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Toastmasters International Meets in Thomaston

THOMASTON - Stage fright was never a problem for Connie Carey whenever she had 88 keys at her fingertips.

She loved performing.

“At the piano, I never had to say anything,” she said.

But standing up and speaking in front of a crowd? The thought terrified her.

In 1991, she was asked to make an announcement in a Sunday school class.

It wasn’t Palm Sunday. It was sweaty palm Sunday.

“My knees began to knock and my voice began to shake,” she said. “I lost my train of thought and couldn’t remember some of the details. The people on the front row had to help me out. When I sat down, I thought to myself: ‘That was ridiculous.’ I realized my attention was more on myself and my nerves than it was on my message. And that should never be.”

She joined Toastmasters International, an educational organization that promotes communication, leadership and public speaking skills. There are more than 292,000 Toastmasters belonging to 14,350 clubs in 122 countries.

Within three years, she was entering speech contests and, more importantly, having fun. Her confidence soared.

“I learned to communicate my thoughts in a way that made a difference,” she said.

In August, Connie will participate in the Toastmasters International competition in Los Vegas, Nevada. She will be one of 91 speakers vying for the world championship. In 2013, she advanced through the local, area, division and district competition to qualify for the Toastmasters International speaking contest in Cincinnati. Of more than 30,000 contestants, she finished in the top 18.

Last year, she represented District 14 at the competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Connie, who lives in Macon with her husband, attorney John Carey, is a member of the Middle Georgia Toastmasters. She is a professional speaker and best selling author who blends music and humor to deliver messages of inspiration.

She will deliver a seven-minute speech at the start of the semifinals on August 13. The speech, “Falling UP”, uses her skydiving experience as a metaphor for life. “When we choose to leave our ledge of safety, relinquish our sweaty death grip on our circumstances and look for the good in our unwanted situations, freefall can turn into a journey of gaining wisdom, insight, gratitude for simple things and compassion for others,” says Connie.

If she reaches the finals, her second speech is called “A Teacher Affects Eternity.” It was inspired by her high school piano teacher.

Although both speeches contain humor, she says that her goal is not for people to walk away saying she was good or funny. “I want them to see their challenges from a renewed perspective. I want them to say they need to go thank a teacher for the impact made on their lives.”

On Thursday, June 25, Connie will present one of those speeches to the Thomaston Toastmasters at the American Pie Pizzeria, 710A North Church Street. For more information, contact Pam Koon at http://3137847.toastmastersclubs.org. For more info about Connie, visit www.conniecarey.com.

Submitted 6.9.15
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