On the coastline of New Zealand grows the pohutukawa tree. The pohutakawa tree is often referred to as the New Zealand Christmas Tree because in early summer (Christmas Time in the Southern Hemisphere) it is covered with a spectacular display of crimson red flowers.

One day I was at the beach sitting under a large pohutakwa tree contemplating an issue. As I sat there I imagined my issue from the perspective of this tree.

This beautiful tree must have been over a couple of hundred year’s old. That is around;

200 winters, springs, summers and autumns

2400 full moons

73000 sunrises and sunsets

146000 times the tide rose and fell

My issues seemed insignificant from the tree’s perspective.

By putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and examining their perspective, conflict can be resolved or at least a suitable compromise can be made. Being able to understand and share other people’s emotions is called empathy.

Our perspective of the world around us is formed from experiences, feelings, programming, education and our senses. The physical senses are smell, taste, touch, hearing and sight.

A few years ago I had to complete an Anatomy and Physiology course for work. The topic of the day was the eyes and we were discussing the Rods and Cones. Rods and cones are the photo receptors in the retina.

Rods are responsible for vision at low light levels. They are not cable of colour vision.

Cones are active at higher light levels and are capable of colour vision.

I asked the teacher the question, when it is dark is there no colour or do we just perceive there is no colour. No one understood my question except one person who became a good friend.

How we perceive the world limits our perception.

A typical human eye can perceive electromagnetic radiation wavelengths from about 390 to 700 Nano meters. This is called the visible spectrum. The visible spectrum is a tiny portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

With our technological advances we are now able to perceive far more of the electromagnetic spectrum. Most of which we could not have perceive a hundred years ago.

If our physical senses are limited, how do we perceive more? Through technological devices? Well maybe but hopefully not!

If we were to open our consciousness and expand our awareness what more could we perceive? If we perceive far more how would it affect our perception?

Imagine the outcomes if rather than focusing on an issue from a limited point of view, we took the perspective of our Higher Self, God or Unity?

Mark- The Alchemist’s Journey