Four Peppers
Ready to transplant!
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather skip the process of creating something new or making a change and go straight to the result.
The problem is that’s about as effective as holding a seed in your hand and hoping for a plant full of delicious fruit. To get the fruit, you have to grow the plant.
My Annual Tradition
Each spring, I grow the peppers that Chef Lucas gave me, whom I met at a dinner he catered for a ski client in Telluride. His cuisine was always bursting with flavor and spice, but not overly spicy. When I asked for his secret, he told me it was the peppers he cultivated at home.
The next time we met, he gifted me four of his peppers, which came from plants found only in his grandmother’s garden in the Italian region of the Swiss Alps. I was both delighted and amazed by his generous gift!
I planted some of the seeds that spring and saved the rest for later. When the little sprouts began to appear, I was thrilled. As they grew, I moved them outside under a cover I borrowed from a neighbor.
When the weather warmed up, I transferred them into larger pots. I brought them indoors when fall arrived and continued to fuss over them until they were ready to harvest, just in time for Thanksgiving.
I strung the red jewels on dental floss. I kept one to add to the three from Lucas and hung the rest in my kitchen to flavor my dishes. I started growing these peppers to honor Chef Lucas’ gift and to ensure his grandmother’s pepper variety was preserved for future generations.
Now it’s a ritual that reminds me to tend to my desires and longings with the same care I give Chef Lucas’ seeds.
All tucked into their new homes after germination
The Peppers Come Home
Now, I grow Chef Lucas’ seeds in Geneva, Switzerland, just over the hill from the garden where it all began. This ritual has become a beloved one that helps me clarify my feelings and desires into clear intentions and take small, consistent actions to bring them to fruition.
As a coach, I help clients identify what they want and how to get it by clarifying their dreams into intentions, forming plans to achieve them, and then executing their plans with commitment and consistency. To learn more, schedule a free exploratory call here.
Steve Hindman has spent decades guiding people through adventure and personal transformation. With a background in adventure coaching and experience providing retirement coaching for individuals and organizations, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, to navigate retirement and life transitions with clarity and purpose.
Ready to explore what’s next?
