For the first time, I watched a professional repot houseplants.
I came away with a few insights. Obvious to some, perhaps. Not to me.
For example:
If you think a plant has outgrown its pot, don't rush. Some plants like it tight. Too much soil causes moisture to stagnate and roots to rot. Sometimes the soil needs replacing, not the pot.
A plant always reaches toward the light and gradually grows asymmetrical. That's why you need to rotate it periodically. Just like the Chinese emperor who ritually moved through four seasonal chambers of his palace.
The branches had spread so far that the trunk was leaning against the window glass. To restore the vertical, drastic pruning was needed. No matter — the crown will soon grow back fuller, and new trunks will sprout from the cuttings.
Dead branches need to be cut off because pests love them, turning them into nesting grounds. How symbolic. Letting go of an old form is not a matter of aesthetics. It is a matter of protecting the “tree of life.”
The old pot was expensive, beautiful, and sturdy. But the ficus had become hopelessly stuck inside it. The roots had bonded to the walls, filling every inch of space. It had to be smashed open. The less often transformation happens, the more painful it becomes.
Interesting how all of this plays out in business:
Before changing your market or your partner, update your perspective.
In business, tomorrow’s bottleneck is often yesterday’s surplus.
A founder needs to notice when the company's "trunk" starts to lean.
An obsolete part of the business is not neutral. It becomes a source of evil.
You can change yourself and your company through crisis. Or through ritual.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
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