Acceptance is the first step to overcoming a problem however simple or intricate it may be. When dealing with wounds of an emotional nature the process of healing must begin at this stage. From there the appropriate steps can be taken that will lead to sound and complete repair. However, until the person reaches that level of acceptance the wound they bear is a danger to their emotional wellbeing.

Human beings are physical as well as spiritual. Having this dual reality, it is therefore necessary to provide for the requirements of both aspects. Hence, emotional wounds must be approached with the same care and attention as physical ones would. This is something that still has to be learned as it is not widely practiced. It is a crucial step in protecting our general wellbeing. This is especially true in current society. People are constantly delivering and receiving wounds from each other with little thought of the consequences of such actions. This raises the urgency of learning how to find and administer appropriate remedies.

There is but one power which heals — that is God. The state or condition through which the healing takes place is the confidence of the heart.

(Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 95)

First and foremost, the individual should turn to God. Pray for healing and for aid in finding the correct treatment. It is important to note, that healing takes place through “the confidence of the heart”. The assurance a person has in the treatment being received is vital to the healing process. Such an assertion leaves it to the individual’s needs and state of mind to decide which course of action to take. This of course must be done with both prayerful reflection as well as scientific reason. One cannot just pray and hope that healing will miraculously be administered as the person sits back and waits. Steps must be taken to help the healing take place.

Take for instance, a cut hand; if you pray for the cut to be healed and do not stop its bleeding, you will not do much good; a material remedy is needed.

(Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 65)

The mindset of the person is then the next part that must be addressed. One must strive to adopt a learning mentality. This will allow the individual to view everything that is experienced as an opportunity to learn. With this approach, many of the superficial hurts that are received become little lessons, encouraging growth, acting as catalysts for the reassessing of attitudes towards life and hardships experienced. This outlook on life aids in coping with most tests and difficulties encountered. It keeps the spirits up and helps to avoid getting weighed down by the changes and chances of life. With this in mind though, one must also realise that the more serious the wound the more intricate the methods of healing. Occasionally, an experience leaves deep wounds that cannot be dealt with alone.

The question is then raised as to what steps must be taken to provide for a clear path of action in finding the remedy. A good first step to obtaining clarity of mind is to seek counsel with a person whose judgement is trusted. This allows for the situation to be observed by an individual who is not influenced by the pain. Often a counsellor can be visited. Due to their expertise on this subject and the level of experience that they have they can provide very productive and helpful advice that will help open clear paths for action.

Resort ye, in times of sickness, to competent physicians

(Baha’u'llah, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 60)

At this point, another reflection must be taken into account to act as a safety net. When a person harms themselves, a clean environment is sought out to prevent further complications and infections. The same idea must be applied to dealing with wounds of an emotional nature. The individual must be aware of the environment and healing administered, ensuring that it will prevent them from having future complications. This requires sound judgement and reasoning with regards to whom they approach and how they weigh the advice given. To produce this “healthy environment” within our mental psyches it is important to go to a pure Source. This Source provides a standard to work by. This standard will provide a sound framework to start the recuperation as well as a safe basis to weigh against the remedied being suggested by those individuals sought out.

…if thou wishest to know the true remedy which will heal man from all sickness and will give him the health of the divine kingdom, know that it is the precepts and teachings of God. Focus thine attention upon them.

(Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 151)

We must learn to take great care in dealing with emotional wounds. As the damage is not physically visible, acceptance of it is vital in the process of coping with the impact. The next step is then finding clear paths of healing as well as providing a hygienic environment to minimize further damage. As these steps are taken, constant reliance on God and a learning mindset must be held fast to. This pure and open mindset allows for us to receive healing as well as the guidance required to discover the remedies needed for a sound recovery.

Man is under all conditions immersed in a sea of God’s blessings. Therefore, be thou not hopeless under any circumstances, but rather be firm in thy hope.

(Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 204)

The first step to finding a solution to a problem is acceptance and then an attempt to understand its nature. A direct comparison can be made between physical wounds and emotional ones. If a person receives a physical wound such as a cut, first aid is administered and it is cleaned, unsanitary objects are kept away and time is taken to ensure the breach is dealt with carefully and immediately. If the wound is deep, medical care is sought immediately and action is taken in a prompt fashion. Furthermore, time and care is taken to allow it to heal and all possible attempts are made to ensure minimal scaring on our physical frame.

The concept should be the same with the emotional “frame”. We receive wounds from harmful or difficult moments in our lives. These cause emotional wounds and healing is needed. The problem is that we do not treat these wounds in the same way. By ignoring them, we leave them to heal without care. If a bone is broken, a doctor sets it properly. If not set properly, the bone will heal a manner that will cause a weakness to the skeletal structure. It may hold up for a while but when put under strain will break or cause unnecessary pain during certain conditions. Before it has fully set there is still the chance that the bone can be broken and re-set properly under the supervision of an expert physician, someone whose expertise will allow for the bone to be fixed as best as possible.

If the impact of this attitude on physical wellbeing is considered, one can evidently see how weak the body would be and how susceptible to future damage it would be. Similarly, if an emotional wound does not heal well, it will always be an area that is weak and susceptible to further injury. Therefore, understanding this concept gives an individual the awareness of both their reactions to people and also ensuring that they are careful to what they expose themselves to.

The trials Thou sendest are a salve to the sores of all them who are devoted to Thy will…

(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 78)

While reflecting on dealing with the wounds one must also look at the scars that are inevitably going to be left behind. Generally, a scar is a lesson learned. An intelligent person will come away from an injury having learned not to put themselves in that situation again. If a child gets burned by a hot object they have learned the lesson that hot objects cause pain. The pain leaves an imprint in the mind that can either be seen as a positive (lesson learned) or a negative (the pain of the burn). When one sees the pain as a lesson, coping with it becomes intelligent and composed. The approach is rational and the lesson is focused upon. An escapist attitude is not adopted and therefore the wound heals well. The scar left behind is strong and minimalistic.

Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit…

(Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 50)

However, it is rare that emotional pain is seen as an opportunity for growth and progress. All too often in our lives that lesson is not learned! This is mainly due to the fact that a competent remedy was not sought and the issue addressed without the skilled guidance of an expert physician. This means we are left with a scar that is viewed in the negative light and becomes a hindrance to our moving forward with the healing process. A grave situation arises and if not addressed before a long time has passed, can leave a lasting impression on the person. It can potentially impact our interactions with people and certain situations and can be the cause of great discomfort and more pain. From the outset this can be avoided by seeking correct guidance and then reflecting on how best to apply it to ones situation. The guidance found at the current time is overwhelming in number and confusing in the diverse opinions offered. What better place to look for a cure than from a Physician divine in nature.

Every divine Manifestation is the very life of the world, and the skilled physician of each ailing soul. The world of man is sick, and that competent Physician knoweth the cure, arising as He doth with teachings, counsels and admonishments that are the remedy for every pain, the healing balm to every wound. It is certain that the wise physician can diagnose his patient’s needs at any season, and apply the cure.

(Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 58)

“A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips”, these uncomfortable sayings ominously follow us around like a black cloud. Squeeze our conscience, whether looking at a menu in a restaurant, or visiting the supermarket (feeling the overwhelming draw towards the dessert section) or during a lazy afternoon at home. It is a rude reminder of the dangers of falling victim to our appetites. However, we provide ourselves with excuses: “Just one more”; “It’s a celebration”; “I deserve it” ; ”I need it” ; “It’s a reward”; “If I don’t eat it, it will go to waste”. Occasionally, we use food to fill our spare time, internally claiming we have nothing better to do than find something tasty to eat!

This reality contrasts starkly with the growing obsession to look good and diet. The whole concept has become such a ubiquitous preoccupation in society that it dominates and dictates the thoughts and goals of many peoples’ lives. Everything, all the way up to advertising, is aimed at looking good and eating healthily-with a very unhealthy leaning towards weight loss! Simultaneously, we are bombarded with images of skinny models devouring hidden chocolate, fattening ice cream, fast food or calorie-filled drinks while miraculously looking so slender and toned. Advertising and the media provides us with norms. Images teach us we deserve flavour, should succumb to temptations and are entitled to eat what we like while maintaining desired figures. We are taught that distorted body images are healthy and that was is actually healthy is boring. Society is geared towards tasty fattening fast fixes, and immediate gratification without adequate warning of the effects thereof. This quote from Abdu’l-Bahá perhaps best explains this conundrum we are facing.

Abdu’l-Bahá states:

But man hath perversely continued to serve his lustful appetites, and he would not content himself with simple foods. Rather, he prepared for himself food that was compounded of many ingredients, of substances differing one from the other. With this, and with the perpetrating of vile and ignoble acts, his attention was engrossed, and he abandoned the temperance and moderation of a natural way of life. The result was the engendering of diseases both violent and diverse.

When the subject of eating healthily is investigated more thoroughly, moving away from the purely weight loss aspect of the process, the impact our diets have on our wellbeing as individuals as well as on general society becomes apparent.  According to the Báb:

The Báb hath said that the people of Bahá must develop the science of medicine to such a high degree that they will heal illnesses by means of foods. The basic reason for this is that if, in some component substance of the human body, an imbalance should occur, altering its correct, relative proportion to the whole, this fact will inevitably result in the onset of disease.

It is increasingly accepted that overeating or undereating has a huge role in general health. Interestingly, there is now a new focus emerging in the public health sector; namely, the effect our diet has on the overall health of our body and minds as well as a preventative for disease.

Even the meaning of eating healthy has drastically changed over the years. As recently as 2005, the well-known and commonly accepted ideas that were prevalent in society were improved. The Harvard School of Public Health has designed a guide to healthy eating known as the Healthy Eating Pyramid based on 15 years of research. This period has reshaped the definition of healthy eating providing us with a wealth of insight into the matter. As part of the research, it was discovered that through adopting the methods and new diet, stressing on the consumption of whole grains, vegetables and exercise, the risks of falling victim to diseases that have plagued many individuals are considerably reduced. It also offers the very welcome concept of not worrying about the grams consumed but rather the type of food. A delightful idea for those of us that enjoy sizeable portions of food! On the other hand though, not as welcome when you are considering devouring that extra chocolate bar you have stashed away for a better time or thinking of heading to the local fast food joint for an extra large portion of fish and chips!

A lot of encouragement is taken from the guidance offered by these discoveries and from the direction the research in this field is taking us. Through careful consideration of our eating habits as well as the types of food we eat the lives of individuals can and in many cases have been considerably eased as well as improved. The field of healthy eating is indeed vast and still very much in its infancy. Through accepting and adjusting ourselves to the new discoveries a healthier way of life is formed and perhaps one could venture to say, a healthier society can be achieved.