How do you do it, fellow minimalists?

I am not a minimalist. I’m an artist. But I have been extremely intrigued by the minimalist mindset and lifestyle for many months now. I’ve started to apply some methods to my life, particularly of social media detox and becoming more mindful about the quality of my time and attention and what I give it to. However, when it comes to stuff (and I don’t have A LOT of stuff, but a decent amount)…I don’t know how I can possibly ever get rid of some of my belongings that hold such deep sentimental value to me. <br><br>How do you all do it? Or do you? How do you decide what to keep and what to let go of? I realize, sounds stupid, but it’s hard for me to picture myself living without these things. They’re a part of me and I don’t think I’m ready to let them go. But for some reason I can’t explain, I feel like I *should* want to let them go, and I don’t understand why. <br><br>Specifically, I’m talking about old paper ephemera like handwritten letters, birthday cards and invitations, polaroid photos, and ticket stubs. I also have a few pieces of jewelry that I hold dear because they were gifts from important people in my life. A stuffed animal that I’ve *literally had since I was a toddler* that I still sleep with at night. I mean, I’m a 25 y/o woman for crying out loud, I know it’s ridiculous at this point. But I’ve never been able to bring myself to toss it. I’ve tried. It’s just too difficult, even though at the same time, it makes me feel embarrassed and ashamed and I sort of hate it and I hate myself for not being able to let it go. It’s a really bizarre feeling, like being mad at myself for being sentimental over something that I simultaneously hold so dear. I just don’t get it and I don’t understand what it is inside of me that prevents me from taking the leap to get rid of these things. <br><br>I’ve tried to create digital versions of some of my papers. I’ll scan them and save them to my phone/cloud. But it’s not the same, it’s so random, it’s all over the place, and I don’t often look at them or think about them. I don’t know how to organize digital versions of these things so that they are preserved, and also easily accessible to me when I want to look at them. <br><br>I guess what I’m getting at is that I know that minimalism is supposed to be about living with what is truly necessary, but what about the things that are necessary to your spirit, and your heart? To what extent do you allow yourself to keep things that only have sentimental value to you? I don’t want to throw away my favorite childhood stuffed animal, and I also don’t want to keep it forever. But that being said, I also feel like I’m not ready to get rid of it. I’m not even sure if I want to get rid of it. I don’t know what it is, it’s such a weird feeling. <br><br>I do understand, however, that these are all just things. Things come and go, and they are of no value if they do not serve your life and add joy and quality to it. I understand, even if I don’t totally feel it yet. However, I have read a lot about how it is possible to use sentimental items, even if it’s just occasionally, and I think I’m a little confused by that. I do use my jewelry, but not often. I look at my polaroids on a wall in my house that I walk by every day. I like having it around even if I’m not explicitly looking at it, interacting with it, or using it. At the same time, I also don’t really want to live in a home covered in a bunch of random sentimental trinkets taking up space. <br><br>OK, I’ve sort of answered my own question as I’ve typed, but I’m still interested to hear other people’s thoughts on this, if only so I know I’m not totally crazy lol. Thanks for reading and for any replies in advance.