At one time or another, I've been a student, an advertising person, a musician, a writer, an actor, a wife, a mother, a marathon runner, a yoga teacher...sometimes all at once. It's sounds a little schizophrenic, and maybe it is. But it's all I know. When I want to do something, I do it. It's a mishmash, for sure, but it's my mishmash. And my guess is, most of you have a mishmash of your own, too.
My boys: one big, two slightly less big.
When I started my website, patticocciolo.com, I was teaching yoga full time. I had a schedule of regular classes, as well as a of ton classes that I taught for other teachers. The site was a great way to introduce myself to the world as a yoga teacher, and get that part of me out there. But somewhere along the way, the mishmash came back. With a vengeance.
I'm realizing that being true to myself means following my heart wherever it takes me. I'm still teaching yoga, but I'm also back in advertising. I'm still practicing asana, but I've got a pair of trail running shoes that are getting just as much action as my mat. I'm still mostly vegetarian, but sometimes this Southern girl cooks up some bacon and serves it with a heaping side of cheese grits. And that's okay. It's ALL okay.
And at the center of it all? My husband and two sons who I adore. No matter where my heart takes me, these three men are my love, my home, my compass, and the very best part of my life. Always.
This blog, The Goodness, is a way to process this whole thing. It's the sweetness that weaves itself through all the disparate parts of our lives. It's also the strength that gets us though the pain that inevitably comes our way. It's all of it, the whole megillah. And while The Goodness has always been the name of my blog, this idea is now the focus of my website, and my accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, too.
So, fellow mishmashers, unite. Follow your heart. Let your freak flag fly. Do it all, just not at the same time. Make love, not war. And in the wise words of Popeye, don't be afraid to say, "I yam what I yam."
Who's with me?