Struggling with Stuff

I have been having a problem for quite awhile with not being able to get rid of sentimental things. Every gift, every reminder of a happy time, or a hard time that I made it through, or a person I care about... I just can't seem to part with them. I am in a place in my life (literally a place- a 2 bedroom condo) where I can't sustain this level of sentimentality. I have struggled with it, and with well-intentioned friends that insist on giving me more and more things. My friends are coming from a good place-- they care about me and they want to do a nice thing, and so they give me stuff. But what starts out as a great intention ends up as a sort of emotional shackle for me. I find it impossible to enjoy something for a little while and then let it go.
Today I read a great blog entry that I wanted to share here because I want to try to implement the baby step method, and I thought others might like to try as well. Here is a link to the blog: http://www.theminimalists.com/sentimental/
And here is a little excerpt that I am copying and pasting:

1. I am not my stuff. We are more than our possessions.
2. Our memories are not under our beds. Memories are within us, not within our things.
3. An item that is sentimental for us can be an item that is useful for someone else.
4. Holding on to stuff weighs on us mentally and emotionally. Letting go is freeing.
5. You can take pictures of items you want to remember.
6. Old photographs can be scanned... 
   
 

I hope others find this helpful, and I am open to more advice if anyone has some to offer! I am not trying to get rid of everything, I just need to reduce.