Pluff Mud

Why Pluff Mud?

My Carolina roots run deep. Tar Heel born and bred, Pluff Mud is simply ingrained in my senses. It's summer memories spent adventuring with cousins finding treasures; it's the smell associated with vacation and relaxation as you reach that first marshy area of the shoreline; and it's the beauty of all the life that thrives in this ecosystem offering nourishment to your core.

What is Pluff Mud?

On the surface it's the mud that exists in the salt marshes of the Carolinas, but it is an amazing ecosystem. It exists where the tides come into the marshes and then recede towards the ocean. It's created by the decay of the spartina grasses along with fish and other animals such as fiddler crabs, shrimp, oysters and clams which all contribute to its distinct smell (the smell of home for many southerners). The decomposition actually provides vital nutrients causing the distinct sulfur smell as well as new life and shelter for many creatures.

Known for its unique texture and likened to quicksand, this gooey mud has a vacuum-like presence. The more one struggles, the deeper the mud will draw you in starting with the ankles and proceeding up the hips with any fight. Anyone that’s given it a fight has probably lost a shoe or two. It will stick with you, drying hard on your shoes and staining your clothes. It’s not just the quicksand effect that draws you in though. It’s a day in the salt air surrounded by beautiful scenery and the cycles of life. 

You may be asking yourself how this relates to coaching and consulting?

Sometimes you just have to get down in the mud to see it all, explore a little and maybe have a good laugh at yourself. We all have those times in life where we are stuck. It’s the perspective shift that enables us to get free from the sticky stuff and truly enjoy your surroundings. In the pluff, you can let your hair down. Be you and explore what needs to be shed in your life to decompose and what you want to give new life to. The pluff doesn’t care who you are or where you come from. It doesn’t discriminate as to who it draws in. You don’t always have to be in the pluff though. You can sit up on the dock above it, take in the salt air and life’s bounty and celebrate what you’ve learned.

Perhaps you are feeling stuck. Maybe you're growing new ideas and shedding some things that don’t serve you well. You may be curious of what life might feel like on the dock enjoying the surroundings. Wherever you are, partnering with a coach and consultant will help you align with where you are meant to be.