I read Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes, I think you should too. Let me tell you why.
Being that I’m such a huge fan of Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, and Private Practice, I thought it was only fitting to add the book written by the writer of all my all-time favorite shows in my 2021 reading list, Shonda Rimes- Year of Yes!
I’m glad to report that it has been my best read so far this year.
This book is Shonda’s self-therapy she kindly decided to share with us. It is that book you find yourself saying one more page to until you realize it’s already morning and you should be getting ready for work. I picked up this book at the perfect time and I’m happy to share 3 lessons I learned from reading Year of Yes with you.
Lesson 1: You’re never too old to find yourself and that’s ok.
Lucky are those who early in life had all the experiences. Those who are able to show up in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s knowing exactly who they are and what they want in life. For many of us, it is still a work in progress. A lot of us walk around not even knowing who we truly are, what we want, and like. That is all because we haven’t taken the time to explore life, but also face our fears.
Throughout her Year of Yes, we follow Shonda on her journey to finding herself and becoming the best version of herself. We see her dive headfirst into self-discovery. It feels like she’s giving us permission to do the same, all the while reassuring us that we’re never too old to face our fears.
Lesson 2: Saying yes opens up doors to amazing opportunities you wouldn’t know existed otherwise.
I see it as the law of attraction. The more you say yes, the more positivity you attract to your life. By being open and saying yes, Shonda got to experience things she probably never would have, had she not opened her mind.
And though Year of Yes is all about saying yes, Shonda shows us the importance of the word No.
Lesson 3: Saying No is saying Yes to yourself.
My favorite chapter of this book must be chapter 11 where Shonda speaks about the Power of saying No. Saying no depending on the circumstances is saying Yes to yourself.
Saying no can reveal cracks in your relationships/ friendships and show people’s true colors. It can show who in your entourage is truly there for you.
Remember that not every request is a good request. Not everyone asking has your best interest at heart. Not every opportunity presented to you is there to benefit you. At times, people ask for their own benefit. It isn’t until you hit them with the No, that you get to see who you’re truly dealing with.
Saying no can help weed out the good from the bad and therefore saying No is also saying Yes to You.
No is a complete sentence and you shouldn’t feel the need to explain your No’s.
There are many more lessons to learn from Shonda Rimes’ Year of Yes, but I won’t spoil it in one post.
You’ll have to read the book for yourself to find out. When you’re done reading it, I’m sure you’ll agree that you and I can all take a page out of Shonda Rimes’ book and practice saying yes just a bit more because only great things can come out of it!
For more lessons and inspirations from Shonda herself, you can grab your copy of Year of Yes by clicking here. If you prefer the audio version, listen to it for free with an Audible free trial. Also, don’t forget to grab your Year of Yes Journal so you can start your Year of Yes!
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