In writing and speaking about my new book Less, I find myself recently substituting the word “posturing” for the word busyness. The problem with busyness is that it has a quality of avoiding, that leads to a kind of pretending, or posturing. This kind of posturing can become a habit and can be almost invisible. Whereas posturing can at times be a useful strategy, we can become so adept that we can even fool ourselves, subtly, or not so subtly.

It looks to me as though much of our financial institutions were based on a kind of posturing – a pretending , an avoiding the truth (that many people participated in), in creating and maintaining a system that looked like something it was not.

On a more personal scale, posturing can simply be the way that people wear their “game-faces” at work. (I often hear in my seminars and workshops that people feel they can remove their game-faces.) I hear consistently from people in the business world that just telling the truth at work can be quite challenging. In families and in relationships, posturing can be a strategy for staying safe and avoiding conflict – that often has the opposite effect of what is intended.

A core practice for reducing this harmful type of posturing is the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness can be described as noticing, or paying attention to our own and others posturing and for distinguishing what is posturing and what is authentic and sustainable. Posturing can become so embedded in our activities, it can be difficult to notice. Meditation practice, perhaps is the radical practice of taking the physical posture of not posturing; the practice of being transparent and authentic.

I’m curious, what do you think?