Totally agree - you'll find that people who know you will expect you to act a certain way. And if they've always known you to be the shy person who doesn't spea

Totally agree - you'll find that people who know you will expect you to act a certain way. And if they've always known you to be the shy person who doesn't speak out then thats how you'll behave (I mean they're friends with 'old' you not 'new' you right?) What you've got to realise though is that people actually don't mind when people act a bit unusually - especially if its 'baby steps' like you suggest. And the part about playing the rockstar role approaches the problem from a different angle - go and see some people who don't know you as 'old shy person' and instead see you based on their first impression.