Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person

In this brief interlude, Rhimes steps out of the narrative to clarify that, while the Year of Yes technically finished when 2015 began, she realized that she could not return to her former ways. The practice of saying “yes” becomes a new way of life.

Rhimes discusses the importance of learning when it is best to say “yes” to saying “no.” She provides anecdotes from her adolescence when not saying “no” proved disastrous, then cites two important instances in which saying “no” proved both wise and freeing. The first occurred when she was casting the role of the character Cristina Yang on the show Grey’s Anatomy; everyone around Rhimes was eager to hire an actor whom Rhimes did not feel was right for the role. Rhimes finally said “no” to this actor and went on to hire Sandra Oh instead. Rhimes credits Oh for much of the show’s success.

The second instance occurs when an acquaintance asks Rhimes to give her a very large sum of money. Rhimes says no, and the acquaintance responds with anger while Rhimes is filled with peace. She realized that the worst thing she had feared might happen—that the acquaintance would respond with anger—did indeed happen.