I’m a freelance writer and editor based in Malaysia offering writing and editing services.
29/02/2024
𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧 - 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐲'𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐲 - 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥 - 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫... what do all these groundbreaking shows have in common?
They were created by Shonda Rhimes (American screenwriter, producer and author)!
I'm currently reading (well, actually listening to the audiobook) "Year of Yes", a memoir by Shonda Rhimes about the year she said YES to everything, especially those requests that scared the s**t out of her.
The quote below is from her Commencement Speech delivered at Dartmouth College (2014) where she controversially said,
"𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟭: 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀."
"𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟮: 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂."
"𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟯: 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲-𝗼𝗳𝗳."
Personally, I found these pieces of advice highly useful and practical. She gets real in the commencement speech by telling the hard, honest truths, the stuff that nobody wants to hear. She vulnerably admits to the crowd about her fear of public speaking, and reveals the weakest moments she had right after graduation.
To me, I find that inspiring. Because here is a strong woman who stood up in front of everyone, telling them how scared she is. And yet she stood up and gave the speech anyway. Feel the fear and do it anyway! (That's also the title of another book that came across my orbit.) And she cared not one bit whether people lost their respect, doubted her or took her down from the pedestal.
Leading up to International Women's Day, we honour and commemorate women who were brave enough to stand up and fight for women's rights - to vote, to work, and to have a share in the privileges that were previously accorded to men.
Shonda Rhimes, is one those women I admire, purely from the great shows I've watched and her courageous Year of Yes and the ensuing memoir that she wrote.
Share with me yours!
