I used to think getting rid of things was selfish. My grandmother gave me that vase, my friend bought me that scarf, my husband might use that tool someday. I held onto stuff out of guilt.
But here’s the shift: keeping things I don’t love or use doesn’t honor the person who gave them to me—it only clutters my life. Letting go is not selfish.
It’s honest.
When I started minimizing, I told myself: “If this gift meant something, the memory stays even if the object doesn’t.” Once I leaned into that, I felt lighter and freer. I started passing things along—to donation centers, to friends who would actually use them. Suddenly, the objects I once felt chained to were blessing someone else.
Minimalism isn’t selfish. It’s stewardship. And sometimes the kindest thing you can do for yourself—and others—is let go.
Bri Clark 