Lack, as most people know it, means doing without. In its negative state it does mean poverty in many areas of life, not just financially. You can experience poverty mentally, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. You can be “poor” in any one of those areas. Most of us have heard the phrase, “poor in spirit.”

But poverty, like so much of life, is an attitude, just like abundance, wealth, healthiness, and happiness are attitudes. Negative lack and simplicity are not states of being.

In the book the use of the word simplicity represents two forms of lack: intentional lack and positive lack, two very positive aspects to life based on rational choice.

To understand intentional lack, think of the lifestyle of the Amish and the Shakers. The Amish have made a choice, for religious beliefs, not to conform to the ways of modern society. As they have interpreted the Christian Bible, they don’t feel they need electricity, modern modes of transportation, modern styles of dress, current communication systems, or even education beyond the eighth grade in order to function in their “society and culture,” because they reject what many of us take for granted as necessary to function on a daily basis. They have made the intentional choice to do without these.

Positive lack is where, like the Amish, a person has made an individual choice, to lack in some of the material goods, current styles and fashion, while still having the tools necessary to function within modern society. For example, a person choosing a positive lack lifestyle may feel free to make all the money they can, own the possessions they desire, and live a “rich” lifestyle, but these are simply tools and a means to an end.

Virl Mento, a motivational speaker, espoused the philosophy that other than high-quality decorative items and seasonal goods, if you don’t use something at least once in 90 days, then you have no reason to own it. Think of the multitudes of people that have closets and rented storage lockers full of things they don’t use, or no longer need.

A person who lives with positive lack has carefully analyzed whether they need to make a purchase in the first place and decide probably not. They only buy what they feel they need—a very strong concept. They look at everything as a tool…money, material goods…and not just something to own for the sake of owning it. They possess their possessions and not the other way around. These are people who can get up and walk away from the computer when they are done, and go read, take a walk, see a film or theater performance, or spend time with friends over a meal followed by lengthy, enriching and meaningful conversation. They certainly have no concern for keeping up with anyone, and if the time comes when something no longer serves its purpose, they dispose of it; no rusting old cars in the yard, no broken and outdated computers in the closet. Their home may seem Spartan and bare compared to the house of someone else, but they have made the decision to have only what they need to live comfortably, and use their resources for other things like travel, entertainment or perhaps the freedom of a financially independent retirement.

And the paradox here is that they are not miserly, tightfisted, stingy people. Usually, they are just the opposite. They know quality, they know what they want to have and do, and they aren’t afraid to pay for quality goods or experiences. People who are penny-pinching and parsimonious live in fear of lack—never having enough. People with positive lack tendencies usually see the world of as full of abundance—always enough and more.

In essence, being a person who lives in positive lack means having the skill to differentiate needs versus wants, that leads to a simpler life, and is the result of being seen as a smarter person.

“Positive lack is in fact a choice people make who have mastered the material world, so to speak,” according to Elfreda Pretorius, author of the high-successful book, Stop Struggling and Start Living – Rules of the Game (Dreamtime Publishing, $19.95). “Positive lack is in fact a choice people make who have mastered the material world, so to speak. They often choose to no longer have excess or to put anything on display. To elect the simple life style is a sign of mastery, and such people can go back to having more any time they want.”

Simplicity declutters the Mind and Spirit, opening areas for growth and opportunity that otherwise don’t exist. Think what a life is like with vast open spaces. What can you do with it? Who and what can you invite it? And living either intentional or positive lack frees you in ways you’ve never experienced or expected.

The late comedian, George Carlin, said that having so much stuff causes people to buy a bigger house just for a place for their stuff and the stuff they will add to it because they have the space.

“We buy stuff to impress people we don’t know or don’t even like,” says economist and financial planner, Suze Orman. Now, how stupid is that?

Simplify your life and the only negative lack you will experience is the elimination of the fear of not having enough of what you may want but don’t need. And think about how freeing it is to travel through life without all that baggage.