Find Your Unknown Joy

While researching self-awareness, I came across a concept called JoHari’s window. JoHari’s window is a framework for understanding who we are on a conscious and unconscious level. In short, JoHari’s window has four windowpanes. Each pane (see below) represents parts of who we are. The open area is anything you know about yourself and are willing to share. The blind areas are what others see in us, but we don’t see ourselves. The hidden areas are things we know about ourselves but are unwilling to share. The unknown areas are areas in our lives that we and others are unaware of.

The unknown area intrigued me because if I’m not aware of it and others are not, is it really a part of my identity?  My son, George, and I debated the idea back and forth. We like to spar on various topics intellectually, with psychology being an area of particular interest for both of us. During our debate, I finally realized that the unknown area is real. This area represents our potential and things we haven’t tried yet. In other words, we don’t know what we don’t know. This area can come into our awareness as we stretch ourselves and try new things.

On a personal note, I recently became an empty nester. My priorities and goals changed. I started doing things I had never tried before. One that stuck was watercolor painting. I call this my unknown joy. I am not an artist and will never claim to be one. What I enjoy is the ability to create something without expectations of being perfect or even good.  If I had never picked up a paintbrush and a set of Dollar Store paints, I would have missed a piece of joy that speaks to my heart and reminds me that we were created to create. What have you always wanted to try but never got around to? What is a goal you want to accomplish? What new experiences would you like to add to your list?

Find your joy, even if it is unknown to you now.  According to the RCSI, University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Ireland, “…(joy) triggers a host of significant physiological and psychological changes that can improve our physical and mental health.”  They also report joy produces a Duchenne smile, an involuntary, genuine smile that reaches our eyes. Who doesn’t want a smile that lights up a room?