For years with CBT, and other approaches, I've tried to become more assertive, yet i find that I'm still afraid of my own shadow.
Today I noticed how relieved I was when I thought I could tackle some big home project, and my brother played down the overwhelming size of the project. My relief was immediate, since I couldn't see how I had exaggerated the project, and how he simplified it.
The theme that runs through my life often, though, is that I could live more easily if I was just "given permission".