Speak from the heart.” These four words of advice I told a good friend of mine a year ago while preparing for a speech. The impact of true grit conversation sparked something bigger than I imagined that evening. 

They say, ‘if you always do what you always have done, you will always get what you have always got.’ It is easy to get stuck in auto-pilot mode. Never diverting from a plan, itinerary, or goal.

Recently I received a package in the mail. The contents proposed the question, can someone be on auto-pilot and not know it? 

Automatic responses or comments fill conversations daily. Text message replies are programmable, and it is easy to have a signature remark or comment.

Stolen words from authors or friends are used constantly. The analogy you get what you put out there has many posting positive quotes on social media pages. Borrowed content is easy. Speaking it is easier. Believing it and putting it into action is not.

Finding a balanced flow with words and actions may not be natural, and as you find something that works, you stick with it. For some, it could be the way you greet people, how you say goodbye, or how you say I love you.

Conversation from the heart is bold. It digs deeper than everyday formalities. The exchange of words that carry the soul will never be forgotten. It is why many of us post quotes as reminders to ourselves to pursue something deeper.

Auto-responses can become detrimental. Pieces of writing received in the mail may suggest words are just, in fact, words. With nothing to back up the conversation, words may have no meaning. Sparking conversation of depth means connecting. If words spoken or written are the same for every person, is there really a connection made? 

If all you ever say only comes from your mind, your auto-pilot brain, you will always get what you always got. Your heart is what lights your passion. Where true grit embraces your thoughts and desires, intertwining to make a beautiful ebb and flow of character, commitment, and creativity.

The world needs more than a posted quote. Lip service can go. Saying the same thing over and over is as if you are not showing up for the party, the speech, or the wedding. It is pretending. It is trying to mold everyone into the same box. One marketing plan does not always work for the next company. Everyone is unique, and everyone is different, and if we are not taking the time to connect, we are doing ourselves a disservice. It is never about quantity, it is about quality. 

Ideas, relationships, or businesses will not expand without challenging the constant. Auto-pilot builds resentment and leaves things left unsaid, and emotions are hidden. Settling for mediocrity from yourself or others will keep everything on cruise control. 

Auto-pilot does not pack a punch; it is smooth and consistent, which may not be all that bad. However, growth cannot happen on auto-pilot. Storms cannot be weathered, and the sun cannot be celebrated properly on auto-pilot. Auto-pilot sweeps everything under the rug and stores it for explosion (good or bad) later. 

With auto-pilot, everything is planned out, and for some, that is precisely what you need. Will you appreciate or make a difference in auto-pilot? The answer is it is up to you; however, if you are always on auto-pilot, something or someone will eventually call you out. 

Will you choose true connection and forget what is supposed to be said or done? We have programmed ourselves to know what time breakfast, dinner, or lunch is, but what if we have that all wrong? How do you react if your schedule is disrupted? Auto-pilot may eventually do more damage than good. 

The same words, the same motions, and the same story will eventually get old. The difference between telling someone what you think they want to hear or what you believe sounds good and what deep down you know you should say may forever inspire you for the better. So the question reminds, is auto-pilot the way you want to live?