Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes Summary
Overview of Year of Yes
TV titan Shonda Rhimes transformed her life by saying "yes" to everything that scared her for one year. This NYT bestseller inspired a global movement of facing fears, sparked countless personal reinventions, and redefined "badassery" as celebrating your own gifts unapologetically.
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Key takeaways
When Fear Became the Default Setting
What does success look like when you're drowning in it? Shonda Rhimes had built an empire-Grey's Anatomy revolutionized television, Scandal made history, and her production company churned out hit after hit. Yet in 2013, she was profoundly miserable. Not the kind of unhappiness you can point to and fix, but a creeping numbness that had slowly drained all color from her life. She'd become a master at declining invitations: Jimmy Kimmel's show? No. Kennedy Center Honors? No. Speaking engagements? Absolutely not. Her excuses seemed reasonable-three children, multiple shows, no time-until Thanksgiving dinner when her sister Delorse casually dropped a truth bomb: "You never say yes to anything." Those six words detonated Shonda's carefully constructed fortress of fear. Weeks later, sitting in the Presidential Box at the Kennedy Center Honors beside Barack and Michelle Obama, she woke at 4 a.m. with a horrifying realization: had she been asked rather than told to attend, she would have said no. Despite creating fictional characters who lived boldly-Meredith Grey, Olivia Pope, Cristina Yang-Shonda herself had become someone who retreated from real-world experiences. Standing at this crossroads between the life she was living and the life she was missing, she made a decision that would alter everything: for one year, she would say yes to everything that scared her.
The Spotlight That Doesn't Kill You
The Mommy War Ceasefire
Play as Medicine
The Body She'd Been Abandoning
The Badass Who Says Thank You
Dancing in Your Own Sun
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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