Are you in a trance or a rut or a jam? If so, excuse yourself. It's break time! You need spaciousness. You need slack. You need to wander off and do something different from what you have been doing. If there's any behavior you indulge in with manic intensity, drop it for a while. If you've been caught up in a vortex of excruciating sincerity or torturous politeness, shake it off and be more authentic. Of all the good reasons you have for relaxing your death-grip, here's one of the best: Life can't bring you the sublime gift it has for you until you interrupt your pursuit of a mediocre gift.

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