you are capable of giving to others in any given moment. If you're feeling discouraged, disappointed, depressed, or angry then try to channel that energy into something creative. Maybe it's a painting or a song or writing. Maybe it's working out or calling up a friend that you know is feeling good and can help you out. Anything to get that energy out of you without retaliating or bringing others down with you. One of the reasons I started writing songs was to channel the intense sadness and anger I felt growing up and finding my way through different relationships. I related to artists who had "depressing" songs because they perfectly articulated what I was going through. Like I mentioned above misery loves company. It helps to know others have been there before and you're not alone. If someone else can get through it then so can you.

Support groups are great and friendships are even better. Self therapy through creative outlets is sublime. In fully confronting and acknowledging what is bringing you down without fixating or holding onto resentment about it, you cease to give it power over you. Bring your darkness and your shadow out into the light. Confront it and don't be afraid.

***PAY ATTENTION*** CRUCIAL LIFE TRANSFORMING INFORMATION AHEAD:

As I evolved in my writing I began to transform my feelings through song to achieve my goals. I saw myself writing negative lyrics about being lonely, wanting a man who didn't want me, heartbreak, etc. One day it dawned on me that I was stuck in this negative cycle of reacting to situations instead of creating. I decided to use my feelings as an emotional guide and write lyrics that made me feel just slightly better or provided deeper insight into my situation. It wasn't about lying to myself or writing lyrics I didn't believe in. It was about focusing on what I wanted instead of what I didn't want. So instead of writing about being lonely I would write about how I knew there was someone out there for me. They both have similar meanings. In both senses I was without someone, but one made me feel depressed and one made me feel hopeful. This changed my life.

I met the man of my dreams, but he was in a relationship at the time. Instead of letting it get me down I started writing about our connection and the active transformation of our situation to bring us together. Within one year he had split with his girlfriend and we were living together. We are still happily living together and making music 5 years later.

I'm not claiming that songs can work magic. The whole year I wasn't with him felt painful and hopeless like I would never get what I wanted. What the whole experience taught me was the power of intention, focus, and positive feeling in manifesting your desires. Ever since The Secret came out I feel like these ideas got a bad wrap by people who misunderstood them. Think about what you want, feel good about it and it will come to you. It's not as easy as that. Maybe it is for some people but I haven't mastered that belief yet so for me it remains true that if you want something you have to work hard for it. You have to take risks and put yourself out there. Everyday and with every ounce of your being you have to know, believe, speak, and act with the intent of creating what you desire. Every negative self-defeating thought that crosses your mind you have to shoot down and replace it with positive. The bad news is: it's constant work. It's laser beam focus. It's energetic intention. It's meditation. The good news is: it's simplicity. In true form and in alignment with the dual nature of life and universal understanding: the hardest task in the world is also the simplest. I think therefore I am. What are you thinking about?

Religion, The Secret, astrology, tarot cards, psychics, self-help books, etc. All of these are just tools with as much or as little meaning as the video you just watched on YouTube. It's all about the power you give to an idea, discipline, or thought. If you believe it to be true, speak as if it's true, act as if it's true then it is true. It is Your Truth. There is no absolute truth because the duality of reality says that the exact opposite exists as well. Your truth can be completely opposite from someone else's truth yet they can both be "true." If you relate to it and it feels good to you then go with it. Trust yourself. You decide what world you want to live in. You are the creator of your life as you are part of all creation. What are you going to do now?

Social Media- Gain More Friends, Likes, Followers, Repins and Enlightenment

My friend asked me to be a featured guest on her radio show so I listened in to her latest broadcast and stumbled across BlogTalkRadio. It let's you create your own radio show and broadcast live, which seems pretty interesting. So the wheels in my head started turning and if I can keep up with this blog, my youtube channel and writing new songs then maybe I'll branch out into a radio show. How many people have their own radio shows? Their own blogs? Facebook, twitter, pinterest, instagram, youtube, linkedin, foursquare...the list goes on forever.  There are services to help you gain followers, likes, repins, etc. Where is all of this "social interaction" headed? Where does it end?

The more we as a culture get into social media, the more it seems we get away from real social interaction. I went to a party last weekend and felt it was almost painful to carry on a conversation with the other guests. I didn't really feel like I had much in common with them. Shouldn't that be a good thing though? Shouldn't we engage in some heated debate or share our different world viewpoints? All of the social media outlets allow us to connect with things and people we are interested in, but what about the things/people we're not interested in? De-friend them. Don't follow them. Block them. Where does this get us? 

It seems that all of this leads to people becoming spoiled and intolerant of other's viewpoints creating an ego driven society trapped in duality. The ego wants to separate out what it "is" and what it "is not," thus giving it existence and making it feel real. Without separation there cannot be existence. To exist, the opposite "non-existence" or death must also be created simultaneously. But is this real? Everything and everyone is connected. We are all energy. One. By denying and pushing away that which we hate, we actually deny a part of ourselves. We disconnect from the truth and source. 

Some people use the term God, which in and of itself can cause such heated arguments and wars. But for what? A misunderstanding of a word? If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-encompassing then God is all. There is no other way to define God, but as everything. There cannot be something or someone that is not God because then God would not be God. Duality cannot exist if you truly understand God beyond words and limiting definitions. God is light and dark. Good and evil. Young and old. Male and female. 

The mind has trouble wrapping itself around this concept. Zen koans capture this essence in witty one-liners that make the brain freeze. Stop- thinking. Spinning wheel on the computer. Error. How can something exist and not-exist at the same time? To fully understand the concept is to be fully absorbed by it. The world of duality will still exist as it always must in order for existence and life to continue. You will still be in it, but fully aware of it. Watching it. Observing. Laughing when the ego gets pulled back into duality. Free to play in the world as a child without preconceptions of what is good or bad. Just simply marveling at the miracles of what is. Without judgement. Without attachment. Without labeling "right" or "wrong." Just being. Breathing. Eternal life in every moment achieved through the constant killing of the ego, the walking dead zombie, the vampire, the false self. 

If you fail- try again

Each time I've tried to blog I've failed. I start, I get lazy, I forget. I'm sure a lot of people are feeling that way right now since the first month of 2013 is over. Sure you had big ambitions on New Years and the first days of January- resolutions, dreams, hopes, goals. But what about now? How many of those resolutions have you stuck to? Are you still working out and eating healthy? Have you finally quit that terrible job? Quit smoking? Paid off your credit cards? Or did you last about a week or two before you fell back into your old habits?

It's tough to make a change in your life. They say it takes 21 days to create new habits and most of the time we don't make it that long. That's okay. Accept your failures. Each time you try to accomplish something you learn something new about yourself or about the process even if you don't achieve what you set out to do. There is saying I always tell my students in my yoga class: yoga is a journey, not a destination. It's not about the final posture. It's about the presence of mind and active attention to each step that really makes up a yoga practice. Same thing with life- a great life is not made up of what you accomplish, but how you feel every step of the way, the people you meet along the journey, the experiences shared, etc. Same thing with anything you are trying to accomplish. It's about the journey- not the destination. The quicker you accept that then the sooner the frustration, anxiety, and disappointment dissipates.

Let yourself fail. You were always supposed to fail. You are exactly where you are supposed to be doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. You have a choice in every moment- to let the experience get you down and make you angry or sad or let the experience prepare you for the next one and make you feel smarter, stronger, and more confident. Try again armed with your new knowledge. The only time you can ever really fail is if you stop trying. We're taught as kids that if you fall off your bike you have to get back on and try again. How quickly we forget this as we get older though. The only thing standing in your way is yourself and your belief that you failed.

Action Steps:

1) Think of what you have accomplished so far this year. Even if it's just a list of attempts you, keep in mind that you are still one step ahead of where you were back in 2012 before you attempted and before you "failed."

2) Set new goals and recognize what has held you back from accomplishing goals in the past. Whether its self-doubt, lack of dedication or motivation, not having a support system, etc. you need to know what has held you back before so you can overcome the challenges when they present themselves again.

3) Tell someone else about your goals, dreams, wishes, and hopes. It can be me, your sister, your mother, your significant other, your friend, facebook, twitter, or anyone. It doesn't matter who. In fact it can even just be yourself as long as you write it down, put it in a song, paint a picture of it, or do something active demonstrating your intention to yourself. This will hold you accountable and make you take it seriously.

4) Enjoy the journey and know that you are capable of more than you think.

As for me well so far in 2013 I've done a 7 day juice cleanse, paid down a significant portion of my credit card debt, started writing a book (so I can remember my life experiences as I want to and not how facebook displays it), begun a 30-Day Challenge to master organization and achieve my goals, and made another attempt at keeping up with this blog. Stay tuned as I plan on posting excerpts from my book and links to new songs I've been writing to help share the lessons I've learned which may help you to actualize your full potential, surround yourself with love, and live your dreams. We're all in this together.

Cheers!
Lucia
www.facebook.com/LiveLoveLucia
@LiveLoveLucia