I made a commitment to myself to be more assertive (which, as noted, is part of living as rigorously honest), but I also want to get along with and work with my supervisor, not against him. I am finding this difficult, since I often hear him speak from his own perspective rather than the team’s. I feel I go to one extreme (trying to please him rather than work with him) or the other (take issue with anything about which I feel uncomfortable, and spend meeting time unproductively hassling over small issues).

All this to say that I accepted another responsibility at a meeting with him yesterday. At first, as I left the meeting, I was bitterly disappointed with myself. Then, the healing phrase, “Well, nobody’s perfect”...and, surprisingly enough, I seem to have let go and gone on to the next thing! Wow.