Carefully examining a display in the drugstore, a man asked the pharmacist, 'Do you really guarantee this hair-restorer?'

The pharmacist responded, 'Better than that, sir. We give a comb with every bottle.'

Wouldn't you love to have that kind of confidence?

One man quipped, 'When it comes to believing in myself, I'm an agnostic.'

One of the greatest problems many people experience is lack of confidence. Some don't believe in their ability to speak in public, others are afraid to try something they've never done before, and still others do not have the confidence to overcome their shyness.

Do you know that you can become more confident? One effective technique is to learn to do what you're afraid to do.

I led a seminar a few years ago where I asked for three volunteers to speak to the group the next day. One young woman named Judy was the first to raise her hand. She explained to me later why she did so: 'When you asked for three volunteers,' Judy said, 'I felt a knot of fear in my stomach. I've never done anything like this before and I've never really believed I could. But the fear was telling me something,' she continued. 'So because I felt so anxious, I decided that this was something I had to do. But I must to tell you, I'm terrified!'

She made up her mind to do that which she was afraid to do. And the following day, Judy's five-minute talk was superb! She was honest and genuine, speaking right from her heart. Now she is more confident about her ability to speak in public.

People who are confident have choices. People who are fearful too often avoid much of life because they are afraid to venture into unknown territory.

Jim Loehr said, 'With confidence, you can reach truly amazing heights; without confidence, even the simplest accomplishments are beyond your grasp.'

When you make what you're afraid to do what you choose to do, you will soon have the confidence to do whatever you choose!