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"Loosen the grip!"People suffer a lot from holding onto life too tightly. Some people hold onto the past with white knuckles. Some hold on to others for fear of losing them. Some hold on blindly to their beliefs, for fear of being swayed by any argument. Some hold onto their youth by trying to look and behave like a much younger person. Some parents grip their children so tightly that it's hard for their children to develop their own individuality. These are just a few examples of how we can grip life too tightly. In eastern thought, this would be called "attachment". The greater the attachment, the greater the potential for suffering. When we are suffering, we can ask whether the cause is attachment. What are we attached to and how is it making us suffer? When we catch ourselves in a damaging attachment, we can use the life practice, "Loosen the grip!" Saying these words helps us step back to see what we're actually doing and what the consequences are. When we see, we can change. We can still hold on, but not with such a tight grip. Holding life gently gives us a degree of control without so much worry and stress.