I think accepting is a start. Nobody would expect you to be and behave suddenly in a different way. I think it is so good that you are examining your traits and the reasons behind them - trying to be as introspective as possible. The root is very often shame which goes way back to childhood and is the reason this new persona is developed over the years. It is so painful to regress and even more so to change I suppose it all depends on the individual there are many happy with their lives - there are others who know they live with pretense and denial.