a superficial game i refuse to play

yesterday, while working a temp job @ a company that does reality shows (gotta pay the rent, u know) i was asked to be in an adventure reality show. now i’m not really down with the whole reality tv thing… i know that most of it is not really reality and to say i’m big on authenticity in an understatement… also, i don’t really feel comfortable exposing myself that way on national television… if i’m going to do tv it’s going to be music related or a project i felt passionate about… anyway i digress… before i could tell this young casting associate my feelings on reality shows, she asked me how old i was… and when i told her i was 28…she replied, ” oh my god, you look soooo much younger. i though you were like 22.” but it wasn’t really a compliment. or maybe it was, albeit a fucked up compliment when considering her tone and demeanor. then she went on to say “oh well that wouldn’t work because the oldest we want on the show is 25.” not that it matters cause i would never have done the show anyway, but it was very interesting to me that because i’m 28 rather than 22 or 25 (though i “look” younger) i am no longer desired for the show. what a difference a number can make! lol! and how attached we are to these numbers!?

now those that know me, know that i’m a big advocate of timelessness. i think that time is a negative restraint. that it is a box that we put ourselves in, our dreams in, our lives in… and though time is necessary (hey let’s meet up at 8pm or i’d like to finish this song by next week) it ultimately, in my heart and mind and spirit, does not exist. i wonder when did we get so caught up in age? especially in LA it’s SUCH a huge thing…and in entertainment it’s even BIGGER! i remember many music execs telling me “well it’s such a fabulous thing that you look younger, so we can lie about your age.” and a lot of artists do that. but i refuse to. it’s a superficial game that i refuse to play.

we are collectively responsible though for perpetuating this way of thinking. how many times do i hear people complain about getting older or lying about their age, rather than celebrating each year? Let us celebrate the lessons, growth, experience, knowledge gained and beauty of each moment of our lives! Yea!

consciously creating 2010

last year i didn’t make any new year’s resolutions…  and though it turned out to be a great year, i’m learning of the power of INTENTION and i know that i need to implement more intention in my life because i want to do even more AMAZING things!!!!…. and intention is the first step to manifestation.  setting our intention- allows us to verbalize and get specific about what it is we want in our lives and gets us in the mind-set of how to get there while also connecting us energetically to the desired outcome. now there are so many goals i have for the following year that are great goals (like learning to dance samba or playing guitar better, make a dance EP, work on my foreign language skills, etc. etc.)… and i think it’s important to have goals. i have many! but as one of my LAAFS ladies suggested it’s great to have some BIG  main intentions to have intense focus on for 2010. so here are my intentions for 2010! i’m taking it to the next level! this is my declaration to the world!

* i intend to receive financial abundance through music (my performances, placements on film/tv, album sales, etc.) where all my needs are more than taken care of. My passion, my music, is my life’s work!

* i intend to travel the world, recreational and through my singing!

*i intend to keep growing as an artist of living. i will live a revolutionary life, full of love, creation, music, dance, passion and fearless self-expression.

and in alignment with intention is also the practice of visualization- many superstar performers from singers, to athletes, to successful business men, to astronauts…  practice visualization and i believe it’s  a valuable tool as well… it gets you in the feeling of what you are hoping to manifest which aligns you energetically. and when you are in life’s various situations the experience isn’t foreign to you, you are fearless… visualization helps us to consciously create our own world. it helps us to begin with the end in mind. the more clearly and vividly we imagine the details the deeper we will experience it…. emotions are evoked within you as if you have already experienced what it is you desire. the more we visualize the more we change something within us… our thoughts change, our words change, our behavior changes, our perception changes, our outcome changes… i will be living out the script that I have written for my life and you will be living the script that you have written for yours, rather than us living by the programming that has been written into our hearts and minds by the external.

tonight in our manifestation group meeting we verbalized our intentions to the group and help a sacred space for each intention. we meditated together. we focused love energy towards each of the intentions for our soul sisters. we also let our imagination explore possibilities for each other. in doing this we found it was almost easier to visualize for others as we don’t get caught up in our own bullshit, self-sabotaging  doubts…. but the shared intention allowed us to have breakthroughs in our own visualizations- perfect for 2010 being a breakthrough year! this exercise was powerful. the energy was thick in the room. even my friend’s dog reacted to it!  we can make intentions for ourselves which is amazing but it’s even more powerful when we share it with others and let it expand into the collective consciousness. and visualization and intention isn’t just about achieving personal gain… we can use our imagination to transcend self and create purpose filled lives of contribution… we can consciously create a better world for us all!!!!

2009 like wine u got better with time…

when i think of how this year developed i am amazed! it was a year of spiritual rebirth, of bringing creation into the world. a year of such growth…. i started the year living with my boyfriend in his mother’s garage in van nuys.  i remember waking up to the mechanics next door working on cars loudly, the fumes permeating the room, we would huddle together freezing (even with the floor heater and blankets)…the engines and drills would begin around 7 am and we had just gone to bed 3 hours prior from working on the album- which at the time felt would NEVER get finished.  i remember the borracho neighbor (who started drinking in the morning) and would put this horrible song on repeat as loud as his stereo could go… one day i got out of bed and walked into his garage (he wasn’t there yet he had left the song on) and turned it down myself.  i just didn’t give a fuck anymore! i felt stuck, stagnant in my environment. eeeiiii dios! i could go on… but how the year transitioned!!!!! how i transcended!  the affirmations, the prayer, my manifestation group, the love energy i gave brought about so many beautiful manifestations!  my debut album was released in july – M. U. S. I. C. (Magnificent Unique Sexy Intelligent Creativity) dre and i put together a phenomenal band, seriously ridiculously gifted musicians who are family. i am beyond grateful for them! we’ve had incredible shows that keep growing in connection, musicianship, inventiveness, passion and energy! we moved to an absolutely beautiful home of our own that i can’t help but feel continuous intense gratitude for. i love love love it! i feel like i’ve developed and spiritually deeped my friendships and relationships with my family. i’m understanding them and myself in new ways.  i feel so blessed to be connecting to such amazing souls through my blog.  this year was filled with so many challenges and blessings! it was my coming out year musically. and i cannot undo what i’ve done. i cannot go back to life without creation, artistic growth, and self-expression. i had been waiting for this my whole life!!! and it’s happening! and it’s happening for a reason as i know i’m meant to give love and inspiration through music. it always amazes me how everything can change so quickly. how we can be in such a dark place and then soon find the light.

www.meganfinley.com

you will spread illumination in the world

Seeing Your Perfection-Letting Your Light Shine

from the Daily Om

We are each born into this world with unique gifts. Within us is a glimmer of the divine, a light that can potentially make the world a more beautiful place. But in many, that light lies dormant, snuffed out by fears and feelings of inadequacy. To spark it is to attract attention, face the possibility of rejection or the responsibility of success, and risk being labeled immodest. Yet when we undermine the light by hiding our aptitudes and quashing our dreams, we deny ourselves and others a wealth of experiences. Your abilities are a part of who you are and when you take pride in them, you affirm the love, esteem, and trust with which you view yourself. Moreover, as you express the light within, you grant others permission to do the same, freeing them to explore their own talents.

For some, we are taught to hide our light from the world since childhood. Relatives caution us that the professions associated with our aptitudes are unattainable. Our peers may be envious of our skills and thus overly critical of the activities we instinctively enjoy. And authority figures admonish us to be humble and avoid showing off. But there is a vast chasm that separates those who let their light shine and those who seek only to draw attention to themselves. When you dare to share your light with the world, the beauty and perfection of your soul become clearly visible. You become a whole being—the literal embodiment of your vast potential. Whether you are a wonderful dancer, a first-rate cook, quick with numbers, or a natural negotiator, you’ll come to understand that you do the world no favors when you hold yourself back.

If you have hidden your light for so long that it has shrunk to an ember, make a list of everything you do well, however impractical, silly, or seemingly inconsequential. Then ask yourself how you can positively utilize those abilities in your daily life. The gifts you were born with were not granted to you arbitrarily. While you may never discover what impact your light has had on others, you can be certain that when you embrace your talents and share them with others, you will spread illumination in the world.

So JUST SHINE!!!!

photo by Megan Finley www.meganfinley.com

i love the way the Megan caught the light in this photo! it looks like i’m holding a slice of sunshine!

your rhythm

your rhythm makes me dance in the language of the world – body beat connection penetrating to my core-earthquakes of energetic pulsations, an electric demonstration-finding elation within your skin. again and again and again and again- i gain… new understanding, new concepts…mathematical equations are solved in the geometric positions our bodies create. when you gave me that look, i knew it was too late and that this was our fate. exploration of thought in a parallel universe..past lives reunited, this feeling requited, and yes i tried to fight it but your rhythm is strong and i feel it when i walk. and it’s hitting hard, my innermost thoughts… i love the way your eyes drink me in. the fucking would be spiritual so it couldn’t be a sin. sexual healing like the marvin gaye song, so wake up/wake up/wake up/wake up, let’s go all night long, ride your rhythm into the blissful dawn. the frequency i vibrate on captivates. your swagger unparalleled. we resonate. my eyes change colors from golden blue to grey, depending on the reflections of the words you say. sometimes i wonder if your eyes say what you feel.. how deep are the lines between fantasy and what’s real? i put u under a microscope to better comprehend.. but despite the lenses and the light, there’s just no making sense. there’s something warm and familiar about you like my favorite shirt and i just wanna put you on… hold u close. know u deep. without remorse. sometimes with u it’s as if i don’t exist. like i’m way down our your list.  and the rain check may never come cause we’re in southern california where there’s always lots of sun. so i’m just gonna keep singing my song… and dancing to your rhythm. body beat connection penetrating to my core-earthquakes of energetic pulsations, an electric demonstration-finding elation within your skin. again and again and again and again…

divine health, freedom in music, response-ability

i feel as though i’ve deeply neglected u dear blog… and i apologize… i was knocked the —- out… i had to do 2 shows (one on my death bed) and i transcended… i set the intention and became  a vessel of love! the performance was an act of fearlessness i must say!! yay! through  prayer (one Christian prayer given by my dear friend oshana that brought me to tears and one jewish blessing given by husband jered in beautiful hebrew)/through affirmations/through herbs/through whole food’s wellness formula, through sea salt baths/through thyme tea/etc/etc…i now embody divine health!!! which lead me to last night’s performance @ harvelle’s which was very off the cuff with some super gifted musicans…and it was so freeing to sing with musicians that are so sensitive, communicative, innovative, and solid… sooooooo much fun! i felt elated and so at home. i’m growing and it feels goooooood!!!! i loved the exploration, the improvisation… i love that feeling of freedom in music! que rico!

on another note, the current book i’m reading, the 7 habits of highly effective people, brought up something for me… which has inspired me to take on a new challenge for the month of december that will hopefully turn into a habit…i aim to take full responsibility for my reactions to the challenges that arise in my life… the book brings up that we cannot control what happens in our lives but we can control how we react to what happens to us…(and in this ability to choose how we respond- lies our responsibility or response-ability)…. i’m becoming increasingly conscious of my response-ability… here’s a great quote to remind us of how we determine our happiness by how we react to what challenges arise in our lives….”the fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition, will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposes to remove.” samuel johnson… mmmmm yes. more soon….

photo by megan finley, makeup/hair  by tawney bevacqua, styled by michele chantel, retouching josh kohlmeier

why we do what we do…

in those times of uncertainty in our lives concerning our dreams i think the best way to stay focused and motivated is to remember why we do what we do… why do i want to sing? yes i love the way a note resonates within me- it feels beautiful. and the communion with the band makes me high…but why i sing is because i love to connect deeply with others through my singing… i love to inspire and elevate people through music. MAKE THEM FEEL… or think…or motivate them to live their own dream… it’s an honor to give that way, to commune and share that intimacy with others… and when i can tear down my own walls and truly get to the root of that connection with others something profoundly spiritual occurs… we all have something that is a gift to connect divinely with ourselves and others… something that is beyond passion. where you have to do it or you feel like you can’t breathe… that is our mission… what holds us back from completing our mission on this plane we call earth? f.e.a.r. (false evidence appearing real) of what? failure? success? can we dare to switch our way of thinking? our failures can be transmuted into lessons learned. because the lessons are also part of this mission. our purpose… sometimes there’s the fear of not being good enough (i know this is a confidence thing that a lot of people struggle with, but the desire is there for a reason, you have to explore that desire or you will live your life feeling unfulfilled)… sometimes people think it’s too late (there’s always a way to express yourself, let’s say you wanted to be a dancer and you are getting a late start, you could still study/learn/grow in your dancing and choreograph or teach or perform and create and connect with the divine through dance in a way that would fulfill your spirit)… sometimes people are too focused on the competition.. a wise woman once told me “there’s no competition for your TRUE life’s purpose, so there’s no need to worry, hurry, or feel that you have to force things to happen.” sometimes people get so caught up in the logistics…and yes you must take action and yes you must think outside of the box and yes you must feel and know your own uniqueness in your mission… but behind the logistics is the passion, the motivation and behind the passion and motivation is the LOVE… know that love! live within that love and do what you’re meant to do!

affirmation of the day: “i have ultimate confidence in myself and my deeper purpose.”

trust

when u believe in your dream so much that you have $518 in your bank account and you take out $500 to pay your band for a show… without knowing where your next source of income is… that is TRUST…  trust in abundance… trust in myself…trust in my dreams becoming a reality…

currents of love, brazilian pineapple, sex, and hula hooping

just finished my 5+ hour manifestation meeting!!!! LAAFS!!!! incredible night! we got deep with our missions! i feel like changing the world Oprah style! today was POWERFUL! the manifestation blog from yesterday i originally sent out as an email to friends and had so many super positive responses… the message hit a core with people… inspired them to do things they would normally not do… think of things in new ways… reconnect with their spiritual essence. what’s even more amazing is that several people moved by the message passed it on to their loved ones who in turn responded with enthusiasm, inspiration, and love!!!! and it hit me that by me making the choice to put this positivity out into the world i was a catalyst of love… and by those who were inspired choosing to pass on the knowledge and inspiration they are catalysts and so on and so on and we all can be a part of this current of love… receiving and giving and receiving and giving! it’s fucking beautiful!!!!! made my day!……then as i was eating some brazilian pineapple that the rock band (that’s recording in Dre’s studio) left over here, i was missing my brazilian man… and he called me and we had a conversation that rocked my world… he was dropping spiritual knowledge/understanding/compassion on me gandhi style, opening up in ways that shocked me… a layer was peeled.. and it showed me the infinite possibilities and perspectives in love relationships… and i wonder what brought this energetic shift and powerful realization, what was making him hold me in this higher reverence? i guess sometimes people have to be away from you to truly appreciate you and understand you in profound ways…i mean how many people truly understand us?  or was he feeling my experiences and thoughts and feelings here and somehow tapped into that energetically? fascinating! i couldn’t get off the phone with him (though i was running late in cooking dinner and my beans did suffer- they have to sit for at least an hour for ultimate sabor)…i’m excited to keep growing and learning in love! i feel like i’m meant to teach others of love though i may not get to everyone in this lifetime. and speaking of love… though we did speak of our INCREDIBLE accomplishments of our group and our focus for 2010…we got on the subject of sex…. as should be expected with these sexy goddesses!  i love how candid some of the group is… i mean nothing is off-limits and i adore it… the questions came up – if a man is more endowed is he typically less talented or motivated with going down on a woman? (cause he feels he doesn’t have to work to please a woman)… and does size really matter?… also, isn’t a man who is uncircumcised more sensitive in feeling? … the answers were great! i wish we had video taped this conversation… real sex would’ve blushed… what a bizarre magnificent day… full of currents of love, break throughs, good food, deep conversation… i love life! we all have had those moments in life where we feel like hell but we truly create our lives… i’m living proof of that… i’ve developed consciously the beauty that is my life. now i must rest. i have a hula hooping video audition tomorrow! so random! i love life! wishing you the ultimate creation of beauty in your life!!!!

(untouched) photo by megan finley, styled by michele chantel, makeup/hair by tawney bevacqua, art by julia rauda

what you speak is seeking you

from What You Speak is Seeking You… excerpt on manifestation…

What you feel, you manifest. If you want joy, be joyful. If you want love, be loving. If you want abundance, give abundantly, receive gratefully and recognize the abundance you already have.

Recognize there is plenty for everyone. Bless others’ success, knowing it is your success. Be inspired by what others have created, knowing you have the absolute power to create your own success and abundance too.

If you have been masterful at manifesting what you don’t want…shift your attention… and become masterful at manifesting what you DO want.

Don’t settle… it’s like saying you don’t trust the abundance of the universe.

Amazing how we cling to the known, to what is familiar. We may be bored, we may hate it, but we stay and wonder why our entire lives and everything we attract seems to get smaller and smaller, less and less. The solution is simple. Jump. Jump into the gorgeous unknown. The unknown is where the magic of our destiny lies.

Complete and let go of the past. Where do you have unfinished business? When we complete the past we free up powerful creative energy that can go to work on our behalf to manifest our dreams.

When we surrender we trust that all is working out for our highest good. When we surrender, we say; ‘Give me an experience of the unknown…. give me something beautiful… that I could never have known. We keep ourselves in tight little boxes of sameness, the very little boxes we are actually trying to break out of!!!!!!

Get out of the ‘how’ – how is it going to work. how am am i going to get money, how could it happen for me, how how how… and place your attention on having what you love-speak it, feel it, think it, give it, take action, and see yourself having it with ease, grace and abundance. Let the universe and God work out the ‘how’ in brilliant, perfect ways.

Think of something that flows to you naturally. something that you are good at attracting. you don’t think twice about attracting it into your life because you know you do it easily, right? apply that approach to everything in your life and receive it all with ease.

Steps to manifesting!

1. Give voice to your dreams. Set your intentions.

2. Write down your goals. Affirm in advance that you already have them. Yes!

3. Thank the universe, in advance, for what you are manifesting.

4. Expect to be delighted! Be in the feeling of what you want to receive. (By being in the feeling you’re aligning energetically with what you desire to manifest).

5. Speak your goals with excitement and joy as if they are already in motion. Keep them fresh in your consciousness daily.

6. Take action on your dreams. Step out of your comfort zone.

7. Trust. Trust is the bridge between your asking and its manifestation.

8. Surrender and let go. Release what is no longer right for you.

9. Say yes! yes! yes! to your dreams and to who you are!

We are becoming masters of manifestation; Olympians of thought, word, and action. That means, in the face of circumstances that are less than ideal, we remain unmoved. We notice and accept them, but we do not dwell on them. We choose, instead to affirm our abundance. We give energy, appreciation and gratitude to the abundance and love we already have and to the opulent life unfolding.

love to you and your beautiful manifestations!!!!!!

bella

LIVE YOUR DREAMS!!!!!