When I tell you what I heard you'll be able to laugh at what you believe is your own lack of confidence.

I couldn't believe it. Sunday, in a queue, in my local food-store an Olympic athlete stood behind me, chatting to another Olympic athlete. I looked at the contents of my shopping cart and wondered, which item I could get them to autograph! That is until I overheard them talking?

You see, I thought only you and me suffered from confidence problems. I thought we were the only ones who'd looked at a guy and thought he'd never feel attracted to a women like us. I thought we were the only ones who felt unworthy of going for the better job. I thought we were the only ones who over ate. I thought we were the only ones who talked ourselves down and felt like we don't deserve anything nice. But what I discovered is that we're not.

Standing in that queue on Sunday taught me that an Olympic athlete has the gold medal of lowest confidence, and, to be honest she can have it!

And then on Monday I get an email from a friend who has moved into the boardroom ? a top level job, for which she's been given all the perks. When I asked her how it was going she said, "I feel like a fifteen year-old in an adult's playground. They'll find me out any minute. They'll see I'm no good." Then I heard this?

An Oscar-winning felt 'Not good enough,' when she won her awards!

When I stopped to think about it, I had to laugh. If an Olympic athlete, a executive one step away from a CEO and a top actress can all lack in confidence then why not me and you?

Using those three women as the yardstick I have no reason to lack confidence. When I look at my life I really do have a successful business, great friends and wonderful family etc. I didn't need to be brimming with confidence to gain any of that. What I needed was something else?

I have inspired moments where everything I know comes together. I act in those moments ? sometimes in good humour and in disbelief ? and what comes to me is a new client, a new friendship and a great relationship. But how is this achieved.

Forget the big picture. Forget the Olympic team, the top job and the Oscar winning actress. Don't aim too high. Going places is about taking small steps, take those tiny steps and like a baby leaning to walk before it runs you'll gain enough confidence to change your life. One more thing?

Know you are not alone. The people I mentioned above are just a sample. Recently I emailed my database to see how many people I could help grow in confidence. Fifteen percent of them believed I could help!

Jo Ball is one of the UK's leading personal development coaches. She would love you to join her fast-growing readership on leading a purposeful, confidence building life. The newsletter is free and you'll receive a free copy of the e-book, Simple Steps to Greater Happiness as a way of saying thank you for joining.

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