“Year of Yes” by Shonda Rhimes
The 6 words that changed Shonda Rhimes’ life
I read Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes a couple of years ago, but given that we’re starting a new year and a new decade, I thought it was a great one to start my 2020 reviews. In order to write this, I skimmed through it again and was inspired by the many insights and thoughts that Rhimes shares in her book, just as I had appreciated the first time around.
If you’ve watched any of her hit TV shows, you’ll agree with me that Rhimes is extremely talented. It’s no surprise that she has “owned” Thursday evenings on ABC or that Grey’s Anatomy has been such a success that it’s now on its sixteenth season.
Yes, Rhimes is without any doubt a very talented creator and executive producer, but her amazing success is not only the result of her talent, but of how hard she’s worked for many years. As she clearly states in her book, she’s not lucky to be where she is and to be the entertainment icon that she is — she’s smart, talented and has worked very hard for all of it.
Being such a hard working lady and also an introvert (who loves books), there was a time when she used to say “no” to the many invitations she received to attend events, to be a speaker in others, or even to be interviewed. That was until 2013 — and that’s when the Year of Yes comes into the scene — when her sister Delorse told her these six words while cooking their Thanksgiving dinner: “You never say yes to anything”.
These six words startled her and made her realize that she needed to change. She then decided to start her Year of Yes — a year in which she committed to saying “yes” to both public and private situations to which she would usually say no. She realized that in most cases, the underlying reason that she was saying “no” was because those situations were challenging and/or scary and would take her out of her comfort zone.
This memoir was born from that Year of Yes. With a conversational and funny tone, Shonda Rhimes shares situations such as interviews, speeches, a cameo appearance on The Mindy Project, and even personal circumstances related to her family and her health, to which she said “yes” during that year. She openly shares how she overcame her fears and faced the challenges straight on, significantly changing her life as a result.
Year of Yes is definitely a book that’s fun to read, but in which readers can also find insights and thoughts that can empower them to further develop their leadership skills, improve their self-esteem, or find the motivation to go after that goal that they’ve had in mind for some time. I personally have adopted some of her suggestions and ideas. Saying “yes” to situations that others may find scary has provided me with rewarding experiences and knowledge that I wouldn’t have enjoyed if I’d said “no”.
If you’re a fan of Shonda Rhimes’ shows, you’ll also love when she mentions some behind-the-scenes anecdotes to illustrate her points. And, if you love (and miss) Cristina Yang you’ll enjoy Year of Yes even more.
It’s hard to keep myself from sharing more and spoiling the book’s valuable content for you. If you’re looking for a fun and inspiring read, I truly recommend you pick up Year of Yes. From all of the books that I’ve read, this is absolutely one of those that I know I’ll be going back to over and over again, and will always find something inspiring in it.