When someone talks of Shona Rhimes, we all think of acclaimed, award-winning television show creator, writer, and executive producer. Well-known for her hit show ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and its spin-off ‘Private Practise’ as well as legal dramas ‘Scandal’ and ‘How to get away with murder’, Shonda Rhimes has outdone herself over and over again. And she is not just a television show creator and does not just write screenplays, she is also an acclaimed novelist, and today we want to focus on her book, Year of Yes. When you want to understand the power of positivity and female power, then this is the book for you. So, grab a pen and notebook and let me take you down the path of the 4 greatest lessons you can learn as a woman, or as a person just basically trying to make it through an unfair world with hidden opportunities.
- Say Yes to your physique
Rhimes admits to have had challenges with her physical appearance. Her weight has been an issue that scarred her emotions and esteem for a long time. She often used to say Yes to her overeating and though that that would help her hide what was really disturbing her inside. She then changed her eating habits and started living healthy. In her book, she advocates that no one should ever judge you by how you look but you need to make deliberate changes to love yourself, not by necessarily transforming yourself to what the society says, but by embracing the best version of yourself. Say yes to your physique.
- Say Yes to Your Voice
Shonda Rhimes admits to always being the person who preferred to have a silent voice and not really air what she felt was wrong and how she thought it could be handled. Of course, she admits that at times certain voices propagate lies and division. But her desire to have her voice heard was even propagated through Grey Anatomy’s Christina Yang who ended up saying everything that Shonda was at times never confident enough to say. It took Rhimes a lot of effort to graduate herself from using Yang’s character to ultimately using her voice. Her advice to you is you do not have to have an award-winning show to air your voice, just use the platform available, no matter how small it is.
- Say Yes to Being the No Person
Shonda admits in her book that for a long time she was the person who feared so much for societal acceptance and having friends around her, that she often did not have the strength to say no, even to decisions that could damage her. This eventually caused her a lot of pain and made her make bad decisions that needed a lot fo work to rectify. Shonda advices her readers to learn to say no when it matters the most. Have difficult and uncomfortable conversations whenever you need to. You will appreciate yourself later on for doing that.
- Say Yes to genuine relationships
We often put up masks to fit in- get this from a billionaire celebrity who is friends with the likes of Obama. In her debut book, Shonda categorically reminds us to say yes only to true friendships. There is nothing worse than thinking someone has got your back as a friend, or family, only to be crushed when you need them the most. Be a good friend, and only trust the real versions of people.
From a person who creates fictional characters for a living, Shonda did a superb job in being herself in this novel. She delved into deep aspects of herself and her struggles that will impact millions from all over the world.