The Responsibility of Communication

[00:00:00] **Aurooba Ahmed:** Well hello, this is The Daily Five with Aurooba. That's me. Where we reflect on creating our best lives a little bit every day. Here we go.

[00:00:15] I have a kind of unfinished thought today that's been rolling around in my head. You know, the brain is undoubtedly the command center of the body. But that doesn't mean the brain controls everything. A lot of the times the brain depends on the information other parts of the body give it in order to make a decision, and it trusts that part of the body to make that happen.

[00:00:43] The brain also doesn't command things in a silo. There is a thing called the gut brain axis. It's a bi directional communication system that links the cognitive and emotional centers of the brain with our intestinal functions. You know, uh, when you feel something in your gut, that's a real thing. There's a reason that exists.

[00:01:08] There are a lot of nerve cells in our digestive system, and they affect us a lot. Sometimes when people feel anxiety, or stress, uh, or pain, we think it originates in the brain. But sometimes that actually originates in our gut and it's being communicated to our brain. Our mind and our gut are very well connected and they have this very open and honest and prompt communication between them.

[00:01:42] I think communication is one of those things we all understand as vital and important. Much of the time, we also understand the value of good communication, however, we might interpret good, whether by openness, transparency, honesty, thoroughness, or some other metric. Lately, I've been pondering communication through the lens of impact and power, let's say.

[00:02:15] How we share information, what we choose to share. Who we choose to share it with, what we choose to withhold, and when we choose to do these things. More importantly, perhaps, the consequence of our communication. How it influences others, shapes perceptions, and even drives action or inaction. And all of this, you know, thinking, it has led me to really appreciate the complexity and responsibility that comes with communication in any given situation, whether I am talking to my spouse, or I'm talking to my family, or I'm talking to someone at work, or I'm talking to someone through an article written on the a website, anywhere.

[00:03:11] Effective communication is an art, of course. You know, it's a dance between the sender and the receiver. Something alive that you can pre plan all you want, but will change and morph in the moment anyway. This is perhaps most true for live communication, but it's also true for written communication as well.

[00:03:35] It is not merely about passing information or expressing a thought, it's about understanding the emotions and intentions behind the information, about empathy, being able to see things from another person's perspective, and adjusting along the way. When we communicate, we are not just speaking or writing, we are also listening and observing.

[00:04:03] The feedback loop in communication is just as important as that initial message or thought that you had that you wanted to communicate out. I would say that the intention to create a better life every day means striving for open, honest, and empathetic communication in all arenas of our life. And I recognize that this can sometimes feel like a really big ask, you know, just like how important the communication between the gut and the brain are for our overall wellbeing.

[00:04:41] Open, honest communication is essential in human relationships as well. I can't imagine having a great relationship with my spouse if we didn't have that, for example. Communication in all its forms is a powerful tool, you know, and it's a tool we all possess. It's a, it has the potential to build or destroy, to empower, or block to heal or to hurt. And the more I think about communication and the role it plays in all aspects of our lives, sometimes I'm awed by the nonchalance that we treat communication with, you know? Thanks for listening. Same time tomorrow?