I still haven’t mastered this yet but I’m working on it. Hence, me hosting Colorful Chats this month. I’m personally working on doing what I say I’m going to do as Shonda wrote about (p. I’ve been busy being a doer as suggested by Shonda in her Dartmouth Commencement Speech, LESSON ONE: DITCH THE DREAM. I haven’t written a single note in my journal in two weeks… okay three, but I’ll get back on it, LOL. Like many of my friends that have read Year of Yes, I went a step further and got the Year of Yes Journal to document my journey and tell my story. I forwent a trip to Lisbon, Portugal and instead used the money to buy a car, so that I could get around while living abroad in Europe. Thanks for the Push Shonda!!! However, I did say Yes to NO. I’ve found myself busier and booked a trip literally every month until July. I booked a trip to London for New Year’s Eve just to see the big fireworks show. So, I created my own Year of Yes Challenge and shared it with my girlfriends, and they shared it with their girlfriends… and here we are! I was impressed and I wanted IN! I decided that I too would say YES to everything that scares me and see where life takes me as I proceed on my journey to find my happy place. I could see what a difference her Year of Yes project had made on her-in terms of her confidence, presence, appearance, etc. For example, I watched each of the speeches and television appearances that she cited in the book, Dartmouth Speech (June 2014), Jimmy Kimmel Interview (April 2014), Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Speech (December 2014), and Human Right Campaign Speech (March 2015) and saw the difference as she progressed along her journey. Reading the book allowed me the opportunity to accompany Shonda on her journey and bear witness to her transformation as she concurred her fears and tacked the things that scared her most. In the book Shonda Rhimes chronicles her Year of Yes project and provides examples of how she challenged herself to start living her best life and enjoying the fruits of her labor. Shonda Rhimes is extremely relatable and I found myself laughing aloud A LOT. I found myself highlighting and underling OFTEN.

There are so many great lessons and takeaways related to self-love, happiness, motherhood, friendships, relationships, and much more. When I finished reading this book I was left feeling inspired, encouraged, uplifted, and motivated to take on some new challenges and to say Yes to ME. In my opinion, this book definitely has something for everybody. This is exactly what I needed to start my year off right. Shonda Rhimes has done it again… this time with her self-help memoir Year of Yes! IT’S A HIT. I must say, I truly enjoyed reading this masterpiece.

Shonda rhimes yes to everything