Captain Obvious
That is easier said than done.
Captain Obvious

Through the years that I have been writing books and posting on social media, hardly a week goes by that someone does respond to one of my posts by saying, “That is easier said than done.” This is an extremely overused cliché that is mainly used to justify someone being unwilling to put in the effort to accomplish one thing or another.

The truth is, saying that is easier said than done, is one of the most meaningless statements ever made. Everything is easier said than done. Saying something takes little to no effort whatsoever. Even the easiest tasks take some effort to complete. When someone responds to my writing saying, “That is easier said than done,” my response is, “So is tying your shoes.” I don’t say this to be a smartass, or something; I am simply making the point that everything is easier said than done.

If you are going to go around saying, “That is easier said than done,” every time someone makes a comment about living by honor, character, and integrity, you might as well change your name to “Captain Obvious.” Of course it is easier said than done! But you are not on this planet to make excuses for not living your life to the fullest; you are here to discipline yourself to become a man or woman of character. You are here to live a life of honor and integrity, and that takes commitment, discipline, effort, and resolve.

When you say it is easier said than done, that is nothing more than a feeble attempt to justify the fact that you don’t plan on putting in the effort that it takes to make those changes in your life. It is the equivalent of saying the grass is green or the sky is blue. You should ban that phrase from your vocabulary, as it is a meaningless cliché.

As Yoda stated, “Do or do not. There is no try.” Don’t come up with witty clichés to soothe your soul or justify in your inaction, when you are not willing to discipline yourself to put in the effort to accomplish a specific task. If you are not willing to do it, then don’t do it. But don’t go around saying silly things like it is easier said than done. Instead, be truthful and say that you simply do not want to put in the effort it takes to make those changes in your life, and leave it at that.

The truth is – there are those who are willing to do what it takes to change their lives for the better and live a life of inner peace and honor; and there are those who are unwilling to put in the effort, and are willing to live an average life. Everything else is nothing more than excuses and justifications, and let’s be clear, excuses and justifications have never changed anyone’s life for the better. Think about this.

Bohdi Sanders
author of the new book
The Art of Inner Peace