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#201 | 5 Things AI Can't Replace: The Power Of Handwritten Letters

• Ryan A. Cass • Season 5

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In an age dominated by AI, handwritten thank-you letters have become a powerful symbol of genuine human connection. Research shows we often underestimate the emotional value these simple gestures hold. While AI can automate many tasks, it can't replicate the authenticity of a heartfelt note.

I've come to find these letters to be therapeutic and love writing them every week!

Key Takeaways:

  • ✉️ Handwritten notes create emotional impact that AI cannot replicate.
  • 💡 We undervalue how meaningful our gratitude is to others.
  • 🕒 Just a few minutes spent writing a note can create lasting connection and joy.








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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Wednesday podcast, a weekly resource thoughtfully crafted to help people build and refine discipline, accomplish their goals, fortify their mindsets and be of service to somebody in this world. My name is Ryan Cass and I am your host, and it is my mission and commitment to deliver amazing episodes to you every week where you'll learn from myself or renowned expert in their field. We love helping people win in every aspect of their lives, and you can help us win by sharing the show with somebody that you believe will benefit from it, subscribing and leaving a rating and review. We believe that everybody in this world is meant to do something great with their lives, and we're here to help play a role in that. Thank you for tuning in and let's win today.

Speaker 1:

One question that I've been exploring is how do we stay genuine in a world where it's becoming more difficult or it appears to become more difficult to maintain authenticity, meaning, how do we come across as genuine when we have so many tools at our disposal that can do things for us that used to take a lot of time, whether that be writing an email response or, heck, even sending a text response, coming up with unique copy for your business or an exciting event that you have coming up your business, or an exciting event that you have coming up writing your own thoughts about something that is important to you without the assistance of anything else. How do we remain genuine when it feels like perhaps that's not what's the most appreciated thing right now in this society? And I'm wrestling with this question as we explore one thing that I've been using that has been making a difference in my life. I've found it to be very therapeutic, making a difference in my life. I've found it to be very therapeutic, and also it's something that is, I believe, creating joy in the lives of others, and it's something that AI or automation can't do. So, as this likely evolves into some sort of series or something, I'm going to expand more on this as my thoughts become more clear. What are things that AI can't do and won't be able to do that will allow us and enable us to maintain a sense of genuinity and authenticity, things that can still genuinely reflect our hearts and minds and beings that are of no assistance of technology? Now, it's awesome to see all these things that are being developed, whether it's ChatGPT and the additional AI tools, many of which we're using, many of which I'm using in the podcast and in my businesses, but I often again it begs the question is this going to be the future of our lives? Is everything going to be AI dominated? Not every little thing, but how much of our lives, if we had to offer a percentage, is going to be AI driven versus not? Is going to be AI driven versus not? As we grew up, we're at 0%. Now it feels like it's at least 50% and probably even more for those that are really using it. So here are a few things that AI can't do that I believe will help us, but then I'm going to focus on the last one and the one activity that I absolutely love and I'm going to encourage you to test out yourself if this isn't something you're already doing right now Things that AI can't do and things that allow us to maintain our sense of self and authenticity.

Speaker 1:

Ai can't get your ass out of bed at four o'clock in the morning, five o'clock in the morning to go and work out when you don't want to. Ai is not going to be able to do that. Ai cannot build discipline for you. I'm sure AI can set your alarm clock, but AI cannot wake you up, get you out of your bed, into your car, into the gym downstairs, into the home gym, whatever you need. Ai is not going to be able to do that, and that's something that we can still, we'll always be able to do to maintain our sense of self. Ai is not going to be able to pick up the phone and call your loved ones. I understand now a lot of AI bots are able to imitate voices pretty damn close to where you can't really tell if you're actually hearing from me or not, but AI is not going to be able to pick up that cell phone and call somebody that you love and have a genuine conversation with them, tell them meaningful things, how much you love them and appreciate them. They can't do that. Ai is not going to be able to lose weight for you or pick up weights. It might be able to build your workout plan, but it can't do the work. But it can't do the work.

Speaker 1:

And lastly, in expanding upon this, ai cannot create life experiences. Second to last one AI cannot create life experiences for you, to where you'll then be talking about it for the rest of your life. I was just at the be talking about it for the rest of your life. I was just at the Yankees Mariners game in Seattle a new ballpark this past week. One thing that I love is going to see all of the MLB ballparks in the country, ideally when the Yankees are playing, and that is something that AI would not be able to reproduce Going and seeing the world going and watching a sunset, going and just listening to the birds chirp, going for a nice walk. Ai cannot recreate life experiences.

Speaker 1:

And the last thing, and this is the one we're going to expand on, ai cannot create genuine connections. Ai is not going to be able to look someone a nice heartfelt hug and express empathy. Ai is not going to be able to reach out to the person that you like or you love and wish them a good day. You like or you love and wish them a good day, coming from your voice, where it's just, it truly comes across from the heart. Ai is not going to be able to sit in the friend circle and do all the conversing for you and get a bunch of people to gravitate toward you. And get a bunch of people to gravitate toward you.

Speaker 1:

When we think about genuine connections one thing that I've been exploring with now for the last about six weeks, and this is something that is going to stick is writing handwritten letters to people Handwritten thank you or just gratitude letters. Over the past six weeks, I made it a priority to write at least three letters per week to people that I truly appreciate and have made an impact in my life. Some of these people I haven't spoken to in a long time, but I have a list, a growing list, of names of people that have made an impact in my life since I started my goals, my goals binder, in 2011. And so 14 years worth of people, because I know, when I look back on my life, there's a lot of people responsible for where I am right now. Nobody is a one man show, and so some of these folks on the list, I've sent them letters just from the heart, thanking them for the influence that they've had in my life and how much I appreciate them.

Speaker 1:

Not an AI prompt AI can't go back into the history and the memories that I have with these people and write the letter for me. Ai certainly can't replicate my tiny ass handwriting that sometimes looks like chicken scratch, but let me tell you what this has done and then also share a little bit of research behind this and, lastly, share the inspiration for this. So what this has done. I'll start with the personal benefit first.

Speaker 1:

Every time I write one of those thank you letters and while I'm writing it, it excites me, it's, it makes me feel good, it makes me feel even more grateful that, wow, there's this Thank God for this amazing person that is in my life that I even get to write this letter to. I feel this unwavering sense of gratitude for the people that have entered my life, and then I also feel I find it to be rather I experience it to be quite therapeutic In that for that two minutes of time so that's really all it takes to write a two to five minutes Because that's really all it takes to write two to five minutes, because that's really all it takes to write a heartfelt letter those two to five minutes I feel like I'm putting a good service out into the world and truly pouring my heart out to this person as to what they mean to me. And it's got me thinking, man, why didn't I do this earlier? But there's no better day to start anything than today, and maybe this is enough to get you to think about writing a letter to somebody Now, on the flip side of that, hearing back from some of these people so far and seeing the impact that something so simple has made on their lives. Think about that made on their lives. Think about that Two to five minutes of your time can make someone's day, their week, their month, their year from something so simple and it's something that no piece of technology will ever be able to do is to pick up a card, tell someone thank you or that you're grateful for them, and get to make such a big difference in their life. You never know, when that card arrives in their mailbox and when they open it, if that could have been the thing that they needed to hear or see right there in that moment, because maybe they were in a low point. I do feel like the universe and the big man upstairs has a magical way of delivering the right messages to the right people at the right time, and it's. I feel that doing this, it is somewhat addicting. Like I'm looking, I look forward to writing these thank you letters.

Speaker 1:

Now here's some research that backs it. There was a study at the University of Texas, at Austin UT Austin Go Longhorns for some of you folks that may be listening from Texas or are Longhorns fans, and in this study there were. They wanted to get a better understanding of the effects of writing a handwritten gratitude letter or a thank you letter. They surveyed 334 people that wrote letters to one person that was meaningful to them in their lives. And what was interesting is, before the letter was sent, whoever was writing the letter? They asked the person well, what do you think such and such is going to feel? And the majority of the recipients wrote well, maybe they'll feel. Okay, I guess they'll appreciate it. I'm not sure. My grammar is not too great. So basically there was more uncertainty, because we also live in a world where we create stories in our minds of man. Is this person really going to enjoy this letter? This isn't my best writing. What if I didn't spell something right? What if they're not going to appreciate my articulation or lack thereof? Right? We make all these things up.

Speaker 1:

Then they surveyed all the people that received the letters and how they felt. Then they surveyed all the people that received the letters and how they felt, and what the research showed is people consistently underestimate how meaningful a thank you letter or a gratitude letter really is, because each of these recipients expressed that they were extremely grateful, so excited. This made their day, their week, their month. They were so much happier than the writers could have ever expected, and I also had this kind of writer's block at first too, just like with a lot of things in life, where that doubt creeps in, that story creeps in of man. Is this really going to make a difference? Is this what if I'm not a letter writer? I'm not. This isn't what I've been doing for years. What are people really going to think? Not once has there been a negative response, and I've also seen quite overwhelming responses in that wow, these people love this way more than I thought they ever would have. So there goes to show both a personal testimony.

Speaker 1:

Research and then I'm a big believer in success leaves clues. One person that I love to study and follow and embody in certain areas of life is Jesse Itzler, and that name may be familiar to some of you. If you haven't heard of Jesse Itzler, I highly recommend go and spend some time researching this man and what he's done. As an entrepreneur and as a family man, he has launched several businesses from literally sometimes from a back of a napkin idea and then just showed that with unrelenting grit, hustle some creativity that you can create just about anything you want, even after you're told no a thousand times or kicked out of an office and told how stupid your idea is. Jesse is now a multi-billionaire, and also thanks to his wife, sarah Blakely, who women listeners y'all may recognize Sarah Blakely as the founder of Spanx, but Jesse Itzler?

Speaker 1:

He talks about how he has been writing thank you letters and gratitude letters for years, and every week and it might even be every day, but at least every week he sends out three letters to people that did something that was meaningful or someone that he is thinking about, someone that he loves, someone that's important in his life. He sends out those letters and the responses he receives are overwhelming. But then also, from a business standpoint, these are the things that keep people coming back to Jesse's businesses and to Jesse's brands, because what Jesse does that's different from many. And especially, again going back to how do we remain genuine in the world of technology and automation and AI? Not every company or founder or leader is doing something like this. Not to say that a letter is the sole separator or if you don't send a letter, then you're never going to be as successful as XYZ. But when we think about it and how meaningful it is the act of doing something so simple. It makes sense why people that do this would succeed more in the business world and other realms.

Speaker 1:

Think about some of your favorite brands or places you've stayed. What stands out about them? In some cases it could be that you just love their product, but I'd be willing to bet because my audience is much like me you appreciate the brands that show their heart and are more service-oriented. Meaning company A and company B sell the same product, but company A as opposed to company B donates X percentage of their profits to service-oriented organizations. Or company a as opposed to b will occasionally send out a thank you letter for being a repeat customer, and you may hear from somebody in their customer service department. Or there was somebody that just took really great care of you, even though they probably didn't technically have to on paper, but they went above and beyond for you. Those are likely the companies and the brands and the products that you resonate with the most.

Speaker 1:

I know that one thing that keeps me coming back to certain companies is I look at their founder and what does he or she believe in? What do they stand for? How do they lead their lives, their families, their businesses, their people. Sure, I can buy other endurance products out there, but one of the things that keeps me coming back to Bear Performance Nutrition is the fact that their leader, nick Bear, I know is a service-oriented man, loves his people, loves his organization, loves his family, loves his community. Family loves his community, does the things that he doesn't quote probably have to do, but goes above and beyond and does the little things that AI can't do to make the business, the community and people better.

Speaker 1:

I wish that this serves as an invitation to you to write a letter to somebody that has had an impact on your life. Don't overcomplicate it. Hey, such and such. Here's how I start mine out usually. Hey, name. Thank you for the influence that you've had on my life. When you first told me about X years ago, it impacted me in a way that you may have never imagined. When you shared that advice with me, and here's how I've used it. I'm so grateful that you gave me that advice and that it's had such a profound impact on me, and I do my best to impart that wisdom upon people every opportunity that I can.

Speaker 1:

Now that's somewhat of a similar note that I sent to one of my mentors, bill, who started mentoring me going into my senior year of college. We first linked up in 2014, so 11 years ago now and Bill, in my graduation letter, wrote at the very bottom do things right and do the right things. And that has become a motto that I do my best to live my life by. But then I've also now that's my, that's my motto with my little brother, josiah, through Big Brothers, big Sisters. I always ask him what's the golden rule and he tells me do things right and do the right things. So I let Bill know recently in a letter that that, right there, what he probably thought at the time was just simple advice.

Speaker 1:

11 years later, over a decade later, continues to be the thing that I use to inspire people and also guide people and my mentees in life. It's the simplest things that often have the most profound impact, and it's my invitation to you to think about. Maybe it's a letter, maybe it's not, but how can you remain genuine in a world where automation isn't going away, ai isn't going away, and that's okay, but how do we maintain our genuine sense of self and authenticity? There will always be opportunities to do that, and it's my wish that this helps to get you thinking about that. Write a letter to somebody this week and win today. Thank you so much.

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