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Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
The instant New York Times bestseller from the creator of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder shares how saying YES changed her life. "As fun to read as Rhimes's TV series are to watch" (Los Angeles Times). She's the creator and producer of some of the most groundbreaking and audacious shows on television today. Her iconic characters live boldly and speak their minds. So who would suspect that Shonda Rhimes is an introvert? That she hired a publicist so she could avoid public appearances? That she suffered panic attacks before media interviews? With three children at home and three hit television shows, it was easy for Shonda to say she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. And then, over Thanksgiving dinner, her sister muttered something that was both a wake up and a call to arms: You never say yes to anything. Shonda knew she had to embrace the challenge: for one year, she would say YES to everything that scared her. This poignant, intimate, and hilarious memoir explores Shonda's life before her Year of Yes--from her nerdy, book-loving childhood to her devotion to creating television characters who reflected the world she saw around her. The book chronicles her life after her Year of Yes had begun--when Shonda forced herself out of the house and onto the stage; when she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her truest self. Yes. "Honest, raw, and revelatory" (The Washington Post), this wildly candid and compulsively readable book reveals how the mega talented Shonda Rhimes finally achieved badassery worthy of a Shondaland character. Best of all, she "can help motivate even the most determined homebody to get out and try something new" (Chicago Tribune).
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Community Reviews
Loved it, I felt like I found someone just like me who was able to flourish beyond herself without limitations. Makes me want to push harder in life!!!!!
2016 was the year I found this book, and the year I needed this book. I'm a super awkward total introvert like Shonda Rhimes. Not successful like she was, but very few people are. Saying Yes is a whole lot more fun than being afraid and saying no. Scary, but but fun. This is the year I took part in a hypnosis stage show. Could have said no, but I said yes, and it was a blast. (and yes, you are completely conscious and in control the whole time - I just made a choice - do I want to be part of the night's entertainment and make people smile, or do I want to be one of the people who says it's stupid and gets off the stage.) I played pool volleyball, and it was fun. I got a massage, which I'd always been too self-conscious to do, and it felt great. In short, I've been saying "yes," just like Shonda, and she gets some of the credit for my fun because she wrote this fun, rambling book that makes me wish I knew her in real life. I haven't even seen her shows, except for the first 1/2 season of How to Get Away With Murder, which I couldn't totally enjoy because I went to law school, and it wasn't like that. The acting was terrific, but, nope, no first year students as super interns of an amazing professor with an active solo private practice. Now I want to binge watch Grey's Anatomy (I had young kids back then, and who has time to watch much adult tv with kids around.) Now, hopefully I will say "yes" to weight loss, too. If Shonda did that, so can I!
I guess this isn't really a review. It's telling you how I reacted in real life, and how I felt, but you know what - that's really the point of this book. Live your life; don't just watch it.
I guess this isn't really a review. It's telling you how I reacted in real life, and how I felt, but you know what - that's really the point of this book. Live your life; don't just watch it.
I was genuinely surprised by how much I loved this book! It kept popping up in my book clubs, and after dodging it a couple of times, I finally dove in when it got picked for the third time—maybe that was a sign I couldn’t ignore?
The core of the book centers on the brave act of saying yes to the things that scare us. While I can’t fully relate to Shonda’s lifestyle, her message hit home for me. She candidly explores everything from her career and parenting to her dreams for love. The honesty in her storytelling is nothing short of refreshing!
Fear can be one of the most paralyzing experiences we face. I prefer to think of it as an action rather than just a feeling. In so many situations, we have the choice to embrace fear or let it hold us back. Of course, there are legitimate fears—like the chance of physical harm, losing someone we care about, or facing the unpredictability of the ocean. But let’s be real—who sits around obsessing over those all the time? Life should be about focusing on what we can control, and that’s exactly the empowering message Shonda delivers.
It’s incredible to witness her evolution from an introverted screenwriter to a powerhouse who took charge of her own life. I came across some negative reviews that called the book narcissistic or self-centered, but I couldn’t disagree more. How can someone share their journey without opening up about their struggles?
This lesson will stay with me as I move into 2025 and beyond. Fear is something I have the power to manage, and if I can take control of it, why wouldn’t I use that power to create a positive change?
I absolutely enjoyed her inner dialogue and I loved getting a different perspective on her characters on some of my favorite shows. Shonda is so inspirational and I definitely feel as if it’s time for my own yes year after reading this.
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