There Is a Version of You Everyone Knows Except You
Your blind spots do not disappear simply because you cannot see them.
During my Harada Method certification, I had a conversation that stayed with me.
One of the coaches made an observation about the way I worked.
To him, it was obvious.
To me, it was not.
It was not something I was trying to hide or a behavior I had chosen to ignore.
I simply did not know it was there.
That was what surprised me most:
Someone could see me from an angle I could not access myself.
We all build a version of ourselves based on our intentions.
We know what we meant to say.
We know why we acted in a certain way.
We know that we were trying to help.
But other people cannot see our intentions.
They see how we act.
They see how we listen.
They see how we respond when something does not go as expected.
And they often recognize patterns that have become completely normal to us.
What others see and you do not
The Johari Window is a self-awareness tool that describes, among other things, our blind area:
What other people see in us, but we still do not recognize.
A blind spot can be a behavior we need to correct.
You may believe you are being direct, while others experience you as unapproachable.
It can also be a strength you do not value because it feels natural to you.
Perhaps you have a strong ability to solve problems, remain calm, or connect people, but you have never considered it special because you use it every day.
Blind spots are not always flaws.
They are information you do not have yet.
And you cannot work on something you are still unable to see.
TOOL OF THE WEEK · HARADA METHOD
Two questions to uncover your blind spots
- 1.Choose three people who know you in different contexts: someone in your family, a friend, and someone you have worked with.
- 2.Ask them this first question: What do I do especially well that I may not recognize?
- 3.Ask them this second question: What behavior could be holding me back without me realizing it?
- 4.When you receive their answers, avoid becoming defensive or immediately explaining your intentions. Listen. Thank them for their honesty. And pay attention to any ideas that appear more than once.
- 5.You do not have to accept every opinion as an absolute truth. But you can use that information to understand yourself better.
This week
Write to me at carlos@focusacademy.lat and share the comment that surprised you most.
You do not need to tell me the entire story.
Just share the sentence.
It may be something you need to change.
Or a strength you had not been recognizing.
Because sometimes the next step does not appear when you look farther ahead.
It appears when you allow someone to show you what is already in front of you.
— Carlos
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