You may be wondering what ponding has to do with coaching. As a leader of 19 years, I assumed that I would stay in the government and pursue the next level: Senior Executive Service. I had moved up the ranks and enjoyed my life, but felt a void after so many years. I enjoyed being a leader and the coaching I was authorized to do, BUT I needed more. I could not truly create what I wanted in the position I had. What I did not know then was that the muck of my life was keeping me from doing what I truly wanted to do. What if, for you, the muck represents the different layers of ourselves? Each layer represents life experiences, love, and hardship. What if the muck was all of the things that were keeping you stuck and from fulfilling your dreams and goals?  

We often want to get rid of the not-so-great parts of our story, but what would it look like if we just paused? Instead of getting rid of all of the muck, what would it look like if we accepted the muck as part of who we are? What if you sat in the muck and accepted it as part of our imperfect selves? How often do we embrace ourselves and love the mess that we are? What if the muck is just us? What does your muck consist of? How would you like to embrace or accept your muck? Cleaning out the debris from our ponds is essential to helping us grow and reach the goals and dreams that we want.

Each pond is unique, just like every person. The size, water source, history, and depth of a pond and the creatures that depend on it all contribute to its individuality. We learn more about ourselves as we remove some of the muck from the pond. When dealt with properly, the muck can help us create more land around the ponds. Muck can be used to fertilize your dreams and help you grow in areas you thought were impossible. Muck is valuable.

Join me in exploring your muck and discovering your true, authentic self. If we continue to let our lives go on without maintenance, we, too, will become weighed down by our muck, just like a pond.