I notice that, in recent situations with people, I am much more aware of myself than usual and, equally, I perform much better amongst people. I am consistently more relaxed and at ease with myself. I am still quiet but more confident because I can interact if I need to.
One important development is that I am not as hard on myself when old habits surface. When I find myself doing the things I have been doing for years it helps to remind me of the progress I have made. This causes me to relax more which makes it is easier to change my habits.
I still find myself diving in to help people, or to break a silence, or to explain myself, and at the time it seems there is nothing I can do to stop myself. It shows how automatic these things can be. However, these instances are occurring less and less and my awareness is becoming more and more effective.