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    Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes Summary

    Year of Yes
    Shonda Rhimes
    4.06 (98322 Reviews)
    Self-growthInspirationBiography
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    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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    “

    Motherhood redefines us, destroys and rebuilds us, attaches our hearts to tiny humans and sends them into the world.

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    Year of Yes isn't just a book — it's a masterclass in Self-growth. To help you absorb its lessons in the way that works best for you, we offer five unique learning modes. Whether you're a deep thinker, a fast learner, or a story lover, there's a mode designed to fit your style.

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    "Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

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    "Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

    @Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
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    "Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

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    Celebrities' reading list
    Elon MuskCharlie KirkBill GatesSteve JobsAndrew HubermanJoe RoganJordan Peterson
    Award winning collection
    Pulitzer PrizeNational Book AwardGoodreads Choice AwardsNobel Prize in LiteratureNew York TimesCaldecott MedalNebula Award
    Featured Topics
    ManagementAmerican HistoryWarTradingStoicismAnxietySex
    Best books by Year
    2025 Best Non Fiction Books2024 Best Non Fiction Books2023 Best Non Fiction Books
    Learning tools
    Knowledge VisualizerAI Podcast Generator
    Featured authors
    Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieGeorge OrwellO. J. SimpsonBarbara O'NeillWinston ChurchillCharlie Kirk
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    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.

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