Why one should never say I am busy, according to Sister Shivani

Sister Shivani, or BK Shivani (Brahma Kumari), is one of the most famous spiritual seekers and guides in India, and around the world. She is a Brahma Kumari who spreads the word of spirituality, enlightenment, and more, and teaches people how to lead a better life. From her spiritual gatherings, seminars, books, and online videos, she helps people understand the connection between the mind, soul, and daily life.

(Image: BKShivani/Facebook)

Sister Shivani's language and her way of speaking is calm, practical, deeply human, and of course, compassionate towards the fellow person. She does not talk about complex Sadhanas or even hours of dedication, but just asks people to make simple, everyday life changes. Be it healing relationships, dealing with stressful situations, or manifesting the right things in life, Sister Shivani has a solution for it all.
She motivates people by asking them to take charge of their inner being, and be mindful of the choices they make, be it of speech or action.

In one of her videos, Sister Shivani points out how often people say ‘I am busy’ or ‘I don’t have time.’. She says that people say ‘Mere paas time nahi hai, mere paas time kam hai’ which means ‘I have less time at hand or I dont have time at all’. And then she explains how saying this is actually bad for your inner health.
Sister Shivani remarked that when people say ‘I am busy’, they are subconsciously affirming that we are rushed, overwhelmed, or mentally occupied, even though the tasks at hand are simple and not time taking. Eventually, you start living in a constant rush. (Image: BKShivani/Facebook)

Another thing Sister Shivani said is that this ‘busyness’ people have is usually not because they are engaged somewhere or have a priority task at hand, but rather just to spend more time with their virtual world. She says that because people have an increased desire to spend time with their phones and gadgets, they want to dedicate less time to their real world. She says that people are quick to say we’re busy because they want more time to scroll social media, watch videos, or check messages.

According to Sister Shivani, saying ‘I am busy’ has deeper emotional and mental consequences than we realise. She says that repeating the phrase creates a belief that life is burdensome and makes people feel that they are always running and catching up, leaving little room for peace or joy. Plus, it creates an inner vibration of urgency which makes us less patient, more irritable, and unable to enjoy what we’re doing.

Turning the seminar serious, Sister Shivani also said that one should never say ‘We dont have much time’, because this is something that doctors say when their patients are breathing their last. The phrase goes ‘Inke paas ab zada time nahi hai’ which translates to ‘He/she does not have much time left’.

The mind and heart function best when they are calm, composed, and centred. But when we keep saying we are ‘busy’, we tell our subconscious that there’s no time to rest or slow down. And this constant urgency creates tension in the body and restlessness in the heart which makes people feel anxious, disturbed, and in a rush all the time. This emotional exhaustion just accumulates over time, in the mind especially, and will lead to lifestyle problems.
Sister Shivani emphasises that words influence our vibration, and vibration influences our reality, and so repeating ‘I am busy’ will just bring chaos to your system.

And so Sister Shivani gives an alternative - Instead of saying ‘I am busy’, say ‘I am easy and I have a lot of time’.
And how it will help is that while it may feel like a lie in the starting, over time, you will bring a sense of peace to your thoughts. You will become quicker in your tasks, more present with the people around you, be available for those who need you, and will just be more open to doing things at a desired pace.