My daughter and I did an experiment to see how the things we eat affect our teeth.

We kindly asked the tooth fairy if it would be possible to keep the tooth for an experiment. Generously, she left money and the tooth! Fortuitously, the tiny tooth split in half. Now we had two segments—one for control and another to test.

We placed half of the sparkling white subject into a small bowl of water. Next to it, we submerged the other half in a small bowl of apple juice. Each day we would remove the segments, dry them off and analyze the appearance of each. Around day two, cavities started to form. By day four, all of the enamel had been stripped away and it was no longer pearly white like the control. By day seven, the juice had almost destroyed it. Covered in cavities there were a few specks of dark yellow amongst the brown, hollow background.

The feelings and energy we immerse ourselves in all day affect our mental health, emotions, body, and spirit in a similar fashion. When we’re full of love, joy, kindness, and peace, we retain our bright energy and natural radiance. We’re more resilient and better prepared to take on any challenges life throws our way.

Conversely, when we drown ourselves in the fear, uncertainty, and stress that can come with day-to-day life, it strips us of authentic living and the pleasures of life. Instead of acting from a place of alignment we’re left fearfully compromising ourselves. We lose the ability to make good choices because we’re acting from a place of insecurity. A cycle of disservice that eats away at our sense of worth, devalues our abilities, destroys hope, and scares us out of pursuing purpose and meaning in life.

We give up on ourselves. It becomes easier to let life happen to us. We’re left feeling empty and hollow inside. Wanting more out of life.

Science shows when we choose to give our teeth a healthy environment they can remineralize to strengthen enamel and heal cavities on their own. Acceptance helps neutralize the emotional environment we’re swimming in all day. Not only can we let go of fear, we have the ability to surround ourselves with positive energy and joy allowing us the opportunity to heal and flourish.

First, let’s clarify what acceptance is and isn’t. It is not condoning, agreeing, choosing, or placing value. The acceptance I speak of is neutral observation. Acknowledgment without resistance—simply a lens of objectivity. Viewing everything as an interesting perspective without weight.

When you accept things without assigning a positive or negative association, it allows you space and freedom to let go of what doesn’t serve you (if it comes back, there’s likely a deeper issue that needs to be addressed before it can be released, but that’s another topic). When you accept, free of expectation or outcome, the impending situation doesn’t latch on to your future creating an attachment.

When we hang on to the negative in life we allow attachments to people, situations, or things to needlessly bring us down. This doesn’t serve anyone because it’s not productive. It’s an adverse activity to pass the time which strips away any positive emotions that could’ve been thriving.

When we’re free of attachment and judgment it’s like living in another world. I like to call this neutral place “resting joy.” There’s no resistance or weight, which feels amazing, hence the slight joy. A place where you’re in touch with yourself as you are. Resting joy is a great baseline from which to live an authentic life. Naturally more present due to the lack of things vying for attention in your head. Gracefully resilient from easily allowing negative activity and potential attachments to pass through. Unadulterated and brilliantly you.

We’re faced with a choice each morning as we wake. How will we approach the day? Will our feet hit the floor to drown in yesterday’s problems or will we start anew?

After our science experiment, we’ve started a new tradition in our house. Not only do we brush our teeth each morning and night, we consciously clean out all the fear, worry, and other junk that attaches to us. It only takes a few minutes but feels like freedom.

These days, we like to stay pearly white on the inside and out.

 

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Author: Dallas Jones
Image: Pixabay
Editor: Lieselle Davidson
Copy Editor: Nicole Cameron