I’ve been a fan of Shonda Rhimes’ work for years. I watched Grey’s Anatomy from the beginning, and Scandal was one of my favorite shows of all-time (I may have cried during the series finale). But, it wasn’t until I read The Year of Yes that I became a major fan of Shonda the person. I included a short review in my last Recent Reads post, but I felt like it deserved a post of its own.
The book is an open and honest account of what happened when Shonda made the decision to say “yes” to everything for a whole year. It sounds like a simple change, but it was really challenging. As a fellow introvert, I was so impressed by the way she committed to challenging herself and how much she pushed her own limits. She gained such valuable perspective and, although it sounds cliche, a new lease on life.
There were parts of this book that actually helped me understand my own mind better, and excerpts of inspiration that really stuck with me. It made me realize how much I give in to fear and let anxiety influence my decisions. How often have I missed out on something because of it? Although I’m not doing a total overhaul like Shonda did, I have been pushing myself to do things I probably wouldn’t have done before. For years, I wouldn’t take a group fitness class because I was afraid of people watching me and judging me. I finally forced myself to give it a try and I realized that everyone is so focused on themselves, they don’t have time to worry about me. This may sound silly to you, but it was major to me.
So, whether you’re in a good place with your life or you’ve been wondering if you need to make a change, I think these are messages we can all benefit from hearing.
Words of Wisdom
On working hard to achieve your dreams instead of just wishing them into being:
“Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral. Pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.”
But, also appreciating how awesome you are without them:
“I realized a very simple truth: that success, fame, having all my dreams come true would not fix or improve me, it wasn’t an instant potion for personal growth. Having all my dreams come true only seemed to magnify whatever qualities I already possessed.”
On putting yourself first:
“…giving yourself the permission to shift the focus of what is a priority from what’s good for you over to what makes you feel good.”
For the introverts:
“If I don’t poke my head out of my shell and show people who I am, all anyone will ever think I am is my shell.”
On not letting unhappy people rain on your parade:
“Happy, whole people are drawn to happy, whole people, but nothing makes a toxic person more miserable and destructive than a happy, whole person. Unhappy people do not like it when a fellow unhappy person becomes happy.”
And, realizing that we make our own happiness:
“Happiness comes from living as you need to, as you want to. As your inner voice tells you to. Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be.”
