book report / year of yes

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes (4/5 stars)

This book is written by Shonda Rhimes, creator of hit TV shows Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. I used to watch Grey’s Anatomy religiously in the early seasons, so Shonda’s name was familiar to me.

She chronicles how saying YES for one year changed her life. I enjoy reading memoirs and this one I enjoyed because even though there were a few things I could not relate to (i.e. working in Hollywood), I can recognize parts of myself in her book, such as being an introvert, being a working mom and being a woman in the corporate world. I was inspired by her story.

I was switching back and forth between reading the book in print and also listening to the audio version while in my car. I enjoyed listening to the audio better because Shonda is the actual narrator and it felt like I had a girlfriend talking to me during my commute.

She had some good stories about balancing work and personal life. I love that she got inspired to exercise more and start eating better, and she lost 100 pounds.

Memorable Quotes:

“I am not lucky. You know what I am? I am smart, I am talented, I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way and I work really, really hard. Don’t call me lucky. Call me a badass.”

“There is no list of rules. There is one rule. The rule is: there are no rules. 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. Being traditional is not traditional anymore. It’s funny that we still think of it that way. Normalize your lives, people. You don’t want a baby? Don’t have one. I don’t want to get married? I won’t. You want to live alone? Enjoy it. You want to love someone? Love someone. Don’t apologize. Don’t explain. Don’t ever feel less than. When you feel the need to apologize or explain who you are, it means the voice in your head is telling you the wrong story. Wipe the slate clean. And rewrite it. No fairy tales. Be your own narrator. And go for a happy ending. One foot in front of the other. You will make it.”

(Linking Up with Modern Mrs Darcy)