Guest Blogger: Open Heart to the Year of Yes

I’m a diehard Grey’s Anatomy & Private Practice fan and an occasional viewer ofScandal (I can’t get with How To Get Away With Murder). That’s not to say Shonda Rhimes isn’t one of the most MAGNIFICENT writers ever. So when her book came out, I was happy for her—WRITER to… whatever I am. Lol.

As I perused the Amazon bookstore on my Kindle, I came across The Year of Yes and downloaded a sample. It was only a few pages, but I’ve never laughed so hard while reading a book. Instant download! For three days, I did nothing but read her book and laugh. From her shows, I assumed she was a great writer with a very intense, maybe a bit twisted, mind. After reading her book, I find myself with tears in my eyes, a smile on my face, and a silent cheer…because it’s too soon to talk!

She’s hilarious, but the journey of her growth is what’s inspiring. It always amazes me when you can find a lesson within a lesson. On the surface, it’s one thing, but there’s always a deeper meaning, a “moral-of-the-story” for all.

One line in the book summed up the entire book. “All it took was the right kind of yes.” And saying ‘no’ to one thing is actually saying ‘yes’ to something else. There’s a part where she tells a story of how she was ready to head out to an event when her daughter asked if she wanted to play. I expected her to say “No”. I mean she’s a Hollywood person on her way to an event. They don’t stay home to play. That’s a “regular person” decision. Anyway, she stayed. She played. It was awesome. And she still made it to her event. You can do both. You can put the important things in perspective and things will work out. Even if she missed her event because she stayed home to play with her children, maybe, eventually, she would’ve been happy with her decision. (Maybe not, but I would)

We spend so much time trying to do EVERYTHING, never feeling great about ANYTHING, when all we had to do was take a minute to put things in perspective and say the right kind of ‘yes’.

…and then it hit me…I just had my Year of Yes…well, twelve months to forever!!!

Sometimes we meet people at the exact moment we need them in our lives. A few months ago in blows Sonya, by introduction of Drea, like a breath of fresh air. She constantly gives me the nudge I need to take steps towards living out my dreams while also providing encouragement  and support along the way. And then she started a blog: Open Heart. Free Heart.  It has quickly become one of my favorites. When Sonya posted her review on Year of Yes, I knew I had to share it as it is on my growing list of books I must read. Are you ready for a Year of Yes?