How to build confidence to talk to girls

Hi everyone,

I'm a guy who's quite shy in front of girls. I used to be so shy, that I kept 10 feet of distance from girls.

I often git complements from girls that "you're handsome". But I was so shy and didn't know how to reply, I just kept quiet, with my eyes and face down, and nodded.

Now, I'm 23 and I still don't have enough confidence to talk to girls, which I need to mitigate.

How do I build the confidence to ask a girl an informal question, or to ask her out?

(I don't have anyone to talk to either, cuz I've graduated uni, and there are no women at my workplace.)