Rhimes will be the first to tell you that money, power and accolades do not equal self-love and acceptance. That may sound really easy to do when you’re a mega-millionaire and the things you’re saying ‘yes’ to are sharing a box at the Kennedy Center Honors with President Obama and the First Lady, posing for magazine covers and getting a book deal to write about it all. Her first book (out now from Simon & Schuster) details how her entire life changed when she committed to saying “yes” to everything for one year. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for WGAw) Charley GallayĮnter the Year of Yes. Ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on Februin Century City, California. CENTURY CITY, CA - FEBRUARY 14: Honoree Shonda Rhimes attends the 2015 Writers Guild Awards L.A. Though, in many ways, her life was beyond her wildest dreams-with her successful TV shows and her 3 daughters-it was also making her miserable.

Her debilitating social anxiety and her unhappiness with her weight caused her to say ‘no’ to many amazing opportunities outside of her comfort zone-which was basically any place where the characters were real people and she wasn’t writing the script.

The words stung Rhimes because they were true. Delores basically replied, Who cares? You’re just going to say ‘no,’ anyway. The conversation happened during Thanksgiving about 18 months ago when Rhimes was telling Delores about all of the amazing invitations Rhimes was getting.

Shonda rhimes memoir