My year of saying yes to everything | Shonda Rhimes

TL;DR

In this content, the author discusses the importance of saying yes to things that scare them and prioritizing play over work.

Transcript

So a while ago, I tried an experiment. For one year, I would say yes to all the things that scared me. Anything that made me nervous, took me out of my comfort zone, I forced myself to say yes to. Did I want to speak in public? No, but yes. Did I want to be on live TV? No, but yes. Did I want to try acting? No, no, no, but yes, yes, yes. And a craz... Read More

Key Insights

• 👧 Saying yes to things that scare you can help overcome fears and change your life.
• 👧 Saying yes to playing with your children can have a profound effect on your family and even save your career.
• 🎬 The speaker is a successful writer and TV producer, responsible for bringing about 70 hours of programming to the world.
• 💼 The speaker acknowledges that a dream job is not just about dreaming - it requires hard work, dedication, and a love for what you do.
• 🔌 The speaker describes the feeling of being in the "hum," where work feels like electricity and brings joy and fulfillment.
• ❤️ Play is the opposite of work and can bring happiness and simplicity to life. It's important to make time for play and find what brings you joy. ⌛ It only takes 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to engage in play and find joy in life. Everyone can find the time for a little play.
• 🙌 Prioritizing play and saying yes to less work can lead to a happier, more fulfilled life, and a better sense of self. Work needs play to be sustainable.

Questions & Answers

Q: What was the speaker's experiment and how did it impact her?

The speaker's experiment was to say yes to everything that scared her for one year. This included things like public speaking and trying acting. The act of doing the things that scared her helped to undo her fear and made them less scary. Her fear of public speaking and social anxiety disappeared as a result.

Q: How did saying yes to playing with her children affect the speaker's life?

Saying yes to playing with her children had a profound impact on the speaker's life. It led to a new way of life for her family and saved her career. She made a vow to always say yes to playing with her children, no matter what she was doing or where she was going. This had a magical effect on her, her children, and their family.

Q: How did the speaker's work as a writer make her feel?

The speaker's work as a writer made her feel like a titan. She described it as her dream job and spoke about the power and exhilaration she felt when the work was good. She compared her work to building a nation, running a marathon, and hitting every high note. The hum she experienced while working was like music and a drug to her.

Q: What happened when the hum of working stopped for the speaker?

When the hum of working stopped, the speaker felt overworked, burned out, and like something was missing. She stopped loving her work and couldn't restart the engine to regain the hum. The more successful she became, the more work there was to do, and the more pressure and expectations she felt. The hum was replaced by silence.

Q: How did saying yes to playing with her children help the speaker regain the hum?

Saying yes to playing with her children helped the speaker regain the hum. It allowed her to focus, be still, and be present in the moment. She found joy and simplicity in playing with her children, which helped her find the hum again, although not at full volume. The hum slowly crept back and gave her a rush of energy.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker embarked on a one-year experiment to say yes to everything that scared her, which helped her overcome fear and anxiety.

• Saying yes to playing with her children had a profound effect on her life and saved her from burnout in her career as a writer.

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of play in finding joy, rediscovering oneself, and improving overall well-being.