I’ve noticed...a fatal-flaw in my personal psychology — self-consciousness.
Self-consciousness is not self-awareness; it's self-protective.
Too often, my tendency is to second-guess my personal power. I can defer to what others might be thinking about something I do or say — both before and after I have done or said it (whether it's really what they're thinking or not). I then try to offset something (often subconsciously); even though it needs to be done or said and, in doing so, suck the power out of it. Not as much because it could be wrong (why couldn't it be?), but because of something I'm trying to avoid about what someone might think if it is.
It's not pretty (others sense it, but are often not sure what is happening) and it's not good (it's self-serving).
