The Hidden Handbrake on Your Time?

A Simple Statement That Changed Everything

“Time is mind; a resistant mind has no time.”

I first heard this in a volunteer session. Someone asked the instructor for tips on managing time with competing priorities. I expected the usual productivity hacks. Instead, the instructor offered this single line. It was so simple, yet it landed with a powerful wow.

At first, I didn’t fully grasp it. But the phrase kept replaying in my mind: What does it really mean that time is mind?

When Resistance Shows Up at Home

Not long after, I had the chance to experience this truth firsthand.

One evening, my son returned from an extracurricular class and announced he needed to attend a weekend program. I was in the middle of cooking, tired, juggling a dozen things. I snapped. Complaints tumbled out about how inconsiderate the teacher was and how unfair it felt to add something to our schedule.

Then, almost like an inner whisper, the statement came back: “A resistant mind has no time.”

I paused. I noticed the resistance in me. It had nothing to do with the weekend performance. But I reacted to the surprise of the additional activity on top of the tightness, the irritation, the mental stories that were running in my head. 

As I observed this, the resistance began to dissolve. Space opened up. The weekend program happened. And I realized the obstacle wasn’t time. It was my mind resisting.

Beyond “I’m Too Busy”

There are endless books, tools, and programs on time management. But this insight offered something unique. Since that day, I’ve stopped saying, “I have no time” or “I’m too busy.” Instead, I remind myself:

I always have a choice. I can choose to make time, or not.

That awareness feels deeply empowering.

Driving With the Handbrake On

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says (not verbatim), “Functioning with a resistant mind is equivalent to driving a car with the handbrake on.”

Isn’t that how life often feels? Heavy. Draining. A struggle. Not because there isn’t enough time, but because resistance slows everything down.

When the handbrake is released, when the mind softens, time flows. Life flows.

✨ Reflection for you: Where does resistance show up in your day? What might shift if you paused, noticed it, and gently let go?