The 1 Window To Always Keep Open In Your Life.

No, Not That Microsoft Window.

Each morning, when I wake up, I do one thing. This is the same thing I do each night before going to bed.

And it does not matter if it is rain, hail, or shine. I just do it twice a day.

Recently, with the coming of COVID-19, I have done it multiple times daily while working from home.

And that one thing is to open all the windows of my house so that I can let out the old air and bring in fresh and new perspectives for the day.

Ventilating our homes, our children’s classrooms and our offices are the one recommendation that must help fight the virus indoors.

And that Microsoft Windows? Well, did you know that Microsoft did not invent it?

Apple first adopted the GUI or Graphical User Interface in personal computers with their Apple Lisa in 1983.

Yes, I hear you, Apple fanboy. But no, it was not invented by Apple. You would remember that famous quote from your Supreme leader:

“Picasso had a saying — ‘good artists copy; great artists steal’ — and we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas.”

Steve Jobs

Well, Xerox invented the GUI for computers. Do you know that company that only does printers now? The first iteration of their GUI was in their Xerox Alto computer.

And Steve did his artist thing. Yet he was not so happy when Bill Gates walked in his artist’s footsteps and stole the Windows for himself.

Well, this is a hell of a “Windows” story.

In this article, I want to talk about the story of another window hiding in plain sight. This window can open the door to your inner self and much more.

If there is one window you must know about in your life, make it this one.

I discovered this through a colleague at work. The story goes like this.

I work in Customer Support at Airbus. And if there is a place where you cannot express your creativity, it is customer support. You have to solve customers’ technical issues related to their aircraft to put them safely back in the air.

So, to let the artist within me speak, I do a lot of other activities at work. I am very active on our social platform. I continually create content while not part of the communication department.

The result? I am too visible in my communication skills and not enough in my technical expertise to some people’s eyes.

I was frustrated because I was doing all those creative activities at lunchtime or at home after work. And it takes me only 15 minutes in the morning and the afternoon to go through the social platform and share some content.

The frustration came from how I perceived myself and how it clashed with how others perceived me.

My colleague Thomas D. introduced me to the Johari window:

• What do others know about me?
• What do I want to keep secret?
• How can I learn more about myself?
• Is there anything about me that I am not admitting to myself?

It was one “Aha” moment for me. So, I wanted to share it with you and open your eyes to this not-so-new window.

1. The Open Self Or What Others Know About Me

This is the part of us that we are conscious of and share with the world. It is like our social media profile.

2. The Hidden Self Or What I Want To Keep Secret

This is the part we know consciously is in our being. Yet, we don’t want to share it with the world. It is like our private journal.

3. The Unknown Self Or How I Can Learn More About Myself

This is the part of us living in our unconsciousness, not visible to us or the world. It is like our invisible shadow hiding in the underground of our mind.

4. The Blind Self Or The Things About Me That I Am Not Admitting To Myself

This is how others see us and where we cannot see ourselves. This part is our blind spot. Here is the hidden social profile drawn by others and not made public.

My frustration was coming from my blind spot. Indeed, I was unwilling to accept the dichotomy between the social profile I crafted and the one made by others.

To resolve the issue, I had to accept that difference in point of view. And as I was not going to change who I was as a creative, I decided to explain my intentions in my actions.

The feedback I received and accepted helped me move the vertical axis of the quadrant to the right. Thus, it reduced my blind spot footprint.

I also saw the need to explain more the intentions behind my actions. The aim of doing so was to move the horizontal axis of the quadrant down.

Final Thoughts

The Johari window is the door I continually open in interacting with others or reflecting on personal or professional situations.

This particular window is a great tool to know more about me, my blind spots, and much more. It helped me be more conscious about how I was perceived and the importance of sharing my intentions before taking action.

Thank you to my colleague Thomas D. for opening such a great window for me to see.

Are you aware of the Johari Window?

Did you use it before, and why?

What are your tips and tricks to be more conscious about ourselves?

Leave a comment below.

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Photo by bill wegener on Unsplash