Tip: Understanding orchid breeding will help you be successful in life!
Years ago, I was in Singapore visiting my business partners and conducting a training session. We had a wonderful time together. Singapore is an astonishing country full of life and vitality. Although it is a very small country geographically, it is booming with great ideas and business ventures. If you ever have the opportunity to visit there, I would certainly encourage you to do so. It would be quite an experience for you to see what they have done with their limited natural resources. Their creativity is amazing!
One afternoon we took a side trip to the orchid gardens. I had no idea that there are so many different types of orchids! The Singaporean government has graciously named many of the orchids after famous world leaders like Nelson Mandela, the Queen of England, and several United States presidents. It was a very interesting experience.
As we were leaving, we passed a sign that said, “Orchid Breeding and Micro-Propagation.” I was curious to learn more about that process. The scientists in Singapore have discovered some very unique methods of producing a variety of different kinds of orchids. The one that interested me most was the “Shaker Room.” There was a sign inside that room that read, “Shaking the tissue in the nutrient solution is to improve the supply of air and nutrients to the tissue. Shaking also helps to confuse the tissue. Without a sense of gravity, they do not differentiate between shoots and roots, but grow into more tissue. When enough tissue has been formed, the shaking stops to let plantlets (with shoots and roots) develop. A very large number of plantlets can be obtained from the clusters of tissue you see in the flasks.” In other words, scientists have learned that if they shake the tissue, it will develop shoots and roots that can then be transplanted into the soil and begin to grow. Rather than leaving that process to chance, the seeds can be developed through scientific research to produce new and different varieties of orchids.
I took a picture of the sign because I wanted to have a record of that information. You might wonder why in the world I would want to know so much about orchids. However, it was actually the process that the orchid seed goes through that intrigued me the most.
As I read the information about the orchid seed and tissue, I could not help but relate it to the process humans go through to mature. Life has found a way to cause us to get on our feet and make something of our lives. It comes from the challenges and difficult opportunities that we are afforded each day. Having to solve problems and create new solutions is the very hallmark of a free society. It is what causes a culture or an individual to grow, both personally and professionally. Facing difficult opportunities and looking for new and better ways to prosper is at the root of the whole way of life in Singapore and I believe it is what has made America great as well.
I re-wrote the “Shaker Room” information and put it into a personal formula for you and me. I thought you might like to have a copy!
Shaking the human being in the everyday events of life is to improve the supply of new ideas and growth opportunities. Shaking also helps to confuse the human being. They find out that what does not kill them will actually make them stronger! Without a sense of being well-grounded, humans simply stay stuck in their present state without learning and growing. When enough personal development has been formed, the shaking stops to let the human being (with new ideas and plans) develop. A large number of successful endeavors can be obtained from the shaking opportunities in the human life as it relates to family members, friends and co-workers!
I know that you may think that I am pushing this illustration a bit too far, but honestly, I do not think so. If you had seen the way the machine was shaking the seeds and tissue in a gentle manner, you would see that it was not trying to destroy the life that was in the seed, but develop it to full maturity. Life can be a more gentle experience if we will simply learn the lessons that come our way. If we do not, then life can become harder on us, as I am sure we have all experienced.
Anyway, I thought you would like to know that I am continuing to learn and grow at every given opportunity. If I can learn something from orchids to help me be a better person, then I am all for it and I am sure that you are, too!
Tip: Understanding orchid breeding will help you be successful in life!
Have a great week! God bless you!
Dr. Robert A. Rohm
