When Joy Coach Catherine Walters called me to participate in her Joyful You Summit, my initial thought was, “I’m too busy.” Is life busy? Yes. Is life ever not busy for any of us? No. I realized that my initial reaction was just an excuse.

The theme of her second summit intrigued me–creativity and how to bring out your playful self. I love thinking of ideas and sharing them. I am just most comfortable doing so as a writer. Safely behind my computer monitor thank you very much. Her summit involves speaking … on video. While my husband will tell you I have zero trouble talking, I get uncomfortable in situations where the spotlight is on me. Thoughts that run through my head include: What if I say something stupid and it’s forever recorded? I ramble. You’re going to sound brilliant Sandra when your thoughts fall off a cliff and there’s dead silence. Then I remembered something else: When I avoid doing something because I fear it a little, I end up feeling worse.

Last year, I participated in Catherine’s Joyful You Summit for the first time. While it may not be a big deal to chat on video for some people, it was a fear conquering moment for me. And every time we say “yes” to something we fear, it may not banish the fear completely, but it does dissipate that fear. Being fearful and going for it anyway is the gateway to all sorts of glorious emotions–like euphoria (“Yes! I did it!), enthusiasm and self-confidence. In Shonda Rhimes book Year of Yes, she wrote, “Losing yourself does not happen all at once. Losing yourself happens one ‘No’ at a time.”  I knew I needed to say “Yes” to Catherine’s second Joyful You Summit and not hide out in my comfort zone.

The Joyful You Summit launches tomorrow, March 20, just in time for The International Day of Happiness. The theme is How to Bring Out Your Playful, Creative & FUN Self and Connect with Your Authentic Joy. It’s a free series of video interviews with 22 experts talking about aspects of joy, creativity, laughter, fun and play.

You won’t want to miss it! I believe my interview will be in early April. Tune in here to: The Joyful You Summit!