Do you ever feel insecure? Maybe you feel like you’re not “good enough.” Insecurity in the workplace can destroy a successful career before it even begins. Low self-esteem and lack of confidence, can cause insecurities to surface when confronted with certain situations or tasks. This affects how you develop workplace relationships, take criticism and deal with challenging situations. This is especially true in small businesses. Finding your confidence can keep your business on track.

Confidence is your number one asset. In life and business, confidence allows you to share your message, product or service with the world and take it to the top. After all, if you don’t believe in yourself who else will? However, there is something that happens when you hold your message up to the worlds skeptical eye… sometimes that world doesn’t like you. In a world of over 6 billion people, chances are there are a whole bunch of people that won’t like you. But that should not affect you or your career. You are an individual with a unique idea ort service to offer. Own it.

I am going to share with you a little story about and finding my own sense of self and confidence, that has since carried over into all aspects of my life and business.

In grade school, I was always the enthusiastic smart girl that “geeked out” on learning. I loved impressing classmates and teachers with my over the top projects and knowledge. Then high school came around, and along with it a whole set of insecurities. I still worked really hard to keep my grades up, but the idea of answering questions or speaking out in class terrified me. The back of the classroom was my refuge. The further, I sat from the front the safer I felt. It wasn’t because I didn’t know the answer, 9 times out of 10 I probably did. But WHAT IF I answered a question wrong? WHAT IF I looked stupid in front of my peers?

Insecurity can be a person’s biggest downfall.  Insecurity breeds more insecurity. When we act out of insecurity, our actions increase our fears.

With my cloak of invisibility, I would sit in the back and hope and pray to not get called on. Looking back, this really just made it worse. The anxiety that ensued left me more unprepared when the inevitable happened. At some point I would get called on… I just didn’t know when, during what lesson or if I would know the answer.

Out of insecurity I gave up control of the situation, and when I did my insecurities multiplied.

I remember the day that all changed. All the seats in the back were taken. I was forced to sit in the front, but you know what? It wasn’t so bad. For the first time, I began to realize my potential and owned it. I was an intelligent woman with a lot of information and valuable feedback to offer others. Suddenly sitting in the front, with like minded people was appealing. People around me in class pushed me to be better, and I didn’t feel as alone and nervous as I did in the back of the class.

Nothing had changed. I was the same person I had always been, but moving to the front was the beginning of a brand new me. I was confident and in control.

We have all come along way since our high school years, but that doesn’t change the fact that we all have a little bit of insecurity.  Think about the last time you felt insecure, maybe it was about making a phone call, giving a presentation, confronting an employee, or dealing with an unsatisfied customer. Don’t stand back. You are going to get “called on” anyway. Do it on your terms.

It is really not so bad.

© 2012 Inspired Living, LLC

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Keri Murphy and the Inspired Living team is on a mission to empower people to use their unique talents in a way that allows them to Dream, Live and BE all that is possible through speaking, coaching, celebrity interviews and original on-line content. Get Inspired at inspiredliving.tv