Poverty of spirit

For the first time ever, this phrase - Poverty of spirit - was explained to me today in a completely new way.
It has always held negative connotations for me but today, I was enabled to consider it in a new light.
Emptying oneself of things that prevent the Spirit from getting to work and allowing the Spirit of God to fill those spaces - or not - as she chooses seems like a good Advent discipline that I look forward to exploring.