LETTING GO OF ITEMS OF SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Why You Are Not Able To let Go
Because your things have a sentimental value, they are an anchor to a memory of a past event. You are afraid of losing the past completely but fear is never a good guide. When you realize you are led by fear, try to replace it with curiosity and confidence.

Your things are important to you considering the events symbolizing them; for example, a ticket stub for a movie you saw with a good friend before he moved away and added to your possessions of sentimental value. These objects are just objects, their value change when you attached a story to it. Otherwise, you could throw them without hesitation. This is the definition of things of sentimental value.

You must change your way of thinking and accept a new mentality which means trusting yourself. Trying to keep everything decreases this lack of confidence in your memory and in a larger sense, a lack of confidence in yourself. Sometimes it is easier to photograph an object rather than keeping it if you need to move to a smaller place. You cannot relive the past; however, you need to realize how much you will always remember of it using the tools to achieve this purpose. Realizing your memories can exist only through your thoughts and photographs help you to realize you can trust yourself to be reminded when you want to facilitating the detachment of meaningful things.

Even more important than your memories is what you do at the present time, i.e., having confidence in your ability to live each day to the fullest and creating new memories.  Therefore, letting go of sentimental value items becomes much easier.

If you want to keep a few sentimental objects in your home, keep only the treasures. For example, do not keep anything you would not want your family or friends to see that would cause them pain and discomfort. Keep only the very important things you want to view, use, and share with others. Keeping your “treasures” in your attic, in a box you never open indicates they are not that important. For what is important, make sure the container and these treasures are not going to be damaged in a fire or flood. In addition, if you do not want to give the energy needed to document these objects, it is a red flag indicating you do not really want those treasures and these things do not have the importance you believed they did.

Remember you can not keep everything and objects do not have magical properties. These simple reminders can help you let go of the things creating clutter in your life and home by making you realize they are not treasures.