I heard about a very interesting device used to trap monkeys.

A coconut is hollowed out and attached to a tree. At the bottom of the coconut, a small slit is made and some sweet food is placed inside. The hole in the coconut is just big enough for the monkey to insert his open hand, but not big enough to withdraw his closed fist.

The monkey smells the sweets, reaches in with his hand to grasp the food, and is then unable to withdraw it. The clenched fist won’t pass through the opening.

As long as the monkey holds on to the sweets—making a fist, he cannot remove his hand from the trap. If he lets it go, he can go free. 

For those monkeys that are unwilling to let go, they are eventually caught and killed.  Here’s my question…

What are you holding…that’s holding you?